How to Make a Cheese and Cracker Basket

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The Spruce Eats / Photo Illustration by Chloe Jeong / Retailers below

It's not hard to find great gourmet shops online. It's not even that hard to find great cheese. But, when it comes to buying a thoughtful and tasty gift for that special someone, things can get more complicated. You may not remember your recipient's favorite cheese. You may not even know which type of charcuterie they prefer. You may not know which cheeses pair best with their nightly glass of pinot grigio or cabernet sauvignon. This is why finding a varied, bountiful selection from a reputable purveyor is so important. And you needn't worry about buying too much—spoilage won't be an issue.

"Most cheese gifts can sit in your giftee's fridge for days or even weeks awaiting the perfect moment for them to dive in," said Julia Birnbaum, founder of the Philly Cheese School. "This means that your loved one won't just think of you when they receive their gift, but they will be sending you love and appreciation every time they cut off a piece."

We scoured through the cheese and meat baskets available online to find the best selections to give to the food lover in your life, and we even tested some side-by-side to evaluate presentation, variety, size, freshness, and overall value. Tons of different meats and cheeses were eaten—from prosciutto and salami to Gouda and Brie—to make sure the picks on this list are truly the best.

These meat and cheese gift baskets have everything a foodie needs to create the dreamiest cheese platter (which they'll hopefully share with you to say thanks), so without further ado, here are the best meat and cheese gift baskets according to our research and home testing.

Our Top Picks

This spread features an award-winning creamery and a beautiful acacia cutting board.

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This colorful, bountiful showstopper features 5 pounds of cured meat and cheese, all of which are certified organic.

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Gift your Francophile friend a trip to Paris by way of cheese with this lovely French spread.

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For a taste of the South, try this collection by award-winning sustainable producer Sweet Grass Dairy.

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This decadent spread is a party in a box, with pairing items like fig spread and chocolate-covered almonds.

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This spread celebrates cheese from sea to shining sea, from California blue cheese to Vermont cheddar.

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This thoughtful and memorable spread from Utah will delight any cheese lover.

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This assortment of small-batch cheese, salami, and condiments makes a thoughtful birthday, congratulations, or just-because gift.

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It includes a sampler of four different salamis from famous producers, each slowly air-dried and perfectly seasoned.

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Housed in a vegan leather two-tiered suitcase, this champagne-themed box will certainly make an impression.

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Looking for a spread that will bring down the house? Look no further. This collection features Ibérico ham, serrano paleta, Creminelli (from Utah's salami king, Cristiano Creminelli) barolo salami, and Toscano salami, as well as dry Jack cheese from California, merlot BellaVitano and aged Asiago cheese from Sartori, and Rogue Creamery's Oregonzola Blue (Rogue's cheese Rogue River Blue was named the best cheese in the world in 2019), plus an acacia cutting board.

For someone who loves cured meat, this is a lovely option. Everything arrives in pristine condition and is well labeled. There's a bounty of meats in different styles made in various places (even some famed Ibérico ham, the pride and joy of Spain). The packaging is air-tight, meaning that if you don't open everything right away, it will remain in good condition in your fridge for up to a few weeks. The acacia cutting board doesn't feel like an heirloom or anything (it's a little lightweight), but is beautiful and the recipient will likely keep using it.

The only thing our tester didn't love about this collection was its lack of accompaniments, like mustard or pickles, and the packaging felt a little lackluster. Everything was just kind of thrown into the box, and she had to look back at the website to make sure she had gotten everything. That said, the curation and quality of the products makes this worth it.

Includes: Ibérico ham, serrano paleta, barolo salami, Toscano salami, California-crafted dry Jack cheese, merlot cheese, rosemary and olive oil Asiago cheese, Oregonzola blue cheese, round acacia wood cutting board with handle

Testing Takeaway

"I think this is a great option for cured meat lovers. An accompaniment, like mustard or pickles, would have been a nice touch, but everything included tasted fresh and delicious. The board is a little lightweight for what it is, but it's beautiful and I'll definitely use it again (albeit flipped over so the Harry & David logo isn't the main focus)."

The Lady & Larder cheese shop in Los Angeles features all American-made products and aims to support a 100 percent domestic and sustainable food culture. This means the store finds the best artisans from across the country, who make the tastiest treats to be found.

