Looking for Bridal Shower Food Ideas? Here’s How to Assemble the Perfect Cheese Board for a Special Occasion

Your bestie is getting married–it’s time to throw her a bridal shower! So what food should you serve? One of my favorite appetizers that is always guaranteed to impress is a cheese board.

Not only does a cheese board bring people together, but it is also always a great way to get your guests excited to try new pairings and types of cheeses. The best part, aside from being easy to assemble, is that there is always something for everyone. So whether it’s for a bridal shower, a holiday party, or other gathering, scroll on to see how to put together the ultimate special occasion cheese board:

How to Assemble a Cheese Board:

Suggested Ingredients:

• 5-6 types of cheese
• 2-3 types of charcuterie
• Grapes
• Kiwi
• Clementine’s
• 2-3 types of Crackers with extra to serve on the side
• Fig Jam
• Honey
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Slices plums
• Fresh figs
• Pomegranate seeds
• Pear
• Dried Apricots
• Candied Walnuts
• Fresh Sage & Rosemary to garnish
• Edible Flowers such as pansies and violas

Instructions:

Step 1: The Board

I love to use a beautiful wooden board so that as people eat from the board, you are seeing something beautiful underneath. A great gift idea is to give the board to the bride at the end of the shower so she can make a board of her own!

I am using a 20 inch round board. You can also use a large cutting board or rectangular board.

Step 2: The Cheese

When selecting your cheese, a good rule of thumb is to have around 2oz per person on the board. If you are going to serve your board with other appetizers, 1-2oz is perfect!

I like to make sure there is an assortment of cheese so that everyone has something they like. This includes goat, sheep, and cow’s cheese as well as soft, semi-soft, hard, and creamy cheese. If you serve hard cheese on your board, be sure to cut it so that people can easily grab a piece and be sure to cut your hard cheeses in different ways so that people can distinguish the different kinds of cheese on the board. (I love shopping at Trader Joe’s, Murrays Cheese Shop and Whole Foods for my cheese.)

On this board, I used:

• Manchego – Sliced into thin triangles
• Gouda – Cut into match sticks
• Boursin – Creamy cheese, left as is
• Mimolette – Sliced into triangles
• Aged Cheddar – Cut into cubes
• Piave – Crumbled with the tip of a knife
• Goat Cheese with Edible Flowers

Step 3: Dips (Jams & Honey)

You always want to include a jam or a honey to add a fun flavor to your board! I love leaning into seasonal fruit for this part, so I went with fall flavors including fig jam and caramelized onion jam on this board.

Step 4: Large Fruit

This is when I like to add my larger fruit such as grapes, kiwis, whole sliced pears and clementine’s to my board! These items are the perfect anchors and a great way to fill up the board. If you are looking to cut costs and save money, be sure to fill in with these larger fruits especially grapes!

Step 5: Crackers

Crackers are usually the first things to be eaten on a cheese board so be sure to have backup! I like to always have an extra side of crackers in a basket alongside the board and a few different kinds of crackers. Be sure to also have crackers for your friends that might be gluten free!

Step 6: Charcuterie

A general rule of thumb is to serve 1-2oz of meat per person. I’m using salmi secchi, Italian dry salmi and prosciutto on this board. I like to create folded clusters of the salami and twist the prosciutto to make prosciutto roses. This makes it easier for people to grab and enjoy. If the bride or most of her guests are vegetarian, feel free to skip this step!

Step 7: Fresh Fruit

At this point, your board is starting to look pretty full! Now it’s time to start filling in the holes with fresh produce. Since we’re headed into fall, I love to make sure I’m grabbing fresh seasonal produce at the store. This includes raspberries, blackberries, fresh figs, pomegranate seeds and plums.

Step 8: Nuts & Dried Fruit

Now that your board is almost full, I use the nuts and dried fruit to fill in any last gaps. My favorites are candied walnuts and dried apricots, but you can also use marcona almonds, pecans, golden raisins, and dried cranberries.

Step 9: Fresh herbs & edible flowers

This is the part you where you can really wow your guests but adding fresh herbs like sage and rosemary as well as edible flowers. Adding edible flowers to your board really elevates the look and feel to make it extra special. Plus, you’ll likely have extras flowers to add to drinks or signature cocktails for an extra special touch. I like to order edible pansies and violas from a company called Gourmet Sweet Botanicals that ship around the country.

Be sure to serve with tongs and cheese knives to avoid double dippers!

Did you try this bridal shower food idea? Show us your charcuterie and cheese boards on Instagram or TikTok @lulus using #lovelulus and score dresses for guests, bridesmaids, and brides in our Weddings Shop!

Be sure to follow @berryandtheboards on Instagram for more cheese and charcuterie board ideas, as well as cocktails from food stylist, Alaura Berry!