A cheese board or platter is my go-to appetizer. It’s elegant, a crowd-pleaser and ridiculously easy to put together. Whether we’re having date night at home, throwing a birthday party for Ellie or hosting Thanksgiving, I love how easy it is to customize and scale up.

When it comes to my cheese game plan, I follow the same recipe no matter the occasion. I choose at least two kinds of cheeses – one on the stinkier side of things and a favorite hard cheese. It can also be fun to choose cheeses from the same country. (Things can get pretty wild at our place.)

To go with it, I add in any combination of the following items:

– Honey

– Cured Meats (Prosciutto, Jamon and Chorizo are all great.)

– Sauces (Pesto, romesco sauce and chutney are wonderful options.)

– Crackers (I like cracked black pepper, rosemary, whole wheat and/or some pita crackers – definitely the more the merrier.)

– Bread/crostini (A baguette is perfect.)

– Fruit (Bunches of grapes or thinly sliced pears and apples work. If using the latter two, add a squeeze of lemon.)

– Nuts (Marcona almonds, pecans, raw almonds or walnuts are wonderful, but find out if your guests have nut allergies before adding them.)

– Olives (Pitted Kalamatas are my favorite.)

– Sun-dried tomatoes

Cheese tastes best when it’s at room temperature, so if I’m serving a cheese board as an appetizer, I typically make it first and then, let it hang out while I make dinner. Then, if my guests arrive and I’m not ready, they still have something great to munch on.

Now, that you have the components, laying them out is pretty simple. For large groups, I use a cutting board, and for date night, I pull out a large white platter. I start by placing the cheeses in the center of the board. The rinds should be closest to the middle with the ends facing outward. Create a makeshift circle. You should have large pie shaped pieces between each.

Then, I drizzle honey on the stinkiest cheese. I create a barrier between the honey and other cheeses using ramekins filled with my extras or crackers. In the rest of the open spaces, I use crackers and/or bread to fill in a bit and then, finish with large bunches of grapes or sliced fruit. Spoons are added to any sauces or chutneys and knives are placed near each cheese. If I’m serving a large group, I’ll cut a few slices of cheese and lay them near the wedge to encourage people to start.

If the cheese board is going on a buffet, I use a similar method, but create a half-circle of the cheeses instead. The fruit goes on the back 1/3 of the board. This layout makes accessing the goodies easier.

Not sure which cheeses to get? Below is a short list of some of my favorites.

Favorite Cheeses: Mahon, Manchego, Humboldt Fog, Flory Cheddar, Espresso BellaVitano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gouda, Piave Vecchio, Fresh Mozzarella and Triple Creme Brie

Resource: Wondering how much to buy? Real Simple has you covered.