How to Make a Crowd-Pleasing Cheese Board

Cheese boards are a delicious, Instagram-worthy appetizer for holiday parties, and you don’t need to be a cheesemonger to make a great plate:

– Pick a variety of cheeses, including different milk sources (goat, cow, sheep), flavors, textures and shapes. Use three or four cheeses, or five if you have a crowd.

– Choose simple crackers or bread to allow the cheeses’ flavor to stand out. Garlic and herb flavors can overwhelm the natural flavors of the cheeses you’re showcasing.

– Include a mix of salty and sweet accoutrements, like grapes, dried apricots or fig jam, and olives, meats or pickled vegetables.

– Keeley LaForme, B2 Communications