The Trader Joe’s Cheese Board I Serve at Dinner Parties

It’s officially fall and for me that means it’s officially dinner party season. Aside from the upcoming holidays, I also have a lot of friends and family who have birthdays this time of year. My husband and I like to host celebrations whenever we can. It’s not always easy since we live in a one-bedroom apartment, but we’ve managed everything from pot-luck style gatherings to a sit-down dinner for 14 so…we make it work!

The dinner menu changes depending on the guest list and occasion, but there is one staple that makes it to ALL of our gatherings: a Trader Joe’s cheeseboard. (FYI this post is not sponsored, but if you’re reading this TJ’s, call me!)

Trader Joe’s has a really fantastic cheese selection, and their cured meats are also quite good. Their prices are wallet-friendly, which means you don’t have to spend a fortune before even getting into the main course.

When it comes to choosing items for the cheese board, I try to pick foods that have different textures, tastes, and colors. I think of the board as a “choose your own adventure” type of dish, and so I try to create as many different pairings as I can. I also end up supplementing my Trader Joe’s buys with foods I have in the pantry like jams, fruits, and nuts. This is also a great time to open up those gourmet gifts that have been sitting in the cupboard (i.e. artisanal honeys, preserves, and sweets).

For this cheeseboard I bought the following items from Trader Joe’s, which cost me less than $30:

• Manchego Cheese
• Le Delice de Bourgogne Cheese
• Goat Cheese Log
• Sliced Prosciutto
• Applewood Smoked Salami
• Raspberries
• Multigrain Flaxseed Water Crackers
• Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps

And I paired it with the below items in my pantry:

• Honey
• Orange Marmelade
• Cornichons
• Pistachios
• Grapes
• Dried Persimmons (from my childhood home in Korea!)
• Thyme (for decoration)

Do you have any staple dinner party dishes or foods? Or do you have a favorite Trader Joe’s item that’s “fancy” enough to serve guests? Please share!

More dinner party appetizer recipes:

Greek Yogurt Buttermilk Dressing
Patatas Bravas
Roasted Potatoes with Kale Pesto
Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Bacon, Pistachios, and Goat Cheese

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