Simple Irish Cheese Board Ideas

Last Updated on February 11, 2023 by Ellen Christian

I decided to put together a simple Irish cheese board for St. Patrick’s Day this year. We’re having my daughter and her fiance over for corned beef and cabbage. And, I decided it would be nice to offer a cheese board in case they wanted to snack before dinner.

Irish Cheese Board

There are a number of different types of cheese you can include on an Irish cheese board. Really, many of the cheeses that are made in Ireland are also made in other areas.

But, a few types of Irish cheeses you might find include goat cheese, cheddar cheese, gouda, and brie. Of course, you can add in whatever types of cheese you enjoy as well.

What cheese do you put on a cheese board?

Ultimately, you can put whatever types of cheese you want on your Irish cheese board. But, it’s always a good idea to include a variety of different types. you’ll want a hard cheese like cheddar, a creamy cheese like brie, and a soft spreadable cheese like goat cheese.

You can also include a hard grating style cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano and one that is aged like Bleu.

What is Irish cheese?

Put simply, Irish cheese would be any cheese made in Ireland. There are a number of different imported brands you can find in the specialty section of your grocery store.

One of the more common is probably Kerrygold. You may want to look for Dubliner cheese.

How is Dubliner cheese made?  Dubliner is a robust aged cow’s milk that is similar to cheddar. It’s a natural cheese made from grass-fed cows.

What meat goes on a cheese platter?

Because we were serving the cheese platter as a light snack before dinner, we opted not to include meat. However, if you want to include meat on your Irish cheese board, you can add in any type of cured meat from salami to soppressata.

Keep in mind that smoked meats are very high in sodium.

Other cheese board ingredients

You can include olives, relish, tangy gherkins, fresh fruit, preserves, mustard or pickled garlic. Really, I’ve seen everything from spiced nuts like my savory spiced pecans to pickled beets.

You can get creative and serve what you enjoy.

You’ll also want to serve crusty bread and some crackers. I prefer to go with water crackers since they have a very bland taste that really lets the cheese stand out.

Consider offering at least one-grain free bread or cracker for those with food intolerances. We enjoy my gluten-free bread recipe. You can serve whatever you have on hand.

Don’t forget to get an actual wooden cheese board with a variety of knives to serve. I love the cheese board we have because there are grooves for the crackers on each side and the knives are contained in a little pull out drawer.

No worries about losing them before next year. Check out these tips on serving cheese at parties.

Of course, there are lots of other ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your friends and family. March is the time to celebrate the life of St. Patrick, he is the patron saint of Ireland.

And, he helped introduce Ireland to Christianity.

Related Reading

If you’re looking for more St. Patrick’s Day fun, why not try these:

• Make a natural mint Shamrock Shake
• Learn to make Irish Oatcakes
• Try Corned beef and cabbage
• Make an Irish buttermilk bath
• Learn about St Patrick’s Day history for kids
• Make an Irish Dublin Coddle
• Check out this framed Irish proverb craft
• Try my Bailey’s non alcoholic Irish cream
• Make an easy Irish coffee scrub
• Try my Irish spice cake
• Learn to make Irish soda bread
• Green Milk Tea recipe
• Brunch buffet ideas
• 3 cheese macaroni and cheese