Date Night Board for Two: A Cheese Board That Replaces Dinner

The Date Night Board for Two is a cheese board sized to stand in for dinner when you are feeding two people and do not want to cook. Most boards are scaled for a party, so a small version built from party math leaves you either short or sitting on a pile of leftover cheese. This one flips that. The portions per person are bigger than on a party board, because here the board is the meal. It needs one 12 by 8 in (30 by 20 cm) board, three cheeses, two cured meats and a handful of sweet, crunchy and fresh things. There is no oven and no stove, only cutting, folding and placing.

Why this works

• One soft cheese, two firm cheeses, two crunch items and one fresh item. That formula gives every bite a contrast in texture.
• The numbers are bigger than a party board per person, so nobody is hungry an hour later.
• Brie, crackers, cheddar, a meat river and berries each get their own zone, so you always know where to reach.
• Fig jam and dark chocolate sit next to prosciutto, soppressata and Marcona almonds, so sweet and salty meet on the same board.

What to know about the ingredients

Start with the brie. Buy a small wheel and let it come to room temperature before you build, because the recipe calls for it that way. Cold brie cuts poorly and tastes flat. The aged white cheddar brings a sharp, firm bite, and the goat cheese log adds tang. Together with the brie, that gives you soft, firm and fresh in three different flavors.

Ask for the prosciutto thinly sliced. Thick prosciutto will not fold into ribbons, and the ribbons are what give the board height. Soppressata is a dry cured salami, and any similar cured salami works if you cannot find it. For the sweet side, fig jam is the match for all three cheeses. Choose dark chocolate squares you would happily eat on their own, and look for water crackers, which stay out of the way of the cheese.

Halved strawberries are the fresh element. If they are not good where you live, use another soft fruit that holds its shape.

Date Night Board for Two

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This one replaces dinner, so the numbers are bigger than a party board per person.

Serves2

Ingredients

Cheeses

• Brie, room temperature — 4 oz (110 g)
• Aged white cheddar — 3 oz (85 g)
• Goat cheese log — 3 oz (85 g)

Meats

• Prosciutto — 2 oz (60 g)
• Soppressata, sliced — 2 oz (60 g)

Sweet

• Fig jam — 3 tablespoons (60 g)
• Dark chocolate squares — 1.8 oz (50 g)

Crunch

• Water crackers — 3 oz (90 g)
• Marcona almonds — 1.8 oz (50 g)

Fresh

• Strawberries, halved — 5 oz (150 g)

Instructions

1. Set the brie whole a little above the center of a 12 by 8 in (30 by 20 cm) board and cut the first two wedges out of it.
2. Place the cheddar and the goat log on opposite sides of the brie, leaving a hand width between them.
3. Fan the crackers in a curve along one edge, overlapping each one by about half.
4. Fold the prosciutto and soppressata into loose ribbons and run them as a river between the cheeses.
5. Fill every gap with strawberries, almonds and chocolate until no bare wood shows, then set the fig jam in a small bowl at the edge.

Notes

• Two boards of this size beat one crowded platter when the table is small.
• No meat: double the marcona almonds and add 100 g / 3.5 oz marinated artichokes.

How to build it

1. Start with the brie. Set it whole, a little above the center of the board, and cut the first two wedges out of it. The cut tells guests where to begin.
2. Put the cheddar and the goat log on opposite sides of the brie and leave a hand width between them. The gap is where the meat goes.
3. Fan the crackers in a curve along one edge, each one overlapping the last by about half. A curve looks deliberate and keeps the crackers standing up.
4. Fold the prosciutto and soppressata into loose ribbons and lay them between the cheeses as a river. Loose folds hold their height, and tight rolls look flat.
5. Fill every gap with strawberries, almonds and chocolate until no bare wood shows. Then set the fig jam in a small bowl at the edge so it does not smear across the board.

The recipe's own advice is worth repeating: two boards of this size beat one crowded platter when the table is small. If your table is tight, split the food across two boards instead of stacking it.

How to store, freeze and make ahead

This board is built to be eaten in one sitting, and the recipe gives no make-ahead schedule, so there are no storage times to rely on here. A few habits still help. Keep the cheeses and meats in the refrigerator until you start building, then take the brie out early so it is at room temperature when you cut it. Halve the strawberries last. Wrap any leftover cheese and meat separately and put them back in the refrigerator, and do not leave the board out once the meal is over.

What to serve with it

Because this board is the meal, you need very little else. A glass of dry sparkling wine or a light red works with all three cheeses, and sparkling water with a squeeze of citrus does the same job without alcohol. If you want something green, a simple salad dressed with oil and lemon sits well next to the richness of the cheese. Finish with coffee, and let the dark chocolate squares double as dessert.

Variations

• No meat: leave out the prosciutto and soppressata, double the Marcona almonds and add 100 g / 3.5 oz marinated artichokes.
• A different jam: swap the fig jam for another jam with some acidity, such as apricot or cherry.
• More savory: skip the chocolate and add extra nuts or olives.
• Another fruit: use red grapes or sliced pears in place of the strawberries.

If you are planning a different night, the Girls Night Board and the Brunch Board use the same build for other occasions, and the Classic Baked Brie in Puff Pastry is a good warm starter. You will find every board and baked brie in our guide, Baked Brie and Cheese Boards.