Create the best Grazing Platter for family friends in no time with my helpful tips and tricks to make everything easier! Great for entertaining any season! It’s also perfect for a quiet night in, when you dont want to cook!
Loading your grazing platter up with colorful cheeses, fruits, meats and breads will make you seem like the most professional hostess since Emily Post! (She was the “queen” of ettiquette, look her up 🙂 )
Make it easy for your guests to enjoy with mini forks or toothpicks. Make sure all of your pieces are bite sized. Only pick fruits and vegetables that are seedless (think things like seedless grapes and olives).
What is a grazing board / grazing platter?
A grazing board, unlike a charcuterie board is filled with meats, cheeses and lots of accompaniments a charcuterie board is just meats with a few accompaniments, according to Time!
The great thing about a grazing board is that you can customize to your tastes and do wahtever you fancy! Have fun with it! Get creative! We always add at least one new cheese, a new type of meat and new fruits, veges and condiments. It’s always fun to try new things, and you never know, you may find your next favorite food.
What you need
The Cheeses
A mixture of hard cheeses and soft, spreadable cheeses is always your best bet. Cut the hard cheeses into bite sized pieces. Make sure you have enough mini cheese knives for each different spreadable cheese on you board.
Hard cheeses
- cheddars
- Swiss / Greyere
- Monterrey Jack
- Bleu
- Stilton
- Feta
- Gouda
- Havarti
Spreadable cheeses
- brie
- boursin
- cheese spreads
- chutter
- camembert
- port wine cheese
The Breads
It’s nice to use a mixture of breads, crackers and toasts, or even pretzels or sturdy chips will work. For the breads, using mixed flours is great, as well.
White, wheat, rye, sourdough and even gluten free are great to add for those that are intolerant (place the gluten free in a separate section of the board, or make a separate gluten free board).
- Good quality, artisan breads
- Your favorite packaged crackers (there are actually great gluten free varieties available too)
- We found nice, bite sized toasts at our local grocer.
- Pretzels (again, great GF available), tortilla chips
The Fruits
There are so many colors and flavors available. Mix it up so that you have all of the colors of the rainbow, concentrating on local seasonal availability, for the best selection.
If cut fruit is known to brown, cut them at the last minute, before adding to platter. Some fruits that I don’t recommend are bananas, peaches and nectarines. They brown too quickly.
- Oranges, tangerines
- seedless grapes
- pineapple
- watermelon
- cantaloupe or other melons
- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants
- tropical fruits; kiwi, mango, passion fruit,
- apples, cut up last minute, can brush with lemon juice to deter browning
- pears, cut up last minute, can brush with lemon juice to deter browning
- dried fruits are great too! Apples, pears, raisins, cherries, apricots, etc.
Vegetables
- carrot sticks
- celery
- radish
- cucumber
- cherry tomato
The Meats
Good meat choices are spreadable meats and smoked meats. Freshly cooked pork, beef, venison or chicken can also work.
- Salami
- Ham
- corned beef or pastrami
- liverwurst or pate’
- jerky
- prosciutto, chorizo, andouille, coppa, etc.
- seafoods, I have even done specialty boards with seafood
The Condiments
- pickles
- relishes
- olives
- hummus
- homemade or store bought dips
- chutney
- deviled eggs
- fruit spreads and pastes
- fancy mustards
- nuts and seeds
What quantities to use on the grazing platter?
For cheeses and meats, I usually plan on 2 oz (56 gr) per person, for an appetizer. The rest of the additions to your board, I just guestimate. Figuring 5-6 pieces of fruits and vegetables for each guest.
What if you don’t have a huge board to serve your grazing platter on?
Get creative and use whatever you have in the house. Old baking sheets will give your board that vintage look. Use baking pans, any shape will work.
You can make multiple smaller boards and scatter them throughout the area, so that wherever someone is standing, they are close to a board.
Don’t feel that you have to put everything on the same board. Mix them up.
You can even do special boards for special dietary restrictions. Be it gluten, diary, vegetarian, vegan, you can make a board for each and put a cute label on them.
What utensils and containers work?
I use small containers for any dips or spreadables. Ramekins, small bowls, even shot glasses are great for condiments. If you buy or make dips, put them in a small container to serve, then refill as needed.
Make sure you have lots of spreading knives and small spoons for scooping out dips and condiments. You can find cheap sets online (links below).
Other delicious appetizers that would be great on your grazing board
- oysters rockefeller
- brie with balsamic strawberries
- easy 10 minute shrimp dip
- hot drab dip
- chicken stuffed tomato bites
Supplies I use to make grazing boards
Contains affiliate links, for full disclosure, see FTC Disclosure, here.
Don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter, so that you don’t miss any new recipes! Only 1 email per week, on Fridays! Sign up form is below!
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it in the comments below! I would love to hear from you!
Also, don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!
Pro tips
- Start with an itemized list with the total quantities that you will need for the amount fof guests you expect.
- It is easy, at least for us, to go crazy in the cheese shop. Make sure you plan out how much you will need, for the people attending your gathering. Don’t go overboard. Many cheeses don’t freeze well, so you have to be able to use up your leftovers within a week. Same goes for the meats and the perishable fruits and vegetables.
