The Best Cheese for Your Thanksgiving Cheese Board

If you are anything like me, Thanksgiving does not make you immediately think of cheese. Turkey? Absolutely. Ham? Sure! Hot pot? If you are cool like that. And mayyyybe I would think of mac and cheese as a side, but just the Thanksgiving cheese board appetizer cheeses? Wouldn’t typically cross my mind. That is, until someone puts me in charge of the T-Givvy charcuterie board and I go absolutely balls-to-the-wall nuts making it the most extravagant, varied, and delicious collection of Thanksgiving cheeses you’ve ever seen. So strap in, grab one of those weird little cheese knives, and let’s make some Thanksgiving magic with our list of the best Thanksgiving cheese.

Trader Joe’s Triple Creme Brie with Green Peppercorns

Brie is great. Baked brie is even better. Add in some zesty peppercorns and, my dude, you have redefined what it means to be a citizen of Flavortown. This particular TJ’s brie is not only super affordable, it is also absolutely delicious. Sporked senior writer Jordan Myrick described Trader Joe’s regular Triple Creme Brie by saying it “completely fulfills my desire to eat chunks of butter (anyone else have this?).” (And yes, Jordan, we have all felt like eating butter at one point or another). With the addition of peppercorns, this is just a little more interesting than what your guests might be expecting.This brie would make a great addition to any Thanksgiving cheese board or other appetizer-related situation.

If you have never had an aged sharp cheddar (or even if you have), you need to try this one out on the ‘ol Thanksgiving charcutymerie board this year. It is salty, nutty, crumbly, and I promise it doesn’t taste like a certain controversial shoe with holes in it suddenly became a cheese. This cheese is so good Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart called it “special-occasion sharp cheddar…sharp cheddar for when you’re hosting company you actually like.” And since I don’t typically host company I don’t like on Thanksgiving, this cheese will definitely be joining my T-Givvy charcuterie board in this, 2023, the year of our Barbie Movie.

Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda

This is a vegan cheese that almost actually tastes like the real deal (a feat of vegan strength). As Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling pointed out, “The smoky flavor is key here. It covers up any obviously non-cheese flavors and is the star of the show—which is exactly how it is in real smoked gouda,” which is great because the taste of vegan cheese on its own can be pretty…ungood. So if your Thanksgiving plans include any vegan types, pick up this cheese, and then at least a portion of your Thanksgiving cheese extravaganza will be accessible to them. (We also have a guide to vegan Thanksgiving if you want to go all out for your plant-based pals.)

Boursin Black Truffle & Sea Salt

Original Boursin cheese is one of this life’s greatest delights, but if you are a truffle girlie then, hoooo boy, is this the cheese for you. Jordan described it as a “creamy, cheesy, truffle-y spread,” and noted how the “truffle flavor is perfect. It’s not artificial or overpowering.” If you want a soft, spreadable cheese that is less like the texture of brie and more the texture of a fancy whipped cream cheese, go try this stuff. And try the original too while you’re at it—either one will make a fine addition to your Thanksgiving cheese board.

Fromager d’Affinois Double Cream

This is my favorite cheese in the entire world, and I’ll take any and all opportunities to introduce it to whomever I can. It is a bit of a splurge, but, my goodness, it’s worth it. It’s like brie except with a flowier, more pudding-like texture on the inside, a saltier and more umami flavor, and a funk that just won’t quit. It is kind of indescribable and you must try it. I’m not lying, if marrying cheese was legal or advisable, I would have married this cheese years ago.

Creamy Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah

Looking for a hard cheese that isn’t cheddar, manchego, or parm? Pick up this bad boy and stick him on your chardcootie board. This was our favorite cheese from TJ’s and for good reason. Jordan called it “one of the most delicious cheeses I’ve ever tasted in my life” due to its saltiness, complex fruitiness, and crystally hard cheese texture. It’s truly a winner of a Thanksgiving cheese.

Vermont Creamery Goat Cheese

Want another soft cheese suggestion to slap on your Thanksgiving shark couture board? Look no further than this creamy, dreamy take on goat cheese from Vermont Creamery. Justine noted how this cheese is “classically tangy, quite grassy, but still creamy. You take a bite and your mouth waters.” Look, I am sold (although I truly will try anything once, so that cheapens it a bit, but still), brb on my way to the grocery store right now to pick up some mouthwatering Thanksgiving goat cheese.