The best cheese for a charcuterie board is not one cheese but three that taste nothing alike: one soft and creamy, like brie; one hard and aged, like an aged cheddar, Manchego or aged Gouda; and one wild card, like a blue or a fresh goat cheese. Different textures, different milks and one surprise is what makes a board people keep picking at.
Rich cheese needs something sharp beside it. With the hard, nutty cheeses, put out a bowl of pickled shiitake mushrooms, the most savory of our five jars, with tamari in the brine. Its own product page pairs it with "Aged hard cheeses — Gruyère, Manchego, Comté".
Below: how to choose cheeses for a board, which pickled mushroom suits which cheese, fifteen of the best cheeses for a charcuterie board, how to cut each kind, how much to buy, and the questions people ask.
How to choose cheese for a charcuterie board
- Mix textures: one soft, one firm or hard, one crumbly or creamy wild card.
- Mix milks: cow, goat and sheep cheeses taste different from each other, which makes the board more interesting with the same number of cheeses.
- One crowd-pleaser, one interesting, one bold. A brie everyone knows, a Manchego or aged Gouda people may not have tried, and a blue for the adventurous.
- Three cheeses for six to eight people, four or five for a big party. More than that and they blur together.
- Serve them at room temperature. Take cheese out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, or up to an hour for hard cheeses, covered, so the flavor comes through.
Which pickled mushroom goes with which cheese
Each of our jars has its own pairings on its product page, and four of them name cheeses:
- Brie, Stilton and aged cheddar: pickled crimini, whose page lists "Cheeseboards — Brie, Stilton, aged Cheddar".
- Soft cheeses, burrata and fresh mozzarella: pickled white shimeji, bright and delicate.
- Gruyère, Manchego and Comté: pickled shiitake, the most savory.
- Aged Comté with walnut bread: pickled king oyster, thick meaty coins with truffle oil.
- Pâté on the same board: pickled black shimeji, whose pairings are "Pâté and rillettes" rather than cheese.
"Bought these for a small cheese board and everyone kept asking where the mushrooms were from. The crimini were the first jar we finished."
— Chris M., Golden Grove customer
A jar holds 250 g (about 9 oz) of mushrooms once drained; as one of two or three sharp things on a board, one jar covers six to eight people. If your board leans to aged, nutty cheeses, start with a 2-Pack of pickled shiitake: one jar for the board, one for the week after, on noodles or toast.
15 of the best cheeses for a charcuterie board
Soft and creamy
1. Brie
One of the most popular board cheeses, buttery and mild, and the one most people reach for first. Buy a small whole wheel or a thick wedge rather than thin pre-cut slices. Serve it with one or two wedges cut out so guests know where to start, and leave the rind on: it is edible. Pair it with fig jam, honey, pears, toasted walnuts and pickled crimini, whose product page names brie. For a warm version, our Christmas appetizers include a baked brie with cranberries.
2. Camembert
Brie's earthier cousin, a little stronger and more mushroomy. Lovely baked whole for twenty minutes and served warm with crusty bread.
3. A triple crème
Brillat-Savarin or Saint André: richer than brie, almost like cheesecake. A little goes a long way, so buy a small piece.
4. Burrata
Fresh mozzarella filled with cream. Put it on the board last, in a shallow bowl, with olive oil, flaky salt and a spoon of pickled white shimeji. It is best the day you buy it.
5. Fresh goat cheese
Tangy and soft. Roll a log in herbs, cracked pepper or chopped nuts, and drizzle it with honey.
Semi-soft and firm
6. Havarti
Mild, smooth and easy to slice. An easy choice for children and anyone wary of strong cheese.
7. Young or smoked Gouda
Sweet and approachable; the smoked version adds depth without being strong.
8. Fontina
Nutty and mild, and it melts beautifully if your board includes anything warm.
9. Gruyère or Comté
Firm Alpine cheeses, nutty and a little sweet. Slice them into thin batons, and serve with walnut bread and pickled king oyster or shiitake.
Hard and aged
10. Aged cheddar
Sharp, crumbly and familiar. Break it into rough chunks rather than neat slices; it looks better and tastes the same.
11. Aged Gouda
Caramel-sweet with crunchy little crystals. One of the easiest ways to make a board feel special.
12. Manchego
Spain's sheep's milk cheese, firm and nutty. Cut it into thin triangles and serve with quince paste, Marcona almonds and pickled shiitake.
13. Parmigiano-Reggiano
Break it into craggy pieces with a short knife and drizzle with a drop of aged balsamic or honey.
Blue
14. Gorgonzola dolce
The gentle, creamy blue. A good first blue for people who think they don't like blue cheese. Serve it with honey and walnuts.
15. Stilton
Crumbly, rich and bold. A Christmas classic with port, pears and pickled crimini.
How to cut cheese for a charcuterie board
- Soft rounds (brie, Camembert): cut one or two wedges out of the wheel and leave the rest whole.
- Wedges of hard cheese (Manchego, cheddar): slice off the rind side, then cut thin triangles from the point outward.
- Blocks (aged cheddar, Gouda): cut slices or cubes, or break the cheese into rough chunks with the tip of a knife.
- Very hard cheese (Parmigiano): break it into craggy pieces with a short, sturdy knife.
- Crumbly blue: leave it in a wedge with a small knife, or crumble a little beside it.
- Goat cheese logs: slice with unflavored dental floss or a hot, wet knife for clean rounds.
Pre-cut about half of each hard cheese and leave the rest whole, so the board looks generous but nobody has to start the cheese.
How much cheese per person
As an appetizer, plan on about 2 ounces of cheese per person; if the board is the meal, double it. For eight guests that is about 1 pound in total, split across three cheeses. Our charcuterie board ingredients guide has a table for 4, 8 and 12 guests and a shopping list.
Perishable food shouldn't sit at room temperature for more than two hours in total, so count the time the cheese sat out before guests arrived. Hard cheeses hold up best; refill soft ones from the fridge.
Cheese board questions
What are the best three cheeses for a charcuterie board?
Brie, an aged cheddar or aged Gouda, and a blue or goat cheese. One soft, one hard, one wild card.
Do you eat the rind on brie?
Yes, the white rind on brie and Camembert is edible. Leave it on and let guests decide.
Should cheese be at room temperature for a charcuterie board?
Yes. Take it out about 30 minutes before serving, or up to an hour for hard cheeses, covered, so it softens and the flavor comes through.
What is the 3-3-3 rule for charcuterie?
Three cheeses, three meats and three accompaniments; the 3-3-3-3 version adds three crackers or breads. It is a simple way to get variety without over-buying, and our ingredients guide explains it.
What goes with cheese on a charcuterie board?
Cured meats, crackers and bread, fruit, nuts, honey or jam, and something sharp such as pickles, olives or pickled mushrooms.
The short version
Choose three cheeses that don't taste alike, one soft, one hard and one blue or goat, and plan about 2 ounces per person. Put something sharp beside them. When you are ready, start with a 2-Pack of pickled shiitake for the aged cheeses, or crimini for the brie. For the rest of the board, see our charcuterie board ingredients and the best small pickles for a charcuterie board.