12 Must-Have Trader Joe’s Cheeses for Your Charcuterie Board

When it comes to building the ultimate charcuterie board, it’s always good to include a wide variety of items, including cured meats, dried and fresh fruits, and carbs like crackers or baguette slices. Of course, regardless of what extras you add to a charcuterie board, it’s an undeniable truth that the cheese is perhaps the most important part. There aren’t any official rules for what types of cheese you should add to a charcuterie, but generally, it’s a good idea to include a variety of flavors and textures.

To make sure your charcuterie board is super fancy, you could source all of your cheeses from a local cheesemonger. On the other hand, to ensure that you’ve got a nice-looking, well-curated board without breaking the bank, you could simply head over to your nearest Trader Joe’s. It’s no secret that the grocery chain has quite the cheese selection, so whether you’re looking to add a simple semi-firm cheddar, soft and spreadable chèvre, or hard parmesan, you can count on TJ’s to get the job done, and on a budget at that.

I’m no stranger to shopping at Trader Joe’s, and more pointedly, I’m no stranger to the store’s cheese aisle. I’ve already done a ranking of the best Trader Joe’s cheeses, but now I’ve picked out a selection that you should specifically add to your next charcuterie board. When selecting these cheeses, I opted for personal favorites with exceptional flavor, stand-outs at Trader Joe’s that you can’t find anywhere else, and ones that cater to a variety of flavor preferences.

How could we compile a list of Trader Joe’s cheeses to add to your next charcuterie board and not include the ever-popular Unexpected Cheddar? Perhaps one of the most popular of all of the TJ’s cheeses, this stuff is seriously delicious, so don’t think that the popularity is unfounded or disproportionate — anyone who has tried this one knows that it lives up to the hype.

So, what makes Unexpected Cheddar so unexpectedly delicious? Well, this isn’t just any old cheddar, but rather it’s a hybrid of cheddar and parmesan, meaning that you get the best of both cheeses merged into one block. The flavor is the perfect conglomeration of mild, savory cheddar and sharp, nutty parmesan. It’s flavorful enough to enjoy on its own but neutral enough to pair with other charcuterie staples, like jam or dried fruit. The texture of this fromage is like a crumbly cheddar, meaning that it holds up enough to cut into slices, but it crumbles pretty easily, too — since it is part parmesan after all.

Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar deserves a place on your charcuterie board because it has a wonderfully savory flavor, it’s neutral enough to cater to just about any palate, and it essentially knocks out two staple cheeses in one go.

Trader Joe’s offers quite a few types of brie in its cheese section — some less successful, like its double cream brie, and others highly successful, like this triple cream brie with wild mushrooms. Brie is almost essential on any charcuterie board, beloved for its ultra-creamy texture and even creamier flavor profile. Though there are easy ways to elevate plain brie, you could skip any additional steps and opt for this brie that’s already heightened by nature, thanks to the umami-rich inclusion of mushrooms.

Now, if you’re considering this option, thinking that it packs a strong truffle flavor, don’t get too excited. This isn’t a truffle cheese, but rather one that has tiny chunks of wild mushrooms embedded throughout a creamy base, meaning that the strongest flavor profile here is the cheese itself. The mushrooms definitely add an extra layer of savory and slightly earthy flavor, but they aren’t super overpowering, which is precisely what makes the queso such a success.

Like any type of brie, this stuff spreads onto a cracker like an absolute dream. This brie deserves a place on your charcuterie board because it’s so foolproof, covering the brie base with a little added oomph to keep things interesting. 

There’s a lot to love about a good gouda. Depending on where it’s at in the aging process, gouda can be semi-soft or closer to a hard cheese, almost akin to parmesan with crystals to boot. Trader Joe’s Dutch smoked cheese falls somewhere in between, certainly not a hard cheese but not a super soft one, either. This texture is ideal for slicing because you can cut it any which way you like — even into cubes — and it will hold its shape.

While the texture of this option is quite nice, the flavor is no doubt the star of the show. Not all goudas are smoky, though it is a flavor profile that works well with the naturally nutty, creamy, and subtly sweet flavor that the cheese naturally boasts. TJ’s Dutch smoked cheese offers a distinct smokiness that you can’t miss, even after the tiniest of nibbles. This smokiness is the cheese’s strong suit, providing a rather bold and robust flavor that makes for an interesting bite all on its own, or one that works equally as well with a slice of salami and a buttery cracker.

When you hear the names of cheeses common on charcuterie boards, there’s a good chance you’re going to hear Manchego pop up. Manchego is a Spanish cheese good for both sweet and savory uses, and one that offers up a complex flavor all on its own. Plus, Trader Joe’s Manchego comes in the perfect wedge form; you can slice up little triangles that hold their shape well and look oh-so effortlessly stylized on a charcuterie board.

