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How to Make an Awesome Cheese Board in Minutes

Updated: June 24, 2025 / By: Cassie Johnston / This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy

How to Make an Awesome Cheese Board

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"I made a BEAUTIFUL cheese board all thanks to this helpful article. Thank you so much!" 

- ANA -

I'm a big fan of dishes that have a high oooh-and-ahhh to elbow grease ratio, and cheese boards are the epitome of a great return on time investment. They take just a few minutes to put together, and man, do they ever look sharp. It might seem intimidating to get a cheese board to look "right," but I promise with my easy steps, you can have a fancy charcuterie board in just a few minutes.

In this post:


Close up of a cheese board arranged on a slate platter, with various cheeses and crackers, grapes, dried apricots, fresh rosemary, and charcuterie.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Cassie Johnston (a light skinned brunette woman with glasses and a red streak in her hair) smiles toward the camera with a wall of photo frames behind her

It can't really be this easy to make a good cheese platter, can it?

Oh my dear friend, it sure can! Seriously, I promise you can't mess this up. Here's why my cheese board tricks work for everyone (even those without a creative bone in their body):

  • It's so simple. We're basically just going to pile layers of food onto a platter. You can handle that!
  • No cutting required! Save yourself a step by not cutting your cheese into slices and instead using pretty (and affordable) cheese knives.
  • Infinitely customizable. Pick your family's perfect cheese, crackers, and other yummies! That means this cheese board works great for all diets and tastes-I've even made a board using nut cheeses for the vegans in my life.
  • The tastiest, easiest dinner ever. Throw together a cheese board and crack open a bottle of wine (like our strawberry wine) and you've got one of my favorite easy dinners. Especially for a Friday after a long workweek. Ahhhhh. Pure relaxation.

Of course, if you want to make a fancier cheeseboard (maybe for a holiday like these Halloween charcuterie boards, Thanksgiving cheese boards, or Christmas charcuterie boards) you can, but no need! A cheese board is inherently special, and after I teach you my tricks, you'll be able to make them in less time than you ever imagined.

Step-by-Step how to Make a cheese board

1

Choose your board

I have a large slate board that I love. Don't have a specialty cheese board? Ain't no thang. Use a big cutting board (I have this bamboo one that is perfect), a serving platter, or even a cookie sheet works-it looks all rustic and cute-like. Any large flat surface will work. Remember: it's going to be 90% covered by cheese, so don't stress about it too much.

2

Layer on your cheeses

I put my cheeses on first, spread evenly throughout the open space of the board. The cheese wedges are the "hubs" of the board, so I like to get those on first. I generally recommend picking 3-5 cheeses for your cheese platter. For most cheese boards, you'll want to select varieties that cover the whole cheese spectrum in terms of texture and flavor. Here is a general idea of what kinds of cheeses to get:

  • A variety of colors and shapes-This is just to make the board look more visually interesting and pretty! 
  • A mix of cheese textures-Get at least one soft cheese (like brie), one hard cheese (like Parmesan or cheddar), and one crumbly cheese (like bleu cheese).
  • A mix of strengths-Not everyone loves stinky cheese, so make sure one or two of your options are mild or buttery.

3

Add the salty (but not crackers) things on next

Now, I start using the cheese wedges as the center and build out from there. I pile meats, nuts, and olives around. Sometimes I use small bowls (especially for roly-poly olives), but more often than not, I just pile. 

4

Add sweet things to fill the gaps

You don't need a ton of fresh or dried fruit here, but a little bit can be a nice thing to bite on between cheese tastes. Pieces of chocolate or candied nuts are also great options.

5

Layer on piles of crackers

I like to use a mix of crackers, just because it's fun, but use whatever makes you happy. I just pile them on the cheese board wherever there are openings. You can always restock if you run low on crackers. I also like to include some crunchy breadsticks. They look pretty and they're fun to snack on!

If you want to keep it simple...

...stop here, and you'll still have an amazing cheese board! Read on to take your cheese platter over-the-top.

6

Add condiments

Condiments are a really fun addition to a cheese board. Some of my favorite options: honey, fancy mustards, jams (like my blueberry jam), jellies (like my apple jelly or pomegranate jelly), and preserves (like my gingered pear preserves). You can add sauces and chutneys and whatever else makes you happy.

