4 Impressive (& Simple) Cheese Boards That Elevate Any Occasion

We've partnered with our friends at Cracker Barrel Cheese to make it easy to style a winning cheese board for any occasion.

Being prepared to host unexpected guests is one of those skills you rarely need to flex. But for Food52 Resident Erin Jeanne McDowell, it never hurts to have something you could serve at a moment’s notice.

“I always have good cheese in my fridge,” says Erin. “Being able to spontaneously pull out a pretty fancy cheese board unexpectedly makes me feel really good.” The expert baker will often complement her spread with homemade crackers or bread, but the beauty of a cheese board is its endless versatility—it’s the perfect blank slate for anything you have on hand.

Cheddar is something we always have in our fridges, and it makes an easy, surprisingly elevated addition to any cheese board—especially when you opt for Cracker Barrel’s party-ready styles. Whether you reach for cubes, pre-cut slices, or elegant blocks, bold and aged cheddars pair perfectly with all the other nibbles you probably have in your cupboards and fridge right now (or can quickly find at the store). To illustrate all the ways you can turn your cheese selection into an impressive spread, we gave our Test Kitchen team a few different scenarios to inspire you, from hosting an impromptu guest to planning a whole dinner party. Read on for their ideas and easy recipes.

Fabulous & Fast

Photo by Julia Gartland

For those days when you can’t bear the thought of making one more stop on the way home, you’ll need to improvise. To create an impressive cheese board using pantry staples, our Senior Food Stylist Anna Billingskog pairs Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar with a selection of sweet and salty bites like gingersnap cookies and pretzels—but you can easily swap out any of these items for your go-to snacks.

Recipe: Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow Cracker Cuts; Apple slices (Pink Lady, Gala, or Honeycrisp); Apple butter; Pretzels; Honey; Wheat crackers; Gingersnaps.

Dinner Party-Worthy

Photo by Julia Gartland

Anna assembles picture-perfect cheese boards for dozens of Food52 photoshoots. To create a festive grazing board, she adds nuts, fresh and dried fruits, meats, and naturally aged cheeses. For a stylish centerpiece, she chisels Cracker Barrel Vermont Sharp White Block Cheddar into bite-sized pieces using a flat-edged cheese knife. A touch of sweetness in the form of candied popcorn keeps things unexpected and fun.

Recipe: Cracker Barrel Vermont Sharp White Cheddar block; Cracker Barrel Rich & Bold Cubes, Cheddar Jack; Prosciutto; Hard salami slices; Pistachios in shell; Candied popcorn; Fig or cherry jam; Wheat crackers; Dried fruits such as figs and apricots; Fresh seasonal fruit like pears (Bosc or Bartlett); Grapes.

Evening Grazing

Photo by Julia Gartland

We’ve all experienced “the hangry hour,” when dinner doesn’t come together as quickly as planned. To keep her famished family happy, our Test Kitchen Director Allison Buford styles a grazing board of fresh fruit, vegetables, and Cracker Barrel cheese that will please everyone without spoiling their appetite.

Recipe: Cracker Barrel Rich & Bold Cubes, Cheddar Jack; Roasted salted cashews; Marcona almonds; Grapes; Carrot sticks; Grape tomatoes; Pretzels; Buttery crackers.

Impromptu Visits

Photo by Julia Gartland

For spur-of-the-moment visitors, our Food Editor Emily Ziemski pairs hearty salami, walnuts, citrus, and some bittersweet chocolate with two styles of Cracker Barrel cheddar to create an impressive cheese board with staying power—just in case that casual drop-by guest joins you for dinner.

Recipe: Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow Cracker Cuts; Cracker Barrel Vermont Sharp White Block Cheddar; Salami, sliced; Buttery crackers; Wheat crackers; Orange wedges; Castelvetrano olives; Walnuts; Dark chocolate-covered almonds.