Delectable Autumn Cheese Board

Shine Brighter Together: a guide to building an elevated fall-inspired cheese board.

When it comes to building cheese boards, the possibilities are endless. They can be as simple or as fancy as you’d like. It’s always fun to create a cheese board with a theme, in this case, ours is autumn inspired. So, grab your mini pumpkins and follow our guide for everything you need to know about making a delectable autumn cheese board. We've included food suggestions, wine pairings, recipes, and ways to assemble and display your board, plus we threw in some Sterling pro tips along the way!

What You'll Need

Cheese

In our opinion, you can’t go wrong with cheese. Variety is the key to choosing the cheese for your board. Choose hard and soft cheese, and cheese made from different animals. Special cheeses are always available with flavor profiles that accompany your seasonal board. Sterling selections: Cheddar, gruyere, mimolette, blue cheese, smoked gouda, parmesan, brie, goat cheese, blue cheese, and havarti. Seasonal items: Cranberry white cheddar, sea salt honey goat cheese, and lavender espresso cheddar.

Charcuterie

In the French tradition, charcuterie (pronounced "shar-kuh-tuh-ree") is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. Mostly pig-based, the meats will be fatty and salty pairing nicely with your cheese selections. Sterling selections: Peppered salami, soppressata, calabrese, prosciutto, candied bacon.

Sweet and Savory Items

Sterling tip- make your board colorful! Adding fruit will bring color to your board while also providing a flavor contrast to your meats and cheeses. Olives, pickles, vegetables, honey, candied nuts, and figs will also add unique flavors to your board. Sterling selections: Honey-crisp apples, concord grapes, figs, walnuts, cashews, and roasted almonds. Seasonal items: Pomegranates, bosc pears, and roasted pumpkin seeds.

Autumn Touches

Make your cheese board fall-friendly by simply adding a mini pumpkin and other decorative gourds. Add a seasonal jam, dip, or spread. Sterling selections: Bourbon apple butter, pimento cheese dip, mini pumpkins, and striped squash.

Crackers or Bread

Again, it’s all about variety! Choose crackers of all different shapes, sizes, and flavors. A sliced baguette always looks appealing on the board.

Assemble Your Board

1. Choose the board. The size depends on how many people you are serving. You can always have multiple boards or even lay out craft paper on your kitchen island or table to create a grazing board.
2. Start with the cheese. Place the different cheeses around your board and spread them out in different places. Sterling tip: Always pre-cut a few slices or crumble a corner of a wedge to make it easy on your guests and show them how each cheese should be consumed.
3. Make space for your condiments and decorative gourds. These are the bulkiest items, so you want to make sure you have enough room on the board.
4. Add your meat. You can get creative here by folding it in half twice or fanning them flat on the board. For thin meat, you can fold them in a ribbon shape or drape them on top of each other to make it easy to grab.
5. Don’t forget sweet and savory items. Fill in the gaps with savory and sweet items. Separate the colors and place foods together that pair well with each other. We chose a lot of cheddar cheese because it pairs well with both savory and sweet foods.
6. Fill in with crackers and bread. Distribute the crackers and bread throughout the board, thinking about which cheeses and meats each pair with best.

Don't Forget the Wine

Wine and cheese are two of life's greatest pleasures and finding the perfect match can be a delicious endeavor. We suggest offering a few different varietals. You can never go wrong with the 2019 Sterling Blanc De Blancs, this sophisticated and elegant wine is balanced with fruit, structure, and acidity. The 2018 Unoaked Carneros Chardonnay is crisp and acidic, pairing well with each different category of cheese. The 2017 Sterling Reserve Pinot Noir and the 2015 Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon are two versatile red wines that will pair nicely with your seasonal cheese selections and hard cheeses. You really can’t go wrong with your pairings, so pour a glass, start tasting, and have fun!

Pimento Cheese Recipe

Simple and delicious.

Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 15 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 16 oz grated cheddar cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise, you can substitute cream cheese or Greek yogurt
• 4 oz jar of diced pimentos, drained
• ½ yellow onion, finely grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional- Add a splash of cayenne pepper, bacon bits, or Worcestershire sauce.

Instructions

1. Start by grating your cheese. Next peel the onion, slice, and mince.
2. Place all of your ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer and stir on medium until fully blended.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add cayenne pepper, bacon bits, or Worcestershire sauce for additional flavor.
4. Serve with raw vegetables, crackers, sliced baguette, or tortilla chips.

Bourbon Apple Butter Recipe

A warm fall staple.

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 1 hour

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 granny smith apples
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup bourbon

Instructions

1. Peel, core, and slice the apples.
2. Add the apples, sugar, and spices to a medium-sized pot and cook on medium-low heat until the apples are soft.
3. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot and add the bourbon.
4. Cook over low heat until the liquid has reduced and formed a thick and deep brown mixture.
5. Transfer the mixture into canning jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or preserve for longer storage.