Everything you’ll need to build the ultimate Keto Cheese Board, plus a recipe for a delicious Caramelized Onion Dip with Bacon!
Happy National Cheese Day everybody! Lauren and I here at Cast Iron Keto have partnered with the awesome folks over at Moon Cheese to bring you the ultimate guide to creating your own Magnificent Keto Cheese Board.
Let’s start with some fun facts, you know it’s my favorite part!
History of Cheese:
No singular person is credited with inventing or discovering cheese, but historians believe humans began domesticating animals for milk production about 10,000 years ago and discovered they could make cheese roughly 4,000 years ago.
The discovery of cheese is believed to have been a happy accident when a sheepherder stored milk in the stomach of the ruminant animals to coagulate the milk. The milk separated into curds and whey, and viola cheese was born!
The cheeses we consume today are very different and most of the over 1400 types and varieties of cheese can only be traced back about 500 years.
Cheesy Jokes:
– Have you heard about the secret society who governs the sale of cheese? They are called the Halloumi-nati!
– Did you hear the one about the pizza?… It’s really cheesy
– What is a pirate’s favorite cheese? Chedd-AAAAARGH!
– Where can you buy second-hand cheese? Brie-bay
– What do you call a dinosaur made of cheese? Gorgonzilla
Ok, ok that’s enough. Let’s get to how to make your own EPIC low carb cheese platter!
How To Build a Keto Cheese Board
You’ll start by choosing a board, I’ve simply used a large round plate charger but any of the following will work:
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Large cutting boards like this acacia one
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Sheet pans, no need to buy anything fancy if you have a large baking sheet on hand!
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Serving platter or plate
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Parchment paper, skip the board entirely and place the paper right down the middle of a table like this
Choose your cheese
I like to have at least 3 different cheeses on a board no matter how many I’m serving. This gives a good variety without being boring. A good rule of thumb is to always have a soft cheese like brie or goat, a harder cheese like cheddar cheese or manchego, and a funky cheese like a blue cheese.
Most cheeses are naturally low carb, just avoid any cheese with fruit preserves or dried fruit mixed in.
You can also make a cheese dip like we’ve done here with this Carmelized Onion Bacon Dip, recipe at the bottom of the post! Just add the small skillet straight to the board.
Choose your cured meats
Salami, prosciutto, capicola, bresola, chorizo, mortadella, and pepperoni are all perfect choices.
We like to source nitrate-free meats, these can be found at most grocers so just be sure to check the ingredient label if that’s important to you as well.
Choose your sauces
Spicy mustard and sugar-free preserves are my two go-to’s for a low carb charcuterie board. We’ve also found a mustard that’s just for charcuterie boards that has pickles and capers mixed right in, it’s SO good!
Choose your accompaniments
Here’s where the real fun begins. Part of building an epic cheese board is to fill it with all sorts of snacking goodness. Here are my go-to’s:
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Moon Cheese – Duh, why not add some dried cheese to the mix that also adds crunch like a cracker?
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Pork Rinds
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Nut/Seed based low carb crackers
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Pickles
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Asparagus
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Onions
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Green beans
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Cornichons
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Peppers
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Nuts
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Keto-friendly berries like blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries
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Fresh vegetables like cauliflower and radishes
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Olives
After choosing all of your ingredients layer up your board. Cheese boards look best when they are packed so feel free to get a little messy!
Let’s talk for a second about serving sizes. You should plan on about 2 ounces of meat and 2 ounces of cheese per person. If you’re serving the platter alone as the sole snack then increase it to 3oz for each.
That’s it! Do you have any questions or tips on how to create a keto cheese board? Drop them in the comments below.
Keto Caramelized Onion Dip with Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Chop the bacon into small pieces and place in an 8” cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Brown the bacon then remove and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet.
- Add the sliced onions to the skillet with the bacon grease, reduce heat to low and cook stirring frequently until the onions are soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, cook 1 minute until soft then add in the bacon and remaining ingredients except for the parmesan. Stir to combine. Top with parmesan then transfer to the oven for 20 minutes.
- To assemble the board place the skillet of dip in the center and arrange the accompaniments around the dip.
What kind of cheese is made backwards?
Edam