Bread, crackers and charcuterie

Chapter 5 of 51 min readUpdated October 2026

Key takeaways

Keep bread and crackers plain so the cheese is what you taste.
Cured meats, olives, pickles and mustard add salty and savory notes.
Whole grain or crusty bread suits blue cheese.

Bread and crackers

These are the vehicle, not the star. Thin sliced baguette and plain crackers let the cheese lead. Whole grain crackers or crusty bread are a good match for a strong blue, and a softer cheese is easy to spread on a thin slice of baguette.

Cured meats

Prosciutto, salami and coppa are common choices. They are optional, and since they are salty too, keep the amounts small.

Savory extras

Olives, pickles and mustard give a salty, sharp contrast to rich cheese. Mustard goes well with cheddar, and olives and cured meats suit stronger cheeses. Some people also add a few pieces of dark chocolate for a sweet and salty contrast.

The plate at a glance

The whole plate in one picture, with the cheeses each part goes with. Tap the chart to see it full size.

Chart of what goes on the plate with cheese, in four groups. Something sweet: apple or pear, grapes, honey, jam or fig spread. Blue cheese goes with honey and figs, soft creamy cheese with fruit and honey, cheddar with apple. Something crunchy: walnuts, almonds, pecans. Blue goes with walnuts, and most boards can take almonds and pecans. Something salty: cured meats, olives, pickles, mustard. Cheddar goes with mustard, blue with cured meats and olives. Something to spread it on: thin baguette, plain crackers, crusty bread. Blue goes with whole grain or crusty bread, and most cheeses with thin bread or plain crackers.