Manchego is made from sheep’s milk and has an intensity that offers a flavor that’s far from mild. At first, this Manchego mostly tastes salty and buttery, with an aftertaste that is a little nutty and perhaps a bit earthy, too. Manchego also has a slight funkiness to it, but not in the way that blue cheese tastes funky — more like a certain zestiness or grassiness, since it is a sheep’s milk cheese after all. Simple but sophisticated, Trader Joe’s Manchego is a great option for those who want to diversify their charcuterie with options other than cow’s or goat’s milk cheeses.

There are plenty of great ways to use fresh mozzarella, be it on pizza or otherwise, and I’m here to present the argument that fresh mozzarella belongs on your next charcuterie board — specifically, Trader Joe’s fresh mozzarella cheese pearls. This is not only because they boast a lovely, mild flavor, but because there are quite a few ways you can jazz them up and get creative with the presentation.

The easiest way to incorporate mozzarella pearls onto your charcuterie board is to simply pile them up or stick a few onto skewers or toothpicks for a slightly elevated presentation. But why stop there? Since fresh mozzarella has such a neutral taste, it’s easy to pair the cheese with complementary flavors to help it shine. 

One of my favorite additions to a charcuterie board is caprese skewers, which feature a cherry tomato, fresh basil leaf or two, and a mozzarella pearl all strung onto a toothpick. Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze and you’ve got one tasty bite that also happens to add a lovely pop of color to any charcuterie board.

We’ve already covered a mushroom-infused brie on this list, but what about those specifically looking for truffle flavor? If you’ve hopped on the truffle bandwagon and aren’t quite ready to hop off, then Trader Joe’s Italian truffle cheese is the perfect addition to your board. This semi-soft, cow’s milk cheese has a mild flavor to it, truffles aside, something akin to a cheddar or Muenster. The real magic lies in the truffle flavor, which shines beautifully amidst an otherwise very neutral cheesy backdrop.

This Italian truffle cheese gets its distinct flavor thanks to both truffle oil and black truffle pieces infused throughout, meaning that even the tiniest of nibbles is going to showcase that truffle flavor: musky, earthy, and super umami-rich. Despite having such a strong truffle flavor, I found that this brie plays well with other flavors, including fruit and meat — you don’t have to worry about it standing out like a sore thumb on your board. 

Regardless of how you feel about the Everything But the Bagel seasoning craze, you can’t deny that the seasoning blend is beloved by many and a distinct Trader Joe’s favorite. As such, it only makes sense that you might include Everything But the Bagel cheddar cheese on your next charcuterie board, especially if you’re trying to highlight cheese unique to Trader Joe’s. It also certainly helps that this fromage happens to be super tasty, so even if you’re not on the Everything But the Bagel bandwagon, you might be after trying out this option.

For those unfamiliar, this is just cheddar infused with Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning — the very same one you’d find on the shelf in the store’s spice aisle. So, picture a very mild white cheddar with pops of garlic, onion, sesame seeds, and sheer salty goodness. I enjoy that this option is pretty neutral overall, though it does offer up little specks of flavor bursts, making each bite interesting and a little different from the previous one.  

It wouldn’t be a charcuterie board without some type of goat cheese, and you can’t go wrong with a chèvre log from Trader Joe’s. Of course, even there lies a choice. TJ’s has a few different staple chèvres on its shelves, including options like plain, blueberry vanilla, and herb-coated. Any of these goat cheese options are tasty, but the one with fine herbs offers a unique flavor profile that sets it apart from the rest. 

On its own, goat cheese is soft and spreadable, with a distinctly tangy flavor profile. Add some herbs to the mix, and things get even more exciting. Trader Joe’s chèvre with fine herbs features parsley, basil, dill, chervil (an herb similar to parsley), tarragon, and chives, so needless to say, there’s a lot of flavor at play here. Somehow, everything works together well, with the herbs and cheese joining forces to create a very sharp and impossibly tangy bite — something that works beautifully on a neutral, buttery cracker. 

When it comes to curating cheese on a charcuterie board for a crowd, it’s important to keep different palates and flavor preferences in mind. On one hand, this may mean opting for a more adventurous cheese, one that’s a little bit funky or tangy. On the other hand, this means keeping those mild palates in mind, those who don’t care for particularly funky or stinky fromages, but thrive much more in the world of super mild flavors.

