Martha Stewart's Top Tip For Giving Holiday Cheese Boards A Fuller Shape

If you're hosting this holiday season, your guests are probably expecting you to have a cheese board. At this point it's a given for most hosting situations. Insider says that charcuterie boards fit right into the aesthetics of the digital age because of their simply customized beauty. They also taste amazing too. This makes a good charcuterie board the perfect option for showing off your taste in more than one way.

The term charcuterie originated in France around the 1400s to describe the work of shops that sold cooked, smoked, or otherwise prepared cuts of pork. The owners and workers at these shops would become known for their tasteful arrangements of these meats, and over the years they would be joined by accoutrements like fruits, nuts, and cheeses we know today. 

While charcuterie dates back to 15th century France, its modern incarnation as a trendy serving option is only a few years old. Insider says that it started to pique interest on social media around 2019. That makes it an ancient trend in the modern era, so no one will fault you for trying to change things up a little bit. 

These upgrades aren't just limited to stocking up on the best meats and cheeses. You get just as many points for style as substance, so try and change up the presentation this holiday season. Who better to turn to for your holiday cheese board upgrade than the queen of hosting and home decor herself — Martha Stewart.

Food & Wine says that they recently attended an event hosted by Martha Stewart and were floored by her spread of cheeses, meats, and other snacks. The lifestyle guru said one of her top tips for enhancing the presentation of any holiday cheese board is to get your cheese off the board completely. Instead, set different cheeses out on individual plates and platters, and arrange them vertically with risers and lifts. This makes your holiday spread feel more like a "buffet of cheese" than the classic board.

TLC also recommends using heightened cake stands and incorporating different textures for the plates to create a nice visual variety. You can still have a central wooden board this way if you'd like, but setting it on its own riser or surrounding it with heightened ceramic plates can add an elegant touch.

Stewart also recommends making sure that there are enough knives for every cheese that is set out to avoid mixing the flavors of a sharp feta with those of a smooth brie. Also, when assembling your cheese board, don't forget to have crackers, dried fruit, bread, and nuts to let guests experiment with all the different combinations of flavors.