Let the Hostess Games Begin!

Pulling together holiday parties means that it’s time to break out your hosting skills and make sure you’ve got your Entertaining Basics down pat.  One of the easiest and tastiest ways to start mastering your entertaining basics is to begin by preparing a delicious Cheese board for guests to nibble on as they enjoy the festivities.

A few other must haves to make sure you’re rounding out the flavors are honey, jam, crackers, cured meats, almonds, dried figs, and of course… a little wine to accompany it all

The great thing about putting together a cheese board is working with a variety of elements. Find a big cutting board or tray and lay out the food in a way that adds a bit of dimension and interest to the table that encourages guests to indulge on the sweet and salty combinations.  You can do this by precutting & stacking cheese bites, including handfuls of almonds, slicing salami and layering them in a row, etc…. Try this on one side of the board and then mirroring the look on the other side.

Don’t forget to leave out some small plates and either toothpicks, cheese knives, small spreaders, or other utensils for guests to access the jam, cheese, and other food.  Sid Wainer & Son has great spreadable fruit (my favorite is the Huckleberry), mouthwatering salami (I recommend the Sopressa), and my favorite cheese is the classic Krystal Pure Cave Aged Cheddar…. But the Black Truffle Cheddar Cheese is next on my list to try!

The final piece of advice for preparing the perfect cheese board, is to bring on the variety!   You’ll always have guests with very particular tastebuds and those adventure seeking food lovers, so the more variety you can offer guests to try a little of each the better.

Top Tips to Remember When Building a Cheese Board:

• Prep Before Guests Arrive
• Serve High Quality Food
• Don’t Forget Utensils
• Pair with Some Great Wine
• Include a Variety of Bites (both Sweet & Salty)

So for the next holiday party, whether your hosting or just bringing something to potluck dinner, you’ll have the entertaining basics down by creating the perfect cheese board.

The post Entertaining Basics: Cheese Board Essentials appeared first on Peachfully Chic.