Looking for a creative way to entertain this Halloween? Check out these instructions on How to Create a Halloween Cheese Board.
Step-By-Step Guide On How to Create a Halloween Cheese Board
Halloween is the perfect time to gather a group of your friends and family together for a fun evening of tricks and treats. Regardless of whether you have children or not, we’re all looking for an excuse to escape reality this year, and Halloween is a fun occasion to celebrate. If you’re looking for a more sophisticated way to entertain your family than overloading on candy this year, follow my guide for how to create a Halloween cheese board that will wow your guests.
The fall season offers so many great opportunities to create a delicious spread for you and your family. What I love most about cheese boards is their versatility. If you are having a buffet spread for your party, you can use them within the buffet as an appetizer. For anyone who is already sick of the mountains of candy and chocolate that appear at this time of year, it’s nice to have a cheese board as a savory dessert plate on the table.
Cheese boards allow you the chance to showcase a wide variety of cheeses, and you can cater to all palates. Whether your friends love trying sophisticated new cheeses or are fans of the more common types, you can cater to everyone. If you know one of your friends loves a certain cheese, what better way to treat them than adding it to the board. In this recipe today I’ve included Brie, Havarti, and Mozzarella that are great for picky eaters and children.
If you have kids coming to the party, check out some of my other recipes for dishes you can serve alongside the cheeseboard. Of course, no party is complete without a wide selection of drinks, so stock up on a good selection of wine to compliment the cheeses.
In the Halloween spirit, it’s always fun to decorate and get your house ready for your guests. Buy some fun party decorations and add small touches to all the food you serve. You can create little Halloween toothpicks to pick up the cheese by adding paper cut-outs to the wooden sticks.
Below you’ll find my instructions for creating the perfect Halloween cheese board. Of course, you can fully adapt the recipe to meet you and your guests’ needs. Adding seasonal fruits that you have in the house is the perfect way to garnish the board, and I love adding miniature pumpkins for that Halloween twist.
I can’t wait to host a Halloween party this year, and I hope this guide on how to create a Halloween cheese board will inspire you for your spooky gathering!
How to Create a Halloween Cheese Board
Ingredients
Cheeses (see notes for amounts based on number of servings)
- Brie
- Havarti
- Mozzarella Balls
- Something Stinky Roquefort or Camembert
Fruits
- 1-2 bunches of grapes depending on size
- 1 cup fresh Blackberries
- 1 cup dried apricots or figs
Meats (see notes for amounts based on number of servings)
- Prosciutto
- Salami
Crackers/Breads (see notes for amounts based on number of servings)
- Water Crackers
- Sliced Baguette
Fillers
- 1 cup mixed olives
- 1/2 cup cornishons
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 1/4 cup fig or apricot jam
- 1/4 cup grainy or dijon mustard
Instructions
Assembly
- First, place a few small bowls and pumpkins evenly around your cheeseboard. The exact number you need will vary but when placed together, they should take up about 1/4 of your board.
- Next, add your cheeses. Again, spread them out over the board filling in any holes around the bowls and pumpkins.
- Next, add your largest bunch of fruit right in the center. Add 2-3 more smaller piles of fruit around the board.
- Next, add your crackers and sliced baguette. Try to form “c” or “s” shaped curves with your crackers. This will help create a flow that will carry your eyes around the board.
- Now add your cured meats to fill in large gaps.
- Next, add fillers to the bowls and gaps until the board is almost completely covered. If you see a hole, add more fillers! There is no right or wrong place to put fillers.
- Lastly, make it halloween! Adding candy eyes and fake spiders can help take the cheese board from cute to creepy!
Notes
- Cheese
- Brie, Havarti, and Mozzarella are cheeses that both kids and adults love so they’re always a safe bet for a cheese board. As an appetizer, I expect an adult to eat between 1/4 and 1/3 of a pound of cheese. So for a party of 10, I would buy 2.5-3 pounds of cheese divided evenly between my cheeses; I would buy 1 pound of brie, 1 pound of Havarti, and 1 pound of mozzarella.
- Note: If you can’t find Havarti, Cheddar is a great substitute.
Fruits
- You can really use any fruits that you have on hand. Strawberries, figs, pears, apples, and plums are all great fruits to add to a cheese board. The possibilities are endless.
Meats
- As an appetizer, I plan for adults to eat a little less than 1/4 pound of cured meat. So, for a party of 10 I would buy 2 pounds of cured meats divided evenly between the two types: 1 pound of prosciutto and 1 pound of salami.
Crackers
- You can use any kind of crackers you like: Ritz, Water Crackers, Triscuits, Wheat Thins, etc. For a party of 10, I would buy 1 baguette and 1 box of crackers. You’ll likely have leftovers but it is better to have too much than not enough.
Fillers
- This is where you can add your favorite garnishes. I’ve suggested a few but feel free to pull anything you have in your pantry or fridge. Any jams, mustards, pretzels, nuts, etc. Additionally, the exact amount of filler you add to the board is not important. You just want to make sure the board doesn’t look empty.