cheese + charcuterie board

David and I are typically Häagen-Dazs (caramel cone forever!) eating parents after 8 p.m. but we've recently become really obsessed with making a charcuterie and cheese board after the kids are in bed. My kids aren't very picky eaters (thank goodness) but I don't think they truly appreciate special cheeses quite yet. Plus, it's so fun to put together a board and talk about different yummy combinations as adults. This weekend, I hit up Whole Foods and bought a bunch of yummy cheeses, salami and bread. It felt special to eat it sitting in front of a fire and talking.

Here's what I put on our cheese board on Saturday night.

P'tit Basque: French, mild sheep's milk cheese that's semi-hard and creamy + nutty - we liked it with the apples and the salami. I think it's a cheese that everyone will like.

Point Reyes Blue: Californian and probably my favorite cheese of all time. Even if you don't like blue cheese, you'll probably like this creamy, flavorful blue. We paired it with toasted sesame crackers and peach preserves and with every bite, I was in heaven. I have a hard time finding this cheese except at specialty stores. It's also my favorite cheese to put in salad dressing.

Beecher's Flagship: Seattle's handmade signature cheese that you can buy at any grocery store here or visit the original shop in Pike Place, which is always fun. It's extremely popular, and for good reason, with it's nutty, creamy flavor that's a mix between an aged cheddar and Parmesan-Reggiano... but smoother. It's excellent with Honeycrisp apples! I also use it a lot in recipes like macaroni and cheese and it goes great in eggs too.

Snowdonia Green Thunder Aged Cheddar with Garlic + Herbs: English, mature cheddar that packs a punch! Definitely a savory cheese that was delicious with the olive ciabatta slices and salami.

I filled in the board with Honeycrisp apple slices (thinly sliced), toasted sesame crackers, peach preserves, slices of an olive ciabatta loaf and a few types of salami (Calabrese and Italian dry). I also love Trader Joe's rosemary raisin crackers for serving with cheese - excellent with aged cheddar.

What are your favorites? Especially with the holidays coming up, it seems like the cheese selection at any store doubles! I want to try some new cheeses for a dinner party so tell me what you like.