A perfectly portioned cheese board for two. Great for a date night in, or for a light dinner any day of the week. All the tips and tricks for making amazing cheese boards, even when scaling down.
You had to have seen this one coming.
Of course I, a self-proclaimed QUEEN of cheese boards, would find a way to make it a meal for one.
Or two. But let's be honest, with enough time (and wine) one person can kill this thing, no problem.
Seeing how this is my third dedicated post to cheese boards in six months, you don't need me to sit here and share all my thoughts and feelings. You can find those here and here.
I do, however, have some tips for building a cheese board when you don't need to feed an army. I mean, you can still do that and then happily eat the leftovers for days of course. But, if you're just looking for something special without a fridge full of half-eaten cheese afterwards, I got you.
Cheese Tips:
- Stock up on small "odds and ends-sized" cheeses. I see them at many grocery stores, often in a little basket right in the middle of all the cheeses. Aside from being great for a smaller cheese board, it's also just a great way to try out new cheeses! This might not apply for everyone, as I'm not sure if every grocery store does this, but it's definitely worth a shot to look around.
- If the above isn't an option, pick two cheeses that you can easily use up outside of the cheese board. I like to go for a white cheddar and parmesan. Both are staples in my cooking, and are generally in my fridge at any given moment. Others that are good: feta, pecorino romano, pepper jack, goat. Like all my other boards, I like to mix textures. So for this one, I'd say two cheeses can be enough, but I suggest doing one creamy (i.e. cheddar, goat, feta) and one more aged (i.e. parmesan) to mix it up.
Snack Tips
- Small cheese boards need snacks too! My #1 tip is to find a place with an olive bar so you can get just the amount you need. This will also let you pick and choose the flavors you want. If an olive bar is out of the question, many stores carry small "snack pack" bags of marinated olives. Look for them right next to the jarred olives!
- If you want meat on your board, pick one you love and stick to it. No need to load up on three different ones. Summer sausage or hard salami are both great choices as the leftovers will last a while. But you can also grab a small package of pancetta or prosciutto if that's more your style!
- You probably already have some jelly or jam in your fridge. Use that! But if, like me, you can find the world's cutest jar of jam, definitely jump on that.
- Another thing you probably have on hand? Nuts! Some almonds or cashews would be awesome. But if you are allergic, or just looking to switch things up, may I recommend corn nuts? It's the super salty bite you never knew your cheese board needed.
Are you convinced yet? Come on friends, let's make 2020 the year of single cheese boards. It's basically self-care!
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