3 Festive French Cheese Boards That Are Easier to Make Than They Look
Many of our usual holiday traditions are on hold this year, so it’s the perfect time to start a new one, like sharing an extra festive French cheese board at home with your immediate family. It’s a delicious way to celebrate, whether you’re a family of two, four, or even one. (More fromage for you!)
We recently spoke with three cheese experts about how to build some beautiful French cheese boards. Meg Quinn, Alicia Tenise Chew, and Tenaya Darlington shared creations that you can enjoy throughout the holiday season and beyond — and can all be sourced at your local grocery store.
Meg’s Super Seasonal French Cheese Board
When Meg talked through her festive French cheese board with Kitchn’s Lifestyle Director Lisa Freedman, we immediately noticed that it’s bursting with color and abundance. Luckily, it’s simple to assemble. On her board are four French cheeses, each with their own unique flavor profile: Mild Comté is nutty and firm; Brie is rich and creamy; Bleu d’Auvergne is salty and spicy; and Mimolette is fruity with hints of butterscotch. Mimolette is especially fun because of its striking orange hue, which lends a pop of vibrancy to the board. All that’s left to do is fill the empty spaces with seasonal accompaniments, such as pickled greens beans and Brussels sprouts, fresh grapes, and candied pecans. Don’t forget the baguette slices!
Alicia’s Très Magnifique French Cheese Board
What we love about Alicia’s French cheese board is it features not one, but two creamy, decadent French cheeses: Triple Crème and Camembert. Both are ultra buttery, which makes them hard not to love. But a good cheese board mixes textures. To balance the richness of these two French cheeses, Alicia paired them with nutty, pleasantly sweet Comté. More robust cheeses like these pair well with something sweet. Serve these three cheeses with fresh fruit like blackberries and pear slices, nuts, and crackers or baguette slices, and you won’t be disappointed.
Tenaya’s Fast & Fancy French Cheese Board
With a nickname like Madame Fromage, there’s no doubt Tenaya knows her way around French cheese. We love that she isn’t afraid to feature a bold blue cheese on her board: Bleu d’Auvergne is indeed pungent and spicy, but it also has wonderful notes of wild flowers and delivers a nice, creamy texture. When paired with Triple Crème and Comté, the resulting French cheese board is well-balanced and pretty darn sophisticated for being so easy to pull together. Seasonal fruit like fresh figs and blackberries, nuts, honey, and a crusty baguette round it out.