The XXL Cheese Board is a colorful, bountiful showstopper featuring 5 pounds of cured meat and cheese, all of which are certified organic. There are also orchard-grown nuts and dried fruit, crackers, and condiments to help complete your giftee's charcuterie board.

Sometimes, meat and cheese baskets can feel a little generic. One of the great things about the Lady & Larder XXL Cheese Board is that it really does feel like it was put together by professionals. It comes beautifully packaged, as if assembled by a sort of cheese Santa Claus. Everything is nestled into white shredded paper, with an illustrated map of each item in the box and what it is. On the back of the map, it includes tips on how to style the cheese board, how to portion each cheese, and the important note that all this should be served at room temperature for maximum flavor. Each item is truly handcrafted. Our home tester's only complaints were that the included board is a little flimsy and one of the cheeses that came for testing (Tulip Tree Trillium) arrived overripe and had to be thrown out.

The curation and assortment of this basket is masterful, and the packaging is beautiful and functional. The price is higher than the other options on our list, but if you really want to blow someone away and have the budget for this board, it's a fantastic choice. Additionally, smaller options are available, including a date night board that serves two people (view at Lady & Larder), a small board that serves four to six people (view at Lady & Larder), a medium board (view at Williams Sonoma) that serves 10 to 12 people, and a large board (view at Williams Sonoma) that serves 20 to 24 people.

Includes: Dry-cured beer salami, uncured Italian salami, prosciutto Americano, Mt. Tam Triple Crème, goat Gouda, blue cheese, 6-month cheddar, Orcas pear with Bay Spoon preserves, truffle mustard, organic raw walnuts, sea salt blistered almonds, organic roasted pistachios, tart dried cherries, dried apricots, flame raisins, ranch dates, wildflower honey, organic sourdough flatbread bites, red oak board

Testing Takeaway

"The curation was thoughtful, there was a wide array of products, the packaging was beautiful and intentional, and it felt like a treat to open. If I were sending one of the baskets as a gift (and had the budget for it), this is the one I would send."

Shopping for someone who dreams of visiting Paris? Gift them a trip by way of cheese with this French Classics Gift Basket. Coming with treats like Camembert, Comte (the most popular cheese in France), saucisson sec, chocolate, Dijon mustard, and more, this spread is certain to satisfy any cheese lover or Francophile.

In our testing, we found the box a little less bountiful than some others (which may be a good thing if you're planning to gift this to someone who lives alone), but with top-notch curation. If you were to peek inside the picnic basket of a Parisian, this selection is approximately what you'd find. Everything arrived in great shape, albeit in somewhat underwhelming packaging. The only thing you need to make this spread feel completely authentic is a bottle of Champagne or Burgundy.

Includes: Camembert, Comte reserve, French chevre, French fruit paste accompaniment, Gavottes Salted Caramel with Vanilla Butter Cookies, mini toasts, Michel Cluizel chocolate bar, saucisson sec, French Dijon mustard

Testing Takeaway

"It feels authentically French and the products are pretty good quality. I also liked the assortment—you could easily throw everything from this into a picnic basket with a bottle of wine and it would translate perfectly."

For a taste of the South, try this collection by award-winning sustainable producer Sweet Grass Dairy. In Southern Georgia, where Sweet Grass Dairy is based, grass grows essentially year-round. Sweet Grass Dairy takes advantage of this by letting its cows graze on fresh pasture year-round through a system called rotational grazing, resulting in flavorful cheese that's won numerous awards.

This box at Williams-Sonoma features some of the company's greatest hits (including the scrumptious pimento cheese), plus some spectacular Southern accouterments: Spotted Trotter Black Pepper Sorghum Salami, Blackberry Patch Peach Bourbon Cardamom Preserves, and Roots & Branches Hand-Crafted Artisan Crackers. Whether you're shopping for someone with Southern roots or just are looking for spectacular cheese, this collection is worth your time.

Includes: Double-cream cheese, farmhouse cheese, blue cheese, pimento spread, black pepper salami, Blackberry Patch Peach Bourbon Cardamom fruit preserves

Storage Tip

While many sliced cheeses come in plastic wrap, this isn't the ideal outerwear long-term, as plastic tends to drain cheeses of their precious moisture and impart a fridge-like flavor, says Julia Birnbaum, the founder of Philly Cheese School. Instead, Birnbaum suggests butcher paper, wax paper, or one of the many other paper options designed specifically for cheese, which can be found at most kitchenware stores and cheese shops.

