Picture this:

It’s the weekend and the gang is on their way to your humble abode. On your coffee table, you have the perfect game night spread: board games, cards, a bottle of Merlot and some sparkly, long-stemmed glasses. Netflix is loaded and ready to go, dinner is cooking, and your hostess-game is on point.

The only thing missing (perhaps the most important thing, if you love food as much as we do): snacks. Hors d’oeuvres. Munchies. Whatever you call them, you can’t have a party without serving up something easy and yummy for your guests to nosh on.

However, your chex-mix supply is running dangerously low, and besides, setting out a bowl of chips just isn’t the vibe you’re going for tonight. So, what do you do?

Because you are a smart, savvy San Antonio lady, you head on over to SA Woman and check out this delicious artisanal cheese board DIY the ladies at our office put together! We even took it upon ourselves to taste test the whole thing, because we’re just that devoted to helping our lovely readers. You’re welcome 😉

What you’ll need:

1. Start with cheese (duh). That’s your base, and we recommend using at least three different kinds of cheese with varying flavors:

• Soft/Mild Cheese: For this, we chose Brie. It’s light, easy on the taste buds, and pairs well with a variety of flavors.
• Sharp/Aged Cheese: We went with Welsh Cheddar. It’s a strong, full-flavored cheese that you’ll notice in every bite.
• Sweet Cheese: We picked a Wensleydale Mixed Berry flavor, and y’all. It. Is. Delicious. It’s more of a dessert cheese (trust us, that’s a thing), and it also tastes great paired with tea biscuits.

2. Next, add something salty. For ours, we went with salami (peppered and regular) and some tangy Kalamata olives.

3. Then, go with a citrus element. Fruits such as blackberries and peaches work well.

4. Follow that all up with something sweet. You can’t go wrong with chocolate, or if you’re feeling extra fancy, add a fruit spread of your choosing (we really love a good, sweet fig spread).

5. Finally, use water crackers as the vessel on which you pile all this delicious goodness. Water crackers are a good choice because they’re light and (basically) flavorless, which lets all the other yummy tastes shine through without being overpowered.

6. Grab some fresh sprigs of rosemary for a nice, aesthetic touch.

There you go! A lovely little artisanal cheese tray, no hefty price tag required. We gathered all our ingredients from our local H-E-B, including a pretty wooden cutting board and the cute little cheese knives.

You don’t have to go out of your way to put together something pretty and pretty darn tasty. Don’t worry, you aspiring little artisan – SA Woman has you covered!

Bonus:

Pair your fancy cheese tray with this delicious, staff-approved Rosé Sangria. It’s light, sweet, and perfect for serving!

Rosé Sangria Instructions:

1. Cut up the fruit of your choice – we prefer peaches and berries!
2. Macerate in sugar
3. Add a bottle (or two, lol) of Rosé
4. Add half a cup of Brandy or Cointreau
5. Pour it over ice, add club soda, and you’re good to go!