In an era where $200 dates are the topic of weekly social media debates, let me upgrade your date night with a very romantic cheese board for two...for just $20 to make! If a cozy night at home with romantic nosh and good wine sounds like your vibe, keep scrolling to take in all the details then go ahead and schedule something with bae.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my cheese board basics tutorial, too!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Recipe
- What You'll Need for this Recipe
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make a Cheese Platter for 2
- Mini Cheese Plate Demonstration Video
- My Top Cheese Board for Two Ideas
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to Serve a Date Night Charcuterie Board
- More Favorite Festive Appetizers
- Romantic Cheese Board for Two
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick & Easy - You don't need any fancy tools or techniques to build this quick cheese platter at home. And start to finish, just 20 minutes time.
Low Cost - You will only need about $20 worth of ingredients to make this board and will have some leftovers! Inexpensive cheese board ideas make this seemingly fancy treat more accessible.
Super Romantic - I developed this easy cheese platter for 2 using aphrodisiac ingredients and foods typically associated with date night so it's perfect for a romantic Valentine's Day in or any date night at home.
I'm a lover girl at heart so there's no shortage of romantic date night snacks and Valentine's Day themed recipes around here like my Valentine's donuts with strawberries & champagne or the Valentine's Day mocktail with notes of vanilla and rose. And don't sleep on my Galentine's Day dessert board for bigger gatherings!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Cheese - For this cheese list, I recommend grabbing one cheese you both know and love and another that is something new to try. I used an aged queso manchego here, which has a buttery/salty flavor profile, and a port wine derby cheese which has slightly fruity flavor.
Chocolate is an aphrodisiac so a must for any date night cheese board. I like to use dark chocolate with nuts and different flavor elements like salted caramel or pink peppercorns.
Strawberries and Almonds are also aphrodisiacs but feel free to use whichever fresh berries and nuts you and your partner typically enjoy.
Fig Preserves or jam are great for dipping crackers in and, you guessed it, figs are another aphrodisiac. The theme is romance, remember?
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Vegan - Use your favorite vegan cheeses and chocolate to make this recipe vegan.
Shapes - If you have extra time, you can cut the strawberries into heart and make other cute shapes with the cheese, chocolate, etc.
Crackers or Crisps - Feel free to use whatever crackers, crisps, or even bread you like to make this recipe your own.
Switch up the Ingredients - The beauty of a good cheese plate is that you can put whatever you want on it--as long as there's cheese, of course. You could add crunchy vegetables or even include mild cheeses and sweet elements to enjoy this cheese plate for two as dessert!
Cheese Board for Two vs. Charcuterie Board - If you want to make a charcuterie board for date night, be sure to add some cured meats to meet the actual definition of charcuterie.
How to Make a Cheese Platter for 2
Step One: Slice your cheese into bite-size pieces about ¼ inch thick.
Pro Tip #1: You can cut cheese with a cheese knife or a regular knife.
Step Two: Place any ramekins or containers on the cheese board first. This makes it easier to fill in the other loose ingredients around them.
Pro Tip #2: If you don't plan to finish the jar of preserves or jam, spoon some of it out into a ramekin to avoid contamination.
Step Three: Place cheese on the board.
Step Four: Place crackers on board in a fan shape.
Pro Tip #3: Grip the number of crackers you want in a stack and turn sideways to lay on the board. Once you release the stack, it should cascade easily into a fan without having to place each individual cracker!
Step Five: Add berries and/or other fruits.
Pro Tip #4: For an extra fancy factor, drizzle the berries with a little honey. If you want to get even fancier, make DIY chocolate covered strawberries right quick!
Step Six: Break chocolate bars into pieces and place on board then add a spoon for the preserves and a cheese knife or two to finish.
Mini Cheese Plate Demonstration Video
My Top Cheese Board for Two Ideas
- For the base of your date night cheese plate, you can either use a small cheese board or a large dinner plate. The cheese board is a little fancier but both work wonderfully so go with whatever you have on hand!
- To keep things interesting (Because it's date night, right?), I recommend including two cheeses: one cheese you both already like and another neither of you has tried before.
- Be sure to include aphrodisiac ingredients like berries, figs, chocolate, almonds, and honey.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can assemble this small cheese platter for 2 the day before and store it in the fridge. Just be sure to pull it out at least 30 minutes before serving so that the ingredients can come to room temperature.
Store any leftover ingredients individually in airtight containers and refrigerate, except the crackers. You can wrap the cheese in plastic wrap or parchment paper if needed.
Serve your cheese board with complimentary wine(s) and water.
How to Serve a Date Night Charcuterie Board
Make this small cheese board for two part of your date night menu as several appetizers all in one. My deep dish lasagna is a great main dish option and you should definitely finish with scoops of strawberry red wine sorbet!
Speaking of wine, this is a great starter for wine tasting at home and you'll want to base the wine pairing on whichever cheeses and ingredients you incorporate. For my simple cheese platter, I served cabernet sauvignon.
Or you can make my romantic raspberry martinis together and sip on them while enjoying the board!
More Favorite Festive Appetizers
I hope you'll enjoy this easy cheese platter for two at home with your significant other and feel the love soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this date night cheese board guide for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Romantic Cheese Board for Two
Equipment
- 1 cheese board or plate
- 1 spoon
- 1-2 cheese knives
- 1 Ramekin or small bowl
Ingredients
- ¼ cup almonds
- 2 ounces fig preserves or honey
- ½ pound cheese
- 12 club crackers or crisps
- ¼ pint strawberries
- 1 bar chocolate broken into pieces
Instructions
- Place almonds in a ramekin and place ramekin at center of cheese plate.
- Open jar of preserves and place about three inches from almonds.
- Cut cheese into ¼" slices and layer on cheese plate.
- Lay crackers sideways onto plate in a stack so that they fall into a fan or cascade arrangement.
- Place strawberries onto plate.
- Break chocolate bar into pieces and add to plate.
Love this recipe? Leave me a Comment!