This decadent spread features some of the same delicacies as the other Harry & David box on our list (including options from Sartori, Creminelli, and Rogue), but this is more of a party in a box, including items like fig spread, dark chocolate-covered almonds, mixed nuts, dried fruit, plus award-winning Harry & David wines—the 2019 Chardonnay, 2019 Pinot Noir, and the Harry & David Ross Lane Red blend.

Includes: Dry salami con vino, salami, merlot cheese, Cheddar Gruyère cheese, Oregonzola blue cheese, sourdough baguette, cherry and ancho chili chutney, green olive spread, fig spread, artisan chips, olive oil and sea salt crackers, dark chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate cake, mixed nuts, dark chocolate sea salt caramels, milk-chocolate covered blueberries, chocolate truffles, dried fruit mix, chardonnay, pinot noir, Ross Lane Red blend

This spread celebrates cheese from sea to shining sea, from California's Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese to Vermont's Grafton 2-Year Cheddar bar. The Brooklyn Cured Sliced Sopressata makes a tasty bite with any and all of the cheeses, proving that American teamwork is pretty darn tasty.

Includes: Grafton 2-Year Cheddar Bar, Murray's St. Marks, Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese, Spring Brook Farm Reading, sliced Finocchiona, olive oil and sel gris flatbread

This thoughtful spread hails from Utah, which isn't always the first place we think of when we think of cheese, but perhaps it should be higher on the list. Beehive Cheese, founded in the early 2000s, makes a range of delightful cheese, including the signature, Barely Buzzed. It's a buttery, cheddar-like cheese aged for seven months, then rubbed with espresso powder and lavender for a nutty, rich finish. The salami, Salami Casalingo, is made with coarse-ground heritage pork and organic spices, crafted by Utah's salami king, Cristiano Creminelli. Also included is a jar of Pepperlane Blood Orange Preserves and Pan Forte Crostini.

Includes: Espresso lavender-rubbed cheese, Salami Casalingo, crostini, blood orange preserves

This assortment of small-batch cheese, salami, and condiments makes a thoughtful birthday, congratulations, or just-because gift. Featuring aged goat cheese, Vermont cheddar, gin and juice salami, organic sourdough crackers, crunchy cassava crackers, and dried fig compote, all in a signature Mouth-branded tote, the mouth-watering pairings here shouldn't be missed. Lovers of soft cheese may miss their brie or Taleggios, but the box is fun enough that they may not even notice. Reviewers praise the tasty flavors and combinations.

Includes: cheddar cheese, flatbread crackers, Cassava crackers, fig jam, sea salt and pepper pistachios, salami, blackberry jam shortbread coins, olive and Parmesan tapenade

If you're looking for a festive way to surprise your favorite meat-lover for game day—or really any time you might want it to feel like game day—this salami collection is the ultimate choice. It includes a sampler of four different salamis from famous producers, each slowly air-dried and perfectly seasoned, with cheddar cheese and Dijon mustard to round out the spread. We like that the salami assortment is truly varied. While Buseto and Creminelli are both Italian-style, Saucisson Sec is a French-style salami and Palacios chorizo is an authentic Spanish pork salami. Bonus: This gift basket is one of the least expensive options on this list.

Includes: Busseto salami, Creminelli salami, Saucisson Sec salami, Palacios chorizo, mature farmhouse cheddar, Dijon mustard

If you really want to make an impression, this Champagne-themed box says, "I may not know your exact taste in cheese, but I got you Champagne to go with it." What more needs to be said? The vegan leather two-tiered suitcase, along with the Champagne, comes with sweet soppressata from Brooklyn Cured, Asiago cheese, classic Vermont sharp cheddar from Cabot, roasted and salted pistachios, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and more.

