How to make a simple Summer Cheese Board in just 10 minutes! Tailor your cheese board to the season with these unique combinations and presentation ideas – filled with summer fruits, complimentary cheese, nuts and wine pairings! Everything you need to know about how to build the best cheese board.
Summer Cheese Platter
If you follow me on Instagram, (which you should because I show my real life there) you know that we entertain ahhh lot! We have a beautiful backyard with a big pool, so in the summer we have a revolving door of people and I love every second of it. I’m a #2 on the enneagram test and my heart is to serve people. I’ve always wanted my cabinets to be filled with more entertaining platters than dinner plates and after being married for almost 13 years we are finally there.
When it comes to entertaining there are a few staples I always have. One of them is appetizers or munchies, whether it’s hummus, guacamole or a big cheese platter. If you’ve got adults and kiddos all over the house and backyard, having something for them to grab ‘n go is a must. Especially when I’m putting the finishing touches on the main meal. Cuz let’s be honest, as a mom I’m over the “mommy I’m hungry, what can I have to eat” question. Ya feel me!
How to Make a Summer Cheese Board?
When putting together a summer cheese board be sure to add in seasonal fruits and vegetables for the summer along with complimentary cheeses. Today’s board is more fruit forward because that’s what I think of when I think of summer – juicy watermelon, sweet cantaloupe wrapped with prosciutto, aged cheeses, salty cheeses and fresh berries.
What goes on a Cheese Board?
Make sure to have all of these ingredients to create the best FULL looking board with plenty of options for your guests.
- Cheese. I recommend 2-4 cheeses, things like creamy goat cheese, salty feta or aged cheddars,.
- Cured Meats. Pick 2-3 cured meats to arrange of your board, salty, spicy, sweet. Head to your Deli counter to pick out delicious cured meats.
- Fruit. People love to munch on fruits, for a summer cheese board go with melons and berries.
- Other Fillers. To fill the board up pick out salty or unsalted nuts, grilled breads, breadsticks, crackers, honey or jams.
How to arrange Cheese Board?
When assembling the cheese board, I like to place my cheeses on the board first. After all, they ARE the star of the platter. On this fruit & cheese platter I then placed the fruits in different areas to contrast the cheese, then the meats. Once I had those main ingredients on the board and arranged the way I like, I use all the other ingredients to fill in the space. Your goal is to make sure you can’t see the board. To make it look abundant and full of all kinds of goodies. So as soon as you bring it out, your guest devour it!
What to drink with Cheese Board?
When drinking wine you want to select wines that will compliment the ingredients on your board and also go with the time of year. So, for this particular Summer Board I’d recommend the following.
- Sauvignon Blanc – will go with the feta
- Riesling – pairs great with the fresh sweet fruits
- Rosé – will stand up to the cheese and pairs well with the fruits
- Chardonnay – light and refreshing with slight acidity perfect for aged cheddars
Where to buy Boards?
I have a couple favorite boards that I like to use when displaying and I’m sharing the links below!
- Slate Board from Crate & Barrel
- Round Wooden Board
- Marble & Wood Board from Sur la Table
- White Marble Rectangular Board with a Glass Dome
- Large Bamboo Rectangular Board with Handle
Alright peeps, you’re are all set for the ultimate summer entertaining staple! If you have questions don’t hesitate to shoot me an email!
Bon Appetit and happy board building!
How to make a Simple Summer Cheese Board
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Category: gluten free, appetizer,
- Cuisine: american
Description
How to make a simple Summer Cheese Board in just 10 minutes – filled with summer fruits, complimentary cheese, nuts and wine pairings! Everything you need to know about how to build the best cheese board.
Ingredients
Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe
- 3 oz. prosciutto de parma, thinly sliced
- 6–8 half moon slices of cantaloupe, skin removed
Cheese Board
- 1 soft cheese (mozzarella, burrata, goat cheese, Brie)
- 1 semi-hard cheese (manchego, provolone, feta cheese)
- 1 hard cheese (Asiago, aged Cheddar, Parmesan)
- 2 cured meats – salami, prosciutto, pepperoni,
- nuts (pecans, pistachios)
- fruit (watermelon slices, strawberries, blueberry, blackberries, etc. )
- other: honey
Instructions
Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe
- Wrap one slice of prosciutto around cantaloupe slice.
Arrange Cheese Board
- Arrange cheese on board first.
- Place prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe and watermelon slices on board.
- Arrange cured meat on board.
- Fill in “open spots” with remaining ingredients until the cheese board is completely full and you can’t see the board.
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Other Summer Entertaining Recipes
30 of the Best Healthy Side Dishes for Summer BBQ’s
The Ultimate BBQ Baby Back Ribs
