Simple Cheese Platter Ideas – Host a How-to Brunch!

Simple cheese platter ideas are the perfect topic for a “how-to” party with your favorite friends!

I’m partnering with Cabot Cheese again, but this time let’s make something for the grownups! I absolutely love getting to work with them because Cabot is a co-operative owned by farm families throughout New England & New York, and 100% of profits go straight back to the farmers!

I’m going to show you how to plan a brunch get-together with your favorite friends, where everybody learns how to make a few simple cheese platter ideas.

P.S. In case you missed it, our last collaboration was for some adorable kids party food ideas + includes a free printable! 

Oh, and before we get any further, I know how much you guys love behind the scenes… So, you see that picture up there? Well, you’re looking at a foam board on my floor, ladies and gentlemen!* The proof is pictured below. Because, let’s get real, friends: I shoot everything in a basement, and my actual table is nowhere near close enough to a real light source. 

*Let’s be real – probably just ladies and ladies, yeah? 

Free Printable Cheat Sheet: Simple Cheese Platter Ideas

If you end up loving this party idea as much as I hope you will, then you’re going to want to download my free printable cheese board cheat sheet. 

It lists all the essentials, starting with the must-have supplies:

• Pretty plate or platter
• Flatware for guests to dish out snacks
• Small bowls for dips or honey
• Napkins or a dish towel to wipe away mistakes
• Labels and a marker to identify different cheese and ingredients
• Wine glasses for obvious reasons 😉

And once you’ve rounded up all your supplies and tools, you’re left with a shopping list. I break the cheese platter cheat sheet into two categories: savory and sweet. 

For a larger cheese board, you could mix the two, but I recommend keeping it separate if you’re using a salad or dinner plate-sized serving platter, like I did for all these simple cheese platter ideas.

Savory Cheese Board Ideas

• Cabot Cheese Cracker Cuts
• Nuts, such as Marcona almonds
• Miniature pickles
• Olives
• Cured peppers
• Bread
• Crackers
• Crunchy veggies, like carrots, cucumbers, and celery
• Grape or cherry tomatoes

Dessert Cheese Platter Ideas

• Aged Cheddar Cheese for a really nice crumble
• Berries
• Honey
• Nuts, like pecans
• Chocolate
• Fruit, like grapes, clementines, apples, or pears
• Macarons
• Cookies

Easy Cheese Board Ideas for Your Next Party

So, have I sold you on the how-to-make-a-cheese-platter-party idea yet?!

Great! Mission accomplished!

But since I’ve been doing this for awhile, I have a few tips for you:

• Prep in advance. Trying to arrange and serve everything minutes – or even hours – before your get-together is stressful. It took my literal years to realize that. So now I set up my whole table the night before. 
• Label, label, label. Whether you’re prepping the night before or throwing it together in the moment, you’ll find this helpful. Jot down a quick list of all your elements, and then cut each item out. Drop each item onto a dish so that you can just switch them out on autopilot. 

• Add height and dimension. Having everything flat on the table is boring, but you don’t need fancy dishes. Flip bowls and votive candle holders upside down, and set dishes on top. You can see a couple example of this in the photo above. 
• Incorporate the unexpected. Keep things interesting with a couple of unique ingredients. Some of my favorites includes watermelon radishes, pomegranates, macarons, and starfruit. Pretty much anything that people aren’t accustomed to seeing is perfect. Think of exotic items like passion fruit, papaya, edible flowers, colorful olives, honeycomb, or unique bread or crackers.
• Minimize your prep time. Cabot’s Cracker Cut Slices make things super easy. They’re pre-cut and come in a resealable package, so you can restock your cheese board as needed without having to stop and cut more cheese. 
• Embrace imperfection. If you want a party platter that’s as artful as it is delicious, opt for an aged cheese, like Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Cheddar Cheese. Then, you can skip the perfect slices. Instead, wedge a knife into a corner of the cheese, and lever it off a chunk at a time.