As beautiful as a meat and cheese board is, putting one together can seem like a daunting task. How do you pick the right cheese? Is there a certain way to place the meats on the board? And the list goes on and on.
So we asked Alex Snodgrass, the foodie behind The Defined Dish, to share her best tips on creating the perfect meat and cheese board (because her platters are basically a work of art and almost too pretty to eat…almost!).
Cheese
First, let’s talk cheese. Snodgrass recommends picking three different types of cheeses to start with. “When I select cheeses, I always do three and I try to do one creamy cheese (like a brie or goat), one dry cheese (my favorites are manchego or parmesan), and one classic that everyone loves, like a cheddar!” Check out her cheese recommendations below:
- Aged goat cheese (or another soft, creamy cheese)
- Cheddar cheese (or another sharp cheese)
- Manchego cheese
Meat
Next, focus on the meat. “You can’t go wrong with a delicious prosciutto or a salami. One of my personal favorites is a spicy capicola!” Snodgrass gushes. But make sure to separate packaged items and fluff up the meats a bit because “presentation is key with a cheese platter.” Check out her meat recommendations below:
- Genoa salami
- Prosciutto
- Soppressata
Extras
To keep the plate from being too basic, Snodgrass adds extra bites like seasonal fruits, salty nuts, and savory crackers. If you like spicy elements, toss a few in there. If chocolate is your go-to, add it to the board as well! Feel free to improvise a bit to really let your personality show in the platter and to your guests. Check out her additional recommendations below:
- Rosemary crackers
- Grapes
- Fig fruit spread
- Whole grain mustard
- Fire-roasted red peppers
- Marcona almonds
- Extra fine cornichons
- Fresh olives
xx, The FabFitFun Team
