Celebrate the blossoming flowers and sunshine with this delicious charcuterie board for spring. My easy Spring Meat and Cheese Board Step-by-Step instructions will have you creating beautiful boards all season long!
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April showers bring May flowers
Spring represents growth, renewal, and freshness. Farmer’s are showcasing their new harvests at local markets while the trees grow their buds and flowers bloom. It’s one of the best times of the year to head outside to soak it all up and celebrate with food and friends.
The refreshing spring weather is also the perfect excuse to learn how to create a Spring Meat and Cheese Board Step-by-Step. Filled with savory meats, creamy cheeses, and fresh spring fruits and vegetables, it’s the best addition to bring to Easter and Mother’s Day, brunch, or lunch parties.
The best part? There are no rules! Design your spring cheese board any way you like and with ingredients you love. I loaded mine with a handful of mild cheeses, Italian charcuterie, and plenty of seasonal fruits and veggies, but you can add anything you like!
The most important thing to remember when designing a spring charcuterie board is to use fresh produce and seasonal ingredients. Just like my Winter and Fall Cheese Boards, we need each element to align with the seasonal theme. With this in mind, your board is guaranteed to present bright and fresh flavors!
What goes on a spring cheese board?
Truthfully, anything you want! Head to your local farmer’s market or deli and have fun with it. Pick up as many fresh ingredients you know you like and some that you’ve never tried before to make things interesting.
This basic guide should give you a good idea of where to start:
Cheese
I recommend buying more mild-flavored cheeses so the fresh bright flavors of the fruit can stand out. Murray’s Cheese recommends using cheese that is lower in fat and lighter tasting (now that we’re out of comfort food season). Feel free to switch things up and use a variety of cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and sheep’s milk cheeses.
A nice Burrata cheese with a spoonful of pesto on top will add some extra saltiness to the mild creamy cheese, while a Manchego pairs nicely with stone fruits and fresh chutneys. If you’re a fan of blue cheese, try a Gorgonzola. It’s a nice and mild blue cheese you can use as a dip or spread with crackers. Last but not least, a double cream brie is creamy, delicious, and usually loved by all.
Meat
Thinly sliced Italian meats (A.K.A. charcuterie) are a staple on both grand meat and cheese boards and snacking plates for two. Roll them up, layer them on top of each other, or fold them up for a fun presentation.
I decided to use one type of charcuterie to keep things simple and place the focus on the cheese and veggies. One of my faovorits is Varzi salami from Cremenelli. This variety is cut super thin and won’t feel overpowering.
Fresh vegetables and fruit
The options are endless when it comes to adding seasonal fruit and vegetables to your board. They add freshness, bright colors, and a little sweetness. The vegetables are great for dipping or enjoying with the cheese, while the fruit acts as a refresher to the more savory elements.
Strawberries are a great choice and come into season early (April). Cherries are my second favorite, but they aren’t in season until May. When all else fails, add plenty of vegetables like carrots, snap peas, radishes, and endives.
Everything else (nuts, antipasti, crackers, dips)
Filling out the board with “everything else” ensures there are no empty holes and that all of the flavors are balanced. You could include some dips and spreads, greens, antipasti, nuts, herbs, and crackers here.
My favorite extras to include are pistachios, almonds, cashews, olives, rhubarb-strawberry preserves from Murray’s Cheese, chutney, honey, hummus, marinated artichoke hearts, crostini, and lots of crackers.
How to arrange a cheese board
Think of your empty board like a canvas: there’s so much room for experimenting, creativity, and personality. Fill it up any way you like - there are no rules! This is simply a guide to get you started:
Step 1: Place your cheeses on the cutting board, platter or plate.
Start by assembling some in the corners for easy serving.
Step 2: Next, add any nuts, jams, or other bites in small bowls to the board.
Step 3: Begin to fill in the blank spaces with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Step 4: Add some crackers next to the cheeses.
Step 5: Fill the last few empty spaces with the charcuterie and nuts, then serve!
Spring cheese board tips
You’re almost ready to make your spring cheese board! There are just a few more tips you’ll need to know to help you get prepared and have the best presentation ever:
Prepare it ahead of time
Save yourself some time and assemble the board one or two days before serving. Add the cheeses, meat, fruits, and veggies to the board, cover it in plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge.
Set the board on the counter at least 1 hour before it’s time to eat so the cheese can come down to room temperature and you can finish adding the rest of the elements.
Equipment needed
The size of your cheese board will depend on how many people you’re serving. A dinner plate, serving tray, or a large wood board usually do the trick!
Other than that, all you need are a few cheese knives to make slicing easy, small bowls or jars to hold “everything else”, and some cutlery for any dips or spreads.
Perfectly paired cocktails
Serving this board at a party? Great! Make sure your drinks match the vibe.
Have a few lighter options available, like white wine or spritzers. A batch of Frozen Mimosas or Mango Margaritas would be a fun and fruity way to kick off the brunch party. There’s always room for a mocktail, like Blueberry Lemonade or Pineapple Ginger Beer, as well!
It's time to party!
Alright, friend, it's your turn to make your own Spring cheese and meat board. When your friends come over they are going to love it!
When you do, make sure to leave a comment below so I can hear how it goes!
Recipe
Spring Meat and Cheese Board Step-by-Step
Ingredients
- 8 ounces manchego cheese
- 8 ounces gorgonzola cheese
- 8 ounces double cream brie
- 1 ball burrata about 4 ounces
- ¼ cup pesto
- 2 ounces salami
- 1 bunch baby carrots
- 1 endive
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 1 bunch radishes
- 1 cup cherries
- 1 cup strawberries
- ½ cup castelvetrano olives
- ½ cup pistachios
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts
- ¼ cup jam
Instructions
- Cut the manchego into slices and place the buratta into a small dish of the pesto.
- Place the cheeses on the serving board near the edges.
- Add any items in bowls or jars (jam, honey, olives, etc.)
- Start filling in gaps with vegetables and/or fruit.
- Fill in the remaining gaps with crackers, charcuterie, and then nuts.
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