Thanksgiving is coming up fast and if you haven’t finished planning your holiday menu I’ve teamed up with 19 other bloggers to share some delicious recipes. Today I’ve put together a gluten-free cheese board, one of my favorite appetizers to start a holiday with because it is simple to put together. Cheese does not have gluten in it, but the vehicle (aka bread) for the cheese and other accoutrements are not always gluten free. I’m sharing a few tips on how to put together a cheese board everyone can enjoy!
Keep reading to learn more about Blogsgiving Dinner 2014 and how to put together a gluten free cheese board!
Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and delicious food. Luckily, the food blogging community is all about these things as well. To celebrate the holiday, Meghan from Cake ‘n’ Knife and Susannah from Feast + West are hosting Blogsgiving Dinner. There are 20 awesome blogs sharing 52 recipes.
The idea is based on the old-fashioned progressive dinner party, in which you’d eat each course at a different participant’s home. Each blogger is bringing one or more dishes to the party on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week, so be sure to stop by each one and get some ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal. Today’s courses include cocktails, appetizers and soups.
We’ll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner. Hope you can join us!
Cocktails
Carolina Apple Sidecar from Think Fruitful
Bourbon Cranberry Lemonade Fizz from bethcakes
Krupnikas Ginger from I Cook. I Eat. It’s Life.
Appetizers
Cured Meat Platter from Wit Wisdom and Food
Baked Camembert with Cranberry Walnut Crust from Cake ‘n’ Knife
Ginger Cran Apple Chutney from Love & Flour
Brandied Grapes with Cheese from Glamour Girl Gourmet
Shrimp Sweet Potato Mousseline from Home at Six
Cranberry Goat Cheese and Butternut Squash Crostini from The Wetherills Say I Do
Maple Pecan Baked Brie from My Cooking Spot
Sassy Salmon Dip from Betty Becca
Baked Brie with Cranberry Chutney from The Speckled Palate
Butternut Squash Crostini from Chez CateyLou
Gluten Free Holiday Cheese Board from Twin Stripe
Soup
Butternut Squash Soup with Cornbread Croutons from Club Narwhal
Creamy Wild Rice Soup from Hello Little Home
Pumpkin Soup with Bacon Roasted Chickpeas from Feast + West
Gluten Free Holiday Cheese Board
When I build a cheese plate, I like to feature at least three different cheeses. There are four main varieties of cheese: soft, hard, aged and fresh. For this cheese board I selected a soft white stilton with apricots, an aged manchego and a chevre goat cheese. I made sure to pick up a cheese not made from cow’s milk because lactose intolerant guests might be able to enjoy the goat cheese.
To set a festive mood, I placed the cheese on a piece of parchment paper on a tree slice. I used cheese markers to label each piece of cheese. I also added some dried apricots and cranberries to the cheese plate.
When I used to put together a cheese plate, I served crackers and baguette, but when I stopped eating gluten, I needed to find an alternative. Pick up some gluten free crackers from the grocery store, such as rice crackers like I did for this cheese board. I made sure to clearly label gluten free items and put them on a separate plate. If you have a guest that is highly allergic to gluten, I would recommend preparing a separate plate from them in advance to make sure it stays clear of gluten.
Gluten Free Holiday Cheese Board Must Haves:
- Three to four varieties of cheese, my favorites:
- White stilton with apricots
- Aged manchego
- Chevre goat cheese
- Humboldt fog
- Crackers and baguette
- Gluten free crackers: rice crackers (my favorite are from Trader Joe’s), nut crackers
- Jam or spread: fig, quince, blueberry
- Nuts: almonds, pistachos, peanuts
- Dried fruits: apricots, cranberries
- Fresh fruit: pears, persimmon, fig
- Dark chocolate
While this cheese plate may not be a completely new concept, being aware of family and friends with dietary restrictions over the holidays is important. No need to prepare a separate meal, but to make minor adjustments for them show you care. I look forward to seeing everyone back here on Wednesday for the next installment of Blogsgiving!