No holiday is complete without a spectacular cheese board and Mulino Bianco® Breadsticks. Get ready to WOW your guests with this Holiday Cheese Board + Cranberry Sauce Baked Brie!

holiday cheese board with cranberry sauce baked brie

This post has been sponsored by Barilla America, Inc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Let’s talk about holiday appetizers and cocktail party snacks. Everyone needs just one or two really reliable crowd-pleasers around the holidays. It’s a relief for a host to set out a plate of tasty bites while putting the finishing touches on a meal. And in the spirit of giving, let me offer you a cheese board with a variety of tastes and textures and the prettiest, easiest, and most lusciously decadent appetizer I know: hot cheese smothered in sweet cranberry sauce. I mean, hello.

snack tray with meats, cheeses and dips

And to bring this whole appetizer tray together and make it nothing short of EPIC, I called in my good friends from Mulino Bianco. I mean, really, what is a cheese board without tasty, crunchy breadsticks? They’re just a MUST.

woman's hand holding a package of Mulino Bianco breadsticks

They’re available in two delicious and savory flavors: Sfilati Tomato and Sfilati Olives. I added both to my cheeseboard. I just love how they are colored differently and not only add taste and texture to the spread but also a pop of color. I grabbed them up, and everything else on this tray, while shopping at HEB. You can find them located down the cracker aisle.

holiday cheeseboard with a breadstick dipped in a cranberry cheese dip

Take advantage of the Ibotta offer going on now through 12/31 on Mulino Bianco, and save $.75 on any ONE (1) Mulino Bianco Product. Also, learn more about Mulino Bianco here.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE A CHEESE BOARD:

  1. Start with the board. Cheese boards are typically assembled on a slate or wooden tray, which may be square, rectangular, or round. But if you don’t already own one, don’t feel like you need to go out and buy one. You can also use a large plate, a cutting board, or even a baking sheet. Any flat surface will work.
  2. Select the cheeses. Try to include a variety of flavors and textures by selecting cheeses from different families: aged, soft, firm, and blue.
  3. Add some charcuterie…aka cured meats. Prosciutto, salami, sopressata, chorizo, or mortadella are all good options.
  4. Add some savory. Think olives, pickles, roasted peppers, artichokes, tapenades, almonds, cashews, or spicy mustards.
  5. Add some sweet. Think seasonal and dried fruits, candied nuts, preserves, honey, chutney, or even chocolate.
  6. Offer a variety of breads. Sliced baguette, Mulino Bianco breadsticks, and a variety of crackers in different shapes, sizes, and flavors.
  7. Finish it off with some garnishes. This is a great way to give your cheese board a seasonal touch. Use edible flowers, fresh herbs, or additional fruits to give your board the look and feel you want.

And baked brie is always on our cocktail party menu. It’s a MUST for the holidays!

Cranberry sauce baked brie topped with chopped pecans and a sprig of