If the bottle the condiment comes in is small enough, I just take off the lid, stick a spoon in it, and call it day. If I need to transfer it (like with honey), I move it into a small jar or bowl to save space.

7

Fill in the gaps

This is what will help make your cheese board look really amazing-fill in all the empty spaces. I like to do this with little clusters of grapes. They fill in all the nooks and crannies nicely, and they're the perfect size for someone to grab and just eat a few grapes. Another good option: cherry tomatoes. Both grapes and tomatoes help add some really beautiful color!

8

Garnish

Finally, garnish that baby. For the holiday season, I love just adding a few sprigs of fresh rosemary-it looks a lot like a Christmas tree, and it smells amazing. I also tend to use fresh sage a lot, too. Is this step important? Heck, no. Does it look good? Absolutely! And it takes about 10 seconds.

Cheese board protips

  • My basic principle when making a cheese board is to put piles of stuff I like on a board. Done. It really is that simple. I just pile stuff on a board until it's full, and then when people eat some, I pile on some more. There isn't really anything magical to it!
  • Most of those cheese counters at higher-end grocery stores will let you sample cheeses if you don't know what you're buying.
  • Lots of cheese counters will have a bargain bin of cheese ends-pieces that were too small for people to order. This is a great place to get cheeses for your cheese platter, because you can get lots of variety for only a few dollars.
Slate cutting board with 5 wedges of cheese, each with a cheese knife. Various crackers, nuts, dried apricots, olives, condiments, and charcuterie are around the cheese. The board is garnished with fresh rosemary.

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Close up of a cheese board with cheeses, crackers, olives, fruits, and almonds.

How to Make an Awesome Cheese Board in Minutes

Cheese boards are always crowd-pleasers! Learn how to make a cheese board in just a few minutes with our no-fuss tutorial.
4.31 from 26 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 486kcal
Author: Cassie Johnston
Cost: Mid

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Various cheese get a mix of flavors, textures, shapes, and colors
  • Salty items meats, nuts, olives, etc.
  • Sweet items fruit, dried fruit, chocolate, etc.
  • Crunchy items crackers, pita chips, breadsticks, etc.
  • Condiments honey, mustards, chutney, etc.
  • Space-filling items grapes, cherry tomatoes, cherries
  • Garnish fresh herbs
  • Cheese board can use a cheese board, cutting board, serving platter, tray, or cookie sheet
  • Cheese knives

Instructions

  • Begin by spreading the cheese wedges, logs, and wheels evenly throughout the cheese board surface. Add cheese knives.
  • Next, fill around the cheese with the salty items.
  • Then, add a few piles of sweet items.
  • Pile in the crunchy items and the condiments in small jars or bowls.
  • Next, fill in any empty spaces with space-filling items like grapes, cherry tomatoes, or cherries.
  • Finally, garnish the cheese board with fresh herbs.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce salami, 2 ounces cheese, 10 crackers | Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 22.2g | Fat: 35.2g | Saturated Fat: 16.4g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1092mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.8g | Calcium: 440mg | Iron: 2mg
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Frequently Asked Questions about cheese boards

Like I mentioned above, I don't normally pre-slice my cheese before it goes on the board-instead, I use cheese knives. There are two reasons for this:

  • It's so much easier! Let your guests do the work, and slice as thin or as thick as they want.
  • It just looks better. Perfectly aligned rows of pre-sliced cheese remind of deli cheese trays. There is something really organic and beautiful about seeing the whole wedge or wheel.

It can be a little tricky to estimate how much cheese board is enough cheese board. The answer to this question of course entirely depends on how many people you are serving and if you are serving the cheese board as an appetizer for a larger meal, or if it's the only food available. Here is a good rule of thumb that I use:

  • For an appetizer: One standard-size wedge/circle/log (4-6 ounces each) of cheese per three people served. 
  • For a main: One standard-size wedge/circle/log (4-6 ounces each) of cheese per two people served

Of course, this doesn't take into account the fact that you might just want to have more cheese available so you have a mix of textures and flavors! Take those numbers as the bare minimum, and remember: more cheese is never a bad thing. I try to always have at least three cheeses on a cheese board, just because I think visually it looks the best.

Putting a cheese board together is done in just a few minutes, but if you want to do some of the work ahead of time, you absolutely can! Just leave off any crunchy items-like crackers or nuts-or they'll get soggy. Other than that, you can have the entire cheese board assembled up to a day in advance. Just make sure to wrap the whole thing well in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.

