Build a Better Snacking Board

Written By Caroline Barrett
Cheese Board building advice from the experts!

Cheese and charcuterie board - perfect for holiday entertaining

Scroll through any of your social media feeds and you’ll find photos of glorious snack boards — bountiful spreads filled with artfully folded meats, wedges of cheese, little nibbles tucked between crackers and fruit. There are books and websites devoted to these edible works of art, and I’ve spent a good deal of time learning how to prepare a board myself. Here’s what I’ve learned: making a beautiful spread for a party or a cozy night in takes a bit of time, some good advice and a little practice.

So where to begin? At the cheese counter, of course.

I went straight to the source for pointers on the do’s and don’ts of a festive board. Spoiler: there are very few don’ts and endless possibilities for dos. What follows is a collection of guidelines — some from my own years of board-building, and others from experts at two of my favorite local shops — that will help you treat the people you love to something beautiful, satisfying, and fun to eat.

Mary Rizzo at The Cheese Traveler in Albany talked with me about the basics.

“Charcuterie is cured meat,” she reminded me, though the word is often used as shorthand for an entire board. The Cheese Traveler is my go-to for cheese, charcuterie, and all the little extras that make a board special—but honestly, go for the smell alone. It smells like cheese in the very best way.

Her first tip: “Think of a theme, and build from there.”

At the Honest Weight Food Co-op, Jamie Shields and Karin Savio were busy cutting cheese and giving advice. There, cheese is king. If you, like me, love cheese – be it cow, sheep, goat, creamy or crumbly, sweet or stinky – then the cheese counter at Honest Weight is the stuff of dreams. 

“Choose four to five kinds of cheese, and pay attention to the texture and variety. Pick soft and hard cheese and think about how they taste together,” says Jamie. 

Both cheese counters have a basket in the cooler, with small pieces of cheese on sale. So if you, like me, love cheese but also roll on a budget, that’s a good place to find a bargain. There’s advice here from my years of pulling together boards, plus tricks for best practices from both the Cheese Traveler and Honest Weight Food Co-op. 

Choose a Theme
This is a fun, but optional way of preparing a charcuterie board. You can choose a place, like Greece, and fill up your board with marinated feta, pepperoncini and other delicacies from that region. For the board shown here, I chose the colors red and green, for a festive, holiday look. After I placed the cheese and crackers down, all of my vegetables and garnishes were in my color theme. Themes help narrow choices and make the board feel cohesive.

How Much is Enough? 
Rizzo recommended two to four ounces of cheese and meat each person for your board. Those numbers can depend on what else you’re serving. Go higher if the board is the dinner or the bulk of it, and lower if you’re putting out an entree as well. She also advised considering your audience when buying. Are they adventurous eaters? People with big appetites or food sensitivities? Good planning makes for a better snacking experience for all. 
Choose A Few Big Ticket Items (And Keep The Rest To a Budget)
Start with a solid, crowd pleaser, like cheddar cheese (I like Cabot New York Extra Sharp Cheddar). Add in a few different options: a soft, gooey brie and an aged sheep’s milk cheese. Both of the cheese shops I visited offer fancy, pretty crackers and things to fill a tray. I stick to a couple of those and fill in with simple (read: cheaper) crackers and pretzels from the grocery. Shields noted that almost every cheese at Honest Weight can be cut to order, so you can add a small wedge of a decadent, expensive cheese without blowing your budget.
Add a Dip, and Dippers
Break up the cheese and cracker offerings with a small bowl of dip. It doesn’t need to be fancy (or even homemade). Buy hummus, scoop it into a small serving cup and drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and some herbs. French onion dip is always a crowd pleaser. Don’t forget to put a spoon to deter double-dippers. 
No Party? No Problem!
Snack dinners for two are one of life’s underrated joys. They require little planning, pair beautifully with cozy clothes and a movie, and taste better when you’re not wearing uncomfortable party attire. Impromptu snack boards also don’t need to look perfect — this is a great way to use up forgotten cheese wedges in the fridge.
Surprises Are Nice
The biggest rule is that there are no rules. Add chocolate. Add jam. Add honey. And absolutely add potato chips — no one has ever complained about chips on a board.
Tinned Fish Is On Trend
If you want to do what the hip young people are doing, then open a tin of fish and plop it in the center of your board. In every cheese shop, there are shelves devoted to pretty little tins, filled with smoked and cured fishes, packed with herbs and olive oil. A sliver of salty fish is a welcome addition to a cracker and a slice of cheese.
Go For Height and Visual Interest
Both of the experts I spoke to stressed the idea of being creative when you put together your board. Add height by putting cut vegetables in a tall glass. Think about color as you are planning. Contrast keeps the board looking lively. 
Spend Time Cutting
Depending on who you are serving, it’s a good idea to cut all of your cheeses and make the meats accessible without having to slice on the board. I do this because it can be tricky to slice into a stick of pepperoni while holding a cocktail and a small plate. It’s also more sanitary, especially if you’re hosting a large gathering. Put out lots of toothpicks and tongs to keep hands (especially little ones) off the goods. 
No Time (Or Inclination) to Create Your Own Board? 
Both of the cheese shops I mention here make boards for busy people. So if you don’t have the time and your budget isn’t tight, have the experts do it for you. You can work with both of these cheese counters to get exactly the right board for your event. 

My top picks in Albany for cheese and charcuterie:

Caroline Barrett
Next

Nine Ways to Have a Better Thanksgiving