A Simple Cheese Plate

Quick, easy and impressive!

Here’s the scenario: you’ve invited friends over for a summer weekend get-together. At the grocery store, you find yourself paralyzed in the aisles, unsure of what to grab for an appetizer. Believe it or not, I’ve been there and it’s not fun. Fortunately, this cheese plate is your solution! With a handful of simple, fresh items from the market and a few of my favorite food-styling tips, you’ll have a stunning seasonal spread that will leave your guests impressed and satisfied.

THE PLATTER

I recently got this platter from Le Creuset and I’m in love. The wavy edges are so fun.

THE CHEESE

To keep it easy, we’re using two cheeses for this plate. I like a variety, something hard and soft works great. For this, I picked up a Havarti and Fig + Honey Goat Cheese (both local to Upstate NY!) but most grocery stores will have these options!

THE PRODUCE

We’re skipping the charcuterie on this board to keep the flavors fresh for summer, plus it’s more budget friendly! I went with fresh seasonal produce, nectarines and blueberries, plus dried apricots for pop of orange and extra sweetness.

THE CRUNCH

We need a vehicle for the cheese, so I went with these almond and fig crackers and roasted walnuts. I always like to serve a cracker plate on the side of my cheese plate as well for easy refilling.

THE DIP

To tie in the apricot notes, I went with an apricot jam that pairs wonderfully with both the Havarti and the goat cheese

THE GARNISH

I love to use “poultry herbs” which is sage, rosemary and thyme. You can find this in the produce herb aisle! I call it the ~garnish trifecta~ because they all work as great pops of fragrant greens to take your plate to the next level. I also picked some edible flowers from my yard to add another dash of color.

And there you have it! This plate comes together in less than 15 minutes, cost under $40 and can serve 4-6 people as an appetizer. If you like these step-by-step tutorials, you can find over 100 cheese plate ideas in my two cookbooks!

For my paid subscribers, I put together a printable shopping list, suggested bites and drink pairings. See below!