The possibilities for adding to a cheese board are almost endless, so I find that it's better to think of the categories of foods you need instead of the individual items. Here are some cheese board ideas for all the non-cheese categories I try to include:

  • Garnishes: Rosemary sprigs, sage leaves, parsley sprigs-anything green!
  • Meaty/Salty: Prosciutto, salami, sausage, olives (stuffed are great), marinated artichoke hearts, fermented veggies, pickles.
  • Crunchy: Nuts, seeds, rice crackers, water crackers, Triscuits, crunchy breadsticks, cheese crisps, bagel crisps, pita chips.
  • Sweet: Dried apricots, chocolate squares, chocolate-covered almonds, dried mango, yogurt-covered raisins.
  • Fruits: Grapes, apple or pear slices (treated with fruit preserver), orange slices, pomegranate arils, persimmon slices, cherries, strawberries, blueberries.
  • Veggies: Grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced bell pepper, caprese sticks, any blanched veggie (asparagus, broccoli, etc.).
  • Condiments: Grainy mustard, chutneys, honey, homemade hot sauce, jams, fruit salsa, homemade sauerkraut, hot honey, fresh pesto.

more cheese board ideas

Overhead of a Halloween charcuterie board on a slate platter filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, crackers and spooky decorations.

Our favorite Halloween night dinner? This spooktacular Halloween cheese board! It's easy to put together, festive, and great to nibble on while you're helping with costumes and handing out candy.

Birdseye view of a wooden cutting board loaded with festive Thanksgiving charcuterie and colorful decorative leaves and mini pumpkins.

If you're looking for something easy to contribute to Thanksgiving dinner, try our Thanksgiving cheese board. No one has to know it only took you 10 minutes to put together.

A Christmas snack platter served in a round wooden tray with cheeses, meats, fresh fruits, nuts, jams, and crackers.

Our Christmas cheese board is a great option for an office holiday party or neighborhood potluck.

Cassie Johnston

Cassie is a holistic nutritionist, cookbook author, and all-around food lover. She grew up cooking dinner with her parents every evening, and her passion for home cooking has been strong ever since. Cassie is the author of two published cookbooks (Cooking with Greek Yogurt and Chia, Quinoa, Kale, Oh My!) and dozens of recipes published in major magazines and newspapers. Cassie has been sharing her award-winning recipes on Wholefully since 2010. She loves dark chocolate, homegrown tomatoes, motorsports, and anything that sparkles. She lives in Indiana with her family on a small homestead.

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4.31 from 26 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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38 Comments

  2. We made this for our dad for Father’s Day using your tutorial and it turned out amazing!! Thank you for this post!

    Reply

  3. Looks so pretty! Cheese boards are one of my favorites to make when entertaining. Such helpful tips!

    Reply

  5. Thank you for these ideas. the cheeseboard went down so well at a gathering, everyone was very impressed!

    Reply

  6. Cassie, this is SUCH a great post! I'm going to send readers to your site for these great instructions in my every-day-of-the-week email celebration; this time for June 4, National Cheese Day! Yay! Nice work. Now I'm hungry.

    Reply

  7. What cheeses did you use here? I read this post and then cruised by the cheese section at Whole Foods and was overwhelmed. I don’t know much about cheese so soft, hard, mild, strong, etc....I’m still like huh?! Sorry for being cheese-ignorant.

    Reply

    1. I don't exactly remember what I used here, but I do know there is a Brie wheel, Bellavitano Merlot from Sartori cheese, and a blue cheese. And I think there is some sort of herb-covered soft cheese up there, too. Honestly, you can't go wrong with cheese! (And the
      people at the Whole Foods's cheese counters are very helpful and knowledgable!)

      Reply

  8. Great post!! Super awesome recipe. I just loved it. I will definitely try this as soon as possible. Thanks for making and sharing such a great post with all of us. Keep sharing. I appreciate your work.

    Reply

  9. I always thought this looked like such a fun idea when you originally posted it, and when I got assigned appetizers for our Christmas/New Years celebration I knew I wanted to make a cheese board! Yum!

    Reply

  12. Loved your post... will use my grandmother's bread board from the early 1900's as the base and vintage Carnival glass for spreads this Thanksgiving.
    My way to honor someone I never had the opportunity to meet. Thanks for the inspiration!!

    Reply