Entertaining on the Deck – Autumn Cheese Board

Who’s ready for fall!? I love this season because it feels like a new beginning with school starting back up and reminds me of all there is to be thankful for! This year especially, with the move we have been keeping busy and it feels great to reflect & celebrate our progress. I had my sister Betsy in town visiting the new house and our deck is finally ready for entertaining! This called for a toast, and what goes better with wine, than a great big cheese board :)

I wanted to be able to really enjoy my time with my sister in town so I ordered everything we needed through Walmart+ for pickup. I cannot stress enough how convenient this service is! I ordered the day before while we all watched TV and it was packed up and ready for us after our day of shopping downtown. We didn’t even get out of the car. They have everything I need from fresh produce to home goods and beyond. I’ve even used my membership to get outfits for last minute events. If you haven’t signed up yet click the link above:) If you have, I’ve built you a shopping list for the ultimate Autumn cheese board.

Produce

Late summer and early Autumn is such a great time for fresh produce, there is so much in season! We added apples, pears, and grapes to our board. Figs, apricots and tomatoes are also great this time of year.

Cheese & Crackers

A good rule of thumb when making a cheese board is adding three different cheeses based on hardness. For soft cheese we love a tangy goat cheese or creamy brie & both pair well with both sweet and savory items.

For a medium texture cheese, we tend to go for the sharp flavors of Dubliner or Cheddar, so yummy with crisp apples and grapes! Our local Walmart carries an amazing apple smoked cheddar that’s packed with flavor too. The best part of buying from Walmart is their prices on all of these must have items.

Our hard cheese of choice is Asiago or Parmesan, we go for the aged varieties when possible. The nutty flavors pair really well with the sweetness of jams, honey and dried fruits.

As for the crackers, we kept it simple with classic Carr table water crackers. They add some crunch but they aren’t flavor forward so the other elements can really shine. I also sliced a baguette and served it on the side.

Extras

A great cheese board is all about building the perfect bite… That’s where the extras come in! Depending on your audience you can add salty, sweet, or spicy elements.

Sweet: We added apricot jam, it was so delicious! You can also add candied nuts, honey or honeycomb, jams, apple butter or pumpkin butter for a fall flair.

Salty: Olives, pretzels, salami, & prosciutto all fit the bill for yummy salty additions. We went for olives and prosciutto this time.

Spicy: Pickled carrots, Spicy Calabrese, spicy mustard, dilly beans or Pepperoncini all pair well with aged Asaigo or on their own and bring up the heat. We added calabrese, a spicy garlicy Italian salami & it paired well with all the cheeses and fresh fruit. I’m making that a staple of all my boards moving forward!

Perfect Pairing

We even paired our cheese board with a local wine. Yes, I was able to order it with my Walmart+ membership and pick it up! Betsy and I love white wine, Jeff drinks red. The great thing about a cheese board is both white and red pair well.

What are your favorite things to add to a cheeseboard? We love adding new items, tell us in the comments below!

When we pictured living in Santa Barbara this was the exact scene we were most excited about. When Jeff and I looked at homes, a view of the ocean was the one thing he wanted… To sit out on the deck and enjoy the sunset with wine and cheese is a dream come true. Cheers to finding a home and making it ours!

xoxo,
Kristy

Walmart+ Shopping List

Goat Cheese

Dubliner Cheese

Aged Parmesan

Carr water crackers

Baguette

Grapes

Apples

Pears

Apricot jam or pumpkin butter

Olives

Prosciutto

Calabrese

& your choice of celebratory drink!

This post was sponsored by Walmart, thank you for supporting the companies that support me.

For more fall inspiration click here.