How to Pull Together a Festive Trader Joe's Cheese Board for Just $20—Yes, Even in This Economy

We wouldn't be surprised if Willy Wonka had a hand in creating the Trader Joe's cheese aisle. A must-visit for any cheese lover, it offers an abundance of classics, including Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano, as well as unexpected flavor pairings, such as cinnamon-rubbed Toscano cheese and a party-appropriate spreadable cheese ball. Whether you love crunchy or creamy, sweet or salty, there are more than enough cheeses for everyone. It's also among the most affordable places to shop for cheese. Our purchase of 29 cheeses, which raised our very kind cashier's eyebrows, came to $181—an average of $6 per cheese. That means you can pull together a solid cheese board for around $20 (yes, even in this economy). 

While Trader Joe's carries some iconic classics, we wanted to highlight cheeses that are exclusive to TJ's or are harder to find at other supermarkets. After tasting more than two dozen, we landed on seven cheeses as our top picks for a holiday cheese board. Try all seven, or mix and match—we recommend aiming for variety in texture by choosing one or two options from each section. 

While you're at the store, pick up some fresh or dried fruit, charcuterie, jam or honey, and some crackers. Be sure to temper your cheeses by leaving them out at room temperature for at least an hour before serving. You'll know your cheese is ready to eat when the soft cheeses are relaxed and gooey, and the hard cheeses have a sheen of melted butterfat on their surfaces. 

Below are our picks for our ideal holiday cheese board from Trader Joe's.

Soft Cheeses

Brie With Truffles

Made with real truffle pieces and truffle flavor, this cheese offers all the elegance the holidays call for. Our associate visuals director, Amanda, said it best: "It's brie with truffle. Of course it's going on the cheese board." But it isn't just any brie. It's a double cream, meaning that cream was added to the milk at the start of the cheesemaking process, boosting the cheese's butterfat and richness. The producer of this truffle brie even goes one step further by filtering the milk and removing water and lactose, concentrating the cheese into an exceptionally rich and creamy bite. 

It's a process that's also used by the non-TJ's French brand Fromager d'Affinois. That company also makes a truffled brie, making us wonder if it's behind the Trader Joe's product as well. Our source at Fromager d'Affinois didn't comment, but we strongly suspect this brie is theirs, just in different packaging. Regardless of whether our sleuthing skills are correct, the cheese is delicious, decadent, and ideal for the holidays.

Cranberry Chèvre Goat Cheese

A Trader Joe's classic, this chèvre log is made by rolling fresh goat cheese in dried, sweetened cranberries. Goat cheese is known for its tartness—and so are cranberries—so it makes sense that they'd pair well. But the real draw here is the cheese's balance of flavors: It's a fun, festive cheese log with a "sweet, tart, and creamy flavor," says our associate editorial director, Megan. Associate culinary editor, Laila, agrees: "It's fun and punchy, with bright tartness and real cranberry flavor. It's a little sweet, but in a good way. The cranberries and pop of color make it especially good for a holiday-themed cheese board."

Stilton With Apricots

Stilton is a classic English blue. It's pungent, deeply veined, and a little intimidating for those wary of blue cheese. Trader Joe's version, studded with tiny pieces of apricot, changes all of that. The fruit is dotted throughout—you can't take a bite without hitting one—and its sweetness cuts through the peppery tang of the blue cheese. "The apricots here added a really pleasant sweetness," says Amanda. While we'd normally recommend pairing a bitter blue with something sweet, like jam or fortified wine, this cheese makes that unnecessary—it's a balanced bite all on its own. Instead of crackers, lean into the richness here by serving this Stilton with some shortbread.

Semi-Soft Cheeses

Tête de Moine Rosettes

While TJ's is known for taking some big swings in the name of creativity and decoration, these rosettes are more than just decorative. The cheese they're made from, Tête de Moine, has been produced in the Jura mountains of Switzerland for over 800 years. While the girolle—a clever tool for shaving the cheese into rosettes, was invented just 40 years ago, it has quickly gained acceptance as the traditional way to serve Tête de Moine, especially in the colder months. 

The girolle features a steel post that anchors the cheese and a blade that is manually rotated across the wheel's surface. It produces these long, fluffy pieces resembling flower petals, but the cheese's flavor is anything but delicate. As the thin strips melt on your tongue, intense notes of nuts and savory elements, such as beef broth, emerge.

Spanish Sheep's Milk With Quince Jam

If you didn't spot some sweaty Manchego at the party, did you even go to one? It's one of the most popular cheeses to put on a cheese board, and Megan calls this cheese a "decent Manchego dupe." With the traditional crosshatched rind, you'd think it was the conventional Spanish cheese—but leave it to TJ's to add more flavor to the mix. At two months old, Spanish quince jam is injected into the cheese, and it's then aged for another three months. The jam adds floral, fruity notes of apple and rose, softening the sharpness of the sheep's milk. Forget accouterments for this one; this cheese delivers all the flavor you need.

Hard Cheeses

Unexpected Cheddar

The MVP of the Trader Joe's cheese aisle for years, unexpected cheddar helped cement the store's status as a cheese destination. "I love this stuff! It's a classic TJ's cheese for a reason," Megan enthused. Made in Wisconsin by cheesemakers with roots in Valdastico, Italy, this hard cheese combines the sharpness and tang of an aged cheddar with the sweet nuttiness of Parmesan. As it ages, it develops tyrosine—an amino acid—and calcium crystals that provide a satisfying crunch. A saline minerality on the finish makes your mouth water. Try pairing this cheddar with a bright, fruity jam, or a savory mix of caramelized onions and rosemary.

1,000-Day Gouda

This cheese was Amanda's favorite; she loved it so much that she brought it home after the taste test. "This cheese is complex, funky, and tastes way more expensive than it is," she said. Megan also noticed its full flavor, which didn't happen by accident. The process of making Gouda begins with curd washing: water is used to rinse the curds, removing lactose and whey. This results in a sweeter flavor profile and allows the cheese to age for an extended period—in this case, at least 1,000 days. As it ages, the cheese loses moisture and becomes craggy and dry, with notes of caramel, butterscotch, and toasted nuts. Try it with traditional sweets: caramel sauce, peanut butter cups, or any other rich, chocolaty bite you can find at your local TJ's.