We at Cheese Grotto are pretty much obsessed with cheese boards. We make them to celebrate just about anything: Valentine’s Day, Raw Milk Cheese Day, independence, summer, days that end in -y, you name it. And why not? Building a cheese board is a great way to enjoy a healthy and delicious meal with minimal prep—for any reason or no reason at all. 

We also love cheese boards because you can build them right inside your Grotto, which we designed so that the removable shelves double as cute little cheese boards. That way, it’s super fast and easy to take your cheese from sustainable, natural storage to table.

Our latest model, the pint-sized, packable Piatto, is perfect for a #minimondays #cheeseboardchallenge. To celebrate the Piatto—and Week 4 of our National Cheese Month Cheese Board Challenge—we’re giving away a copy of A FIELD GUIDE TO CHEESE from Artisan Books, a Model 6 wine preservation system from Coravin, a Cheese Grotto Piatto, and an all-new Brooklyn Slate cheese board with handles. Read on for info on making your own mini cheese board and instructions to enter our giveaway! 

How to Make a Mini Cheese Board

Find your board.

It’s ideal for building yourself a cheese board for one to make lunch, dinner, or happy hour extra special. You can use anything from a small wood serving board or side plate to a mason jar, a teacup, or even a large spoon, like this one from @charcutereats_. We’ve even seen teeny tiny cheese boards built on edible surfaces—like this cutie on a cracker by @ice.cheeseboards or this one that @petalandplatter built on a granola bar. The possibilities are endless!
One of the easiest ways to build a mini cheese board is by using your Piatto’s removable shelves, which slide right out for easy cleaning and service. The Piatto is the perfect size to hold one or two cute little cheeses—and even serve them right on its beautiful bamboo shelves. Once you’ve built the boards, you can even stage them inside for an extra-special presentation. 

Pick your theme.

One of the beautiful things about cheese boards is how the possibilities are endless: you can build a fantastic board around any season, holiday, or occasion, with fancy ingredients or basic pantry staples. But they’re also great for those everyday mealtimes when you want something nourishing, quick, and delicious. 

We love using the mini cheese board concept when we’re making meals for ourselves. One or two cheese with a few tasty accessories makes an excellent mini cheese board, whether you’re preparing breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. Marissa from @thatcheeseplate showed off her colorful cheese board for one technique earlier this year for Food52. We also love the simple, single-cheese boards our friend Madame Fromage shares on her Instagram account—always elegant and delicious! 

Source your snackables.

Start with the cheese, of course! While you can include as many varieties as will fit on your mini-sized serving surface, we like to focus on one or two types of cheese max. Maybe a half-round of soft, supple Sharon Creek Brie from My Artisano, for instance, or a few slices of nutty Pleasant Ridge Reserve. We also love these adorable Tiny Bloomy Buttons from Lakin’s Gorges. They’re the perfect size for a mini cheese board!

Next, grab your accoutrements—whatever catches your fancy. Think fresh or dried fruit, veggies (crisp, fresh slices or briny pickles), slices of dry-cured sausage or maybe a few rosettes of prosciutto, a handful of nuts, and some of your favorite crackers, crisps, or bread. Add chocolate, caramel, or your favorite candy to satisfy your sweet tooth and maybe even some pretty greenery or little flowers for presentation.