Includes: Dom Perignon, sweet soppressata, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, oatcake biscuits, garlic cheese, smoked Gouda cheese, cheese straws, sea salt and cracked peppercorn water crackers, roasted and salted pistachios, cinnamon pecan straws, peach red pepper jelly

"No one has done more for the burgeoning American cheese industry than Anne Saxelby," says New York Magazine. Here, she has curated a meat and cheese selection to pair perfectly with just about any beer. There's a cave-aged cheddar from the Vermont-based Jasper Hill for the IPAs, a funky vegetal soft cheese from Crown Finish Caves for the pilsners, the beer-soaked Harpersfield Muddy River for everything else. Also included: a salami from the outstanding Charlitos Cocina made with brown ale and olive oil and sea salt crackers. Beer lovers, this is your box.

Includes: Soft sheep and cow's milk cheese, aged cheddar, Tilsit-style cheese, salami made with brown ale, olive oil, and sea salt crackers

Need a scrumptious cheese and meat spread that won't break the bank? The Hickory Farms All-Natural Sausage and Cheese Box features two summer sausages, plus three-year aged cheddar and creamy Gouda. You'll also get two types of mustard—Belgian ale and sweet hot—and golden-toasted crackers for a complete spread.

Includes: Beef summer sausage, aged cheddar, creamy Gouda, Belgian ale mustard, sweet hot mustard, golden toasted crackers

Final Verdict

We love the Lady and Larder XXL Cheese Board (view at Williams Sonoma) for its certified organic meats and cheeses. Want to take someone's tastebuds to France? Go with the French Classics Gift Basket (view at iGourmet).

How We Tested

We sent three meat and cheese baskets to our experienced cheese expert and product tester, who analyzed and tasted the contents, such as Brie, Gouda, blue cheese, Camembert, chevre, salami, prosciutto, Ibérico ham, and much more. Each meat and cheese gift basket was rated on presentation, variety, size, item freshness, and overall value. Our tester then offered additional insights on each meat and cheese gift basket's strengths and weaknesses.

What to Look for in Meat and Cheese Gift Baskets

A Reputable Source

Cheese is a living thing. A producer can send two wheels of the same cheese batch to two different purveyors and, depending on how those wheels are cared for, the cheese may taste very different. That's why it's so important to shop in real life with trained cheesemongers or online from cheese shops that you trust. Every recommendation on this list is a business we trust with our cheese.

A Bountiful Selection

Two blocks of cheddar with some crackers don't exactly make a great gift selection. Ideally, the cheese and meat basket that you select will have several types of cheese, several types of meat, and a few types of pairing items. If a collection is more thematic and only has one type of cheese or meat, there should be plenty of that item, and it should go well with everything else.

Variety

Everyone has different tastes, and those tastes may evolve depending on the day. When shopping for meat and cheese baskets, we recommend those that offer several types of cured meat, several styles of cheese, and both sweet and savory pairings to go along with them.

FAQs

What are some common meat and cheese pairings?

Some classic pairings for a board with meat (if it's cured meat, it's called charcuterie) and cheese include cornichons, mustard, roasted tomatoes, and other savory snacks. Mousse-style pâtés can be very good with sweeter options, like jam. Generally, the best wine pairings are with sparkling wine or aromatic whites, like dry riesling, chenin blanc, or pinot gris. A light red, like pinot noir or gamay, can be great too.

How long does a meat and cheese gift basket last?

This depends a lot on the styles of cheese and how they're stored in the fridge. Softer styles may last a week or more, whereas harder cheeses can last several months. Dry-cured meat, like salami, and whole muscle options, like prosciutto or jamon Iberico, can last a while, whereas something like pâté may only have a week.

Is American cheese as good as European cheese?

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that generally European cheeses are made in a more traditional style. Some, like Gruyère, Manchego, or Parmigiano Reggiano, are name-protected, meaning that producers must follow a long set of rules to call their cheese by that name. It's never a bad idea to include a few favorites from Europe. American cheeses are not name-protected in the same way, and we generally favor different styles. But, there are many American producers (including, but not limited to, Sweet Grass Dairy, Uplands Cheese, Rogue Creamery, and more) making cheese just as good as what's being made in Europe.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Writer and professional cheese eater Christine Clark teaches cheese and pairing classes throughout the United States and knows how and where to get her cheese fix, no matter where she is. She is a Certified Cheese Professional through the American Cheese Society, and she teaches virtual cheese classes. She personally tested three gift baskets in this roundup.

How to Make a Cheese and Cracker Basket

Source: https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-meat-and-cheese-gift-baskets-5075249

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