If you’re looking for an option that just about anyone is guaranteed to enjoy, it would be Trader Joe’s Wisconsin mild cheddar cheese. Distinctly orange and beloved by all sorts of palates, this TJ’s pick doesn’t offer gimmicks, hidden flavors, or any special appeal. It’s just a really good, mild cheese, not to mention one that’s super affordable (my block costs less than $3). A bonus to such a mild choice is that it pairs well with anything and everything that you might include on a charcuterie board — crackers, chocolate, jams, oils, tapenades, even tinned fish. This cheddar is just mild and savory enough to work alongside even the boldest of flavors.

Parmesan cheese can come in many forms and has many delicious uses, including shaved onto a salad, grated on top of a big pile of spaghetti, and shredded into a Caesar salad dressing. Perhaps a lesser-considered use for parmesan is to include it on a charcuterie board, but it is a top-tier option for those who want to specifically include a hard cheese. Also, with a rich, buttery, sharp, and nutty flavor profile, you can’t go wrong in the flavor department, either.

When including parmesan on a charcuterie board, I think it’s worth splurging and opting for a slightly more expensive option, like Trader Joe’s Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio. Despite being the priciest cheese on this list at $17.99/pound, I still managed to find a nice wedge for about $6, so even the splurges still manage to fit within a budget at Trader Joe’s. 

Back to the more important part: The flavor is incredibly delicious. It’s everything you’d expect from an average parmesan but much more complex; it’s both mellow yet rich and nutty at the same time. Plus, there are crunchy crystals embedded throughout the cheese for a little added texture. Since this is a hard cheese, it does crumble pretty easily, so I like to shave pieces of it (I just use a potato peeler to shave long flakes) when including it on a charcuterie board.

We’ve covered quite a few cheeses at this point, many of which offer distinctly salty, rich, nutty, buttery, or tangy flavor profiles. But what about spicy or sweet flavors? Well, lucky for us, Trader Joe’s cheddar cheese with scotch bonnet chili and red peppers manages to cover both of those flavor profiles beautifully, offering up a spicy-sweet pepper infusion that stands so boldly against an otherwise mild and creamy cheddar background.

Something I really enjoy about this cheese is that it takes you on a journey from start to finish. At first, a bite of this cheese is pretty creamy and sweet, but by the end, that scotch bonnet heat starts to creep through. By the time you’ve finished your bite, the perfect medley of sweet heat notes linger in your mouth, along with a general savory taste from the cheddar itself. Perfect for any sweet-spicy lovers out there — or for those who are looking to spice up their charcuterie board, quite literally — this scotch bonnet-infused cheese is the one to get the job done.

Ricotta cheese is perhaps best known in the pasta world, a staple when it comes to lasagna, stuffed shells, or ravioli. Or perhaps you’re more familiar with ricotta in a dessert setting, like in cannoli filling. But what about using it on a charcuterie board? Though it may not be the most obvious use to come to mind, ricotta is a lovely cheese to include on a charcuterie board. Not only does it offer a soft and spreadable option, but it’s also a blank slate for building whatever flavor profile — sweet or savory — your heart desires.

Trader Joe’s whole milk ricotta is a go-to of mine when building a charcuterie board. My favorite way to dress up the ricotta is to mix in honey, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, resulting in a creamy and subtly sweet, spiced cheese that spreads onto a cracker like an absolute dream. Another option with this ricotta is to drizzle in some high-quality olive oil and mix in red pepper flakes for a more savory, somewhat spicy take on the neutral cheese. 

You could also mix in chopped basil and balsamic glaze and serve the ricotta with baguette slices and cherry tomatoes. Essentially, this creamy ricotta is the perfect canvas to build your ideal flavor profile upon. It’s a good option if you’re building a themed board, so you can customize the ricotta to specifically meet your theme — be it a savory, spicy, sweet, or tangy one.

When compiling Trader Joe’s cheeses to include on this list, I kept a few key factors in mind. First, I made sure to select cheeses with varying hardness levels, since the flavor of a cheese isn’t the only thing that makes it worthy of being on a charcuterie board — texture matters too. So, there are cheeses ranging from spreadable to soft to semi-firm to hard on this list, covering a wide scope of options for those who want to include a little bit of everything on their board.

I also considered certain options that cater to varying flavor preferences. Some are a little tangier or funkier, like the Manchego or chèvre, then there are those super mild and neutral options, like the Wisconsin cheddar. I also made sure to include super neutral cheeses that could be built upon and customized, like the mozzarella pearls or ricotta. Finally, I also just considered those cheeses that I’ve gone back to time and time again, and those that I’ve included on countless boards before to great success — those absolute staple cheeses like Unexpected Cheddar, Italian truffle, or Dutch smoked cheese.