Six Seasonal Treats To Put On Your Cheeseboard This Fall
As I stepped up to the register at Trader Joe’s, I joked to the cashier that I shouldn’t be allowed in here during the month of October. He looked at me, completely serious and responded, “you have no idea how many women say that to me.” So, it turns out, there are a lot of us obsessed with everything fall at Trader Joe’s, and it’s nice to know I’m in good company (or maybe just totally basic, which I’m not mad about).
Here at BHN we are huge advocates for shopping small, local and sustainable, but we also often need to shop on a budget and are on the hunt for high quality products that both taste amazing and are affordable. So while you’ll see most of our dairy and animal products sourced as sustainably as possible, we source many of our sundries from Trader Joe’s (along with many other great small businesses we love to support in that arena as well!).
We recently stopped by TJ’s to pick up some of our favorite seasonal fall items for our harvest cheese boards. Let’s just say the selection was A-OKAY and it was hard not to buy all the things. Here’s a few of our favorites!
Organic Maple Butter: This delectable spread is literally boiled maple syrup that’s been flash-cooled right before it turns to candy. The texture is INSANE and we can’t stop spreading it on everything. Sourced from a single-origin organic maple grove in Vermont, it’s fall in a jar. $5.99 (read more here)
Favorite Pairing: Slathered on triple creme brie with sweet and spicy pecans (also from TJ’s). Thank us later.
Pumpkin Butter: An autumn classic, it’s a great alternative if making your own isn’t on your seasonal bucket list. This recipe isn’t overly sweet and has a slight lemon note towards the end. $2.29 (read more here)
Favorite Pairing: Drizzle this glorious spread on top of whole milk ricotta or fresh chèvre with crackers or on sourdough toast.
Chocolatissimo Premium Harvest Collection Belgian Chocolates: At first we thought these were marzipan treats but on a closer look realized they were Belgian chocolates and, to make this treat even sweeter, filled with praline and walnut ganache. Surprisingly delicious and visually stunning, we personally plan to add these to as many of our Friendsgiving boards as we can. If you can’t find these at your hometown TJ’s you can also find them on Amazon (albeit they’re less expensive at TJ’s!).
Favorite Pairing: Place these beautiful babies right near your favorite blue cheese. We especially love them with salty blues like Valdeon or Jasper Hill’s Bayley Hazen Blue.
Cornbread Crisps: These salty and sweet crisps were such a delight on our recent Midwestern-themed board. They really do taste like cornbread with the perfect amount of sweetness! The texture is out of this world, crumbly and melt-in-your mouth perfect. Originally we planned to use them as fun fillers on our boards, but have quickly promoted them to a sundry stars. $2.49 (read more here).
Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds: Yes, you read that right. These are a real thing and yes, they are SO good. These pepitas receive a butter-sugar toffee glaze, followed by a dusting in festive spices. Addicting and the perfect pinch of fall, we love using them as filler on our harvest boards and an excellent nut-free alternative. $2.99 (read more here).
Favorite Pairing: With pretty much everything but we enjoy them with nutty cheeses like a mild Manchego or even Gruyere.
Ghosts + Bats Crispy Potato Snacks: The Halloween version of waterwheel crackers, these are perfect snacks for kids but also act as a darling vehicle for cheese. They’re mild and neutral and let the cheese shine, a perfect vehicle for any board.
Favorite Pairing: Aged cheddars with a nice sharp bite! The perfect snack for kids and adults.
Did we mention your favorites? We’d love to hear if there are there any others we should add to our list!
