Rustic Cheeseboard Appetizer

Preperation time
20 m
Skills level

Serving size
20-30
Country of origin

Preparation time: 20 m
Servings: 20-30

Ingredients

  • 2 sleeves of sweet round crackers
  • 1 (7 or 8 ounce) box of salty triangular or square crackers with some texture
  • 1 (10-11 ounce) box of salty square or round stoned wheat crackers
  • 1 (4 ounce) jar strawberry or raspberry jam
  • 1 (8 ounce) package or block of yellow cheddar cheese, sliced
  • 1 large chunk Gouda, cut into chunks (can substitute with Fontina cheese)
  • 1 huge block of Swiss, sliced and cut into chunks
  • 1 (6 ounce) jar sweet pickles OR an assortment of olives if you prefer
  • 1 large bag red grapes
  • 1 large bag green grapes
  • 2 pints fresh strawberries
  • 3-4 decorative containers to serve strawberries in
  • organic parchment paper (brown)
  • 1 large wood board, 20 inches
  • mesh lid for the platter
Recipe Type:
Course:

This appetizer is very basic, but if you add some contrasting colors and an assortment of cheeses and assemble artfully this is a beautiful arrangement that will wow your guests! It’s a great appetizer for a large gathering. If you serve this outside buy a mesh lid so the flies stay away, and keep it out of the sun!

Buy yourself a large wood platter (maybe 20 inches in diameter), not just big but also a thick one maybe 1 or 2 inches thick. I shop a few days ahead for my cheeses and will visit multiple stores before I pick my cheese selection. Sometimes I buy what’s on sale and work from that. This platter has cheddar cheese cut into slices, Gouda cheese cut into chunks (a very popular cheese), and our fave Swiss Cheese! I tend to buy one out of the 3 cheeses in a large chunk. For this platter, I bought a quarter of a wheel of Swiss. I actually went to Shop Rite and got it on sale – always a bonus. I cut some into chunks, which can be eaten with a toothpick and others I sliced to eat on top of a cracker.

For the crackers, I purchased some salty and some sweet, some round, some triangular shaped and some square. I added a Strawberry & Prossecco Jam to the platter, but a regular jam is fine as well. I also added some tiny sweet pickles, my fave! The grapes are red and green and add color and contrast, and everyone likes if not loves grapes.  Be sure to cut a few branches so people can pick up a small branch of grapes to eat. Place the grapes in the center of the platter and place your crackers and cheeses all around it. Buy enough grapes so they fill the entire center of a large platter.  Along the side of my platter I added a few strawberry containers (in pink), which I bought at Michael’s and filled with parchment paper and fresh strawberries. I even added the parchment paper to the board for a rustic look.

In terms of the platter layout, there is no right or wrong way to assemble it. Just be sure the colors are balanced and that you have an assortment of everything. Placing toothpicks on or near the platter is great too for the chunks of cheese or if you leave the cheese in a block, place a knife close by for cutting.  I promise this will be a big hit. A simple concept brought up a few notches with a pop of color and a few added twists!  Enjoy!!