- Get anything you can get done the day before, including; cutting up the hard cheeses and placing in plastic wrap or bags. (Keep varieties separate)
- Wash any fruits the day before, except fruit that will perish if wet, such as strawberries and raspberries.
- Anything that will spoil in the hot weather, should be kept refrigerated until the last minute, such as; mayonnaise based dips and sauces, meats, deviled eggs, etc.
- Hard cheeses or very sharp cheeses will cut better if they are room temperature.
- Try new things on your boards.
- Be careful, it is easy to spend a ton of money when you are shopping for specialty cheeses and meats. If you stick to the first tip above, this will be less of a danger.
That’s how easy it is to make the best grazing platter or grazing board. Thanks for stopping by today!
Enjoy! And have fun cooking!
Xoxo,
Crusty Bread, Fancy Cheese Served with Wine!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb brie cheese
- 1/2 lb favorite cheddar
- 1/2 lb muenster cheese
- 1 bunch red grapes
- 1 whole orange
- 1 apple
- 1 large loaf fresh, crusty bread, such as French or Ciabatta
- 1 bottle favorite wine
Instructions
- Wash and prepare all fruit into bite sized pieces. Arrange on serving board.Slice cheeses into bite sized pieces. Arrange on serving board.Serve with broken chunks of bread and a glass of wine.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
- cheddar
- Swiss
- muenster
- Mimolette
- gouda
- provolone
- brie
- aloutte type
- cream cheese blends
- port wine cheese
- chutter
- Stilton cheeses
- salami
- ham
- bacon
- sausage
- pork
- turkey
- pate
- apple
- pear
- grape
- orange
- pineapple
- cantalope
- melons
- apricot
- peach
- plum
- dried cranberries
Nutrition
Originally published 2/20/17 Newly updated 5/8/20
Beth
Oh my goodness does this look so yummy! It’s so pretty and has a lot of color to it. I can’t to make this!
Beth Neels
Thanks so much Beth! It’s so easy to make! Let me know what you think when you make it!
Emese
Oh my, which cheese is the one that looks like a cake? To me a grazing board is perfect if I have a hard time choosing which ones to try first. Just like this one.
Beth Neels
The one with the layers is a specialty cheddar and the layers are bleu! It was awesome! Thanks Emese!
Irina
Well, I am barely holding myself: the cheese board is mouthwatering! Thanks for the great ideas to make it more beautiful than I usually make 🙂
Beth Neels
You’re welcome Irina! Thanks for the comment.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
You just can’t beat a grazing platter, can you? They’re always delicious and there’s something for everyone!
Beth Neels
That’s true! It’s perfect for a party! Thanks Bintu!
Reg
Hello! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us so I came to give it a look. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Fantastic blog and outstanding design.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
This looks super easy but a lovely meal especially for a couple. You can never have too much wine or too much cheese in your life
Binky
You are right there! NEVER enough wine and cheese! Thanks Bintu!
Christine
What a lovely array of foods. There is something for every taste!
Binky
Thanks Christine! It really is so delicious!
Luci {Luci's Morsels}
The beef in the middle looks like a delicious addition as well. This looks amazing!
Binky
Thank you Luci! A well done beef steak is a nice addition to break up the heaviness of the cheese!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
I LOVE a good cheese board. Especially with wine and crusty bread!!
Binky
Yes the wine is requisite, Becca!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
Wow that is quite a fabulous spread! So many yummy things to nosh on.
Binky
Thanks Emily! It is a family favorite!
Sarah
Congrats on your 100th post!! Isn’t blogging the most fun creative outlet?! I love it! This board looks absolutely delicious! Can never have too much cheese and wine in your life!
Binky
I agree with you there, Sarah! Never too much wine and cheese! Thanks!
Andrea Metlika
This looks incredibly delicious. A perfect grazing platter.
Beth Neels
Thanks so much Andrea!
Brandi Crawford
Cheese and wine make the perfect combo for an amazing night IN! Kick back and relax with this in mind. LOVE!
Mindy Fewless (@ Coco and Ash)
Um do I see steak?! YES PLEASE!!
Binky
You absolutely do! It adds greatly to the dish! Thanks Mindy!
Rae
I’d actually go with a merlot with the cheese and steak, especially with a nice creamy brie!
Binky
OK! I’ll buy that, too! Thanks Rae!
Jessy @ The Life Jolie
Now this is my kind of meal! Cheese = happiness!
Binky
Agreed, Jessy! Thank you for comment! Have a great week!
Nicole
The simple ideas are the best! beautifully done, it looks awesome.
Binky
Thank you Nicole! You are right, sometimes simplicity reigns!
jacquee | i sugar coat it!
No cook, no fuss – I like it already and I’ll certainly take the pinot or any other libation you care to serve up. I love a good cheese board!
Binky
Thank you Jacquee! Easy is always good, isn’t it?
Luci's Morsels
This looks amazing! The fruit, the cheese, the bread, yum!
Binky
It’s also super easy! Thanks for your comment, Luci!
Platter Talk
There are few things that I like better then a cheeseboard such as this one!
Binky
Agreed, Dan! Thank you for your comment!