One of my favorite ways to get a party started in a hurry is with a great cheeseboard and one of my favorite place to grab the ingredients in a hurry is Trader Joes! Growing up in California was a Trader Joe’s paradise! They were everywhere and I’ve been going there since I was a kid. Though I prefer making things from scratch when cooking, Trader’s always has so many dang tasty ready-to-go seasonal and high quality offerings, it’s one place that I feel good about grabbing pre-made specialty items to work in to my menu when entertaining. Their cheeses, dips, crackers, nuts, and dried fruits are always top of my list and I love making use of them for quick and elegant cheese boards. This Fall/Winter cheeseboard contains a few of my favorite seasonal Trader Joe’s cheats and can be customized so many ways. Thanks Trader’s- you’ve done it again!
Of course, you need plenty of wine to wash it down! Serve up some of my Apple Cider Mimosas alongside this cheeseboard and get the party started in no time!
Makes: 6-8 Appetizer Servings
Time: 10-15 Minutes
Ingredients:
Cheeses:
- One wedge each of Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Dusted Toscana Cheese, Herb Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion & Cheddar Cheese
Condiments:
- One jar of Trader Joe’s Fig Butter or other good quality fig jam
- One container of your favorite seasonal hummus-(I used a homemade Pumpkin Hummus for this cheeseboard)
Nuts & Fruits:
- 1 bag Trader Joe’s Rosemary Marcona Almonds
- 1 bag of Dried Apricots
- 1 apple, sliced (I like Gala, Fuji, or Pink Lady)
- 1 ripe pear, sliced
Bread & Crackers:
- 1/2 package Ciabatta Bread, sliced and toasted (I also love Trader Joe’s Olive Baguettes)
- 1 box Trader Joe’s Fig & Olive Crackers or Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps
Meat (Optional)
- Trader Joe’s or other good quality brand of Sliced Prosciutto
Drinks:
- Wine Selection and/or Apple Cider Mimosas – Get my Apple Cider Mimosa recipe here!
Directions:
Assemble appetizer ingredients on a large cheeseboard. There really are no hard and fast rules which is the nice thing about a cheeseboard. Just get started and fill up the board the way you’re creativity moves you! I like to place the dips and spreads in opposing corners of the board in small dishes or ramekins, place wedges of cheese along with some slices from the wedges at the other corners of the board, then pile something pretty like the prosciutto in the center, and that gives me corners and center points to work from! I like to fill in the empty spaces from there with the nuts, dried and fresh fruits, crackers, and toasted bread slices. I also like to make sure I place each of those smaller fill in items in more than one place on the board so they can be reached from all angles, which makes the grabbing more convenient for your guests. One more cheesy tip I like to share: Let your cheeses sit outside the fridge for about 20 minutes or more to soften and warm through a bit. It makes their flavor pop much more and makes them easier to cut and spread!
Enjoy this recipe or have questions? Feel free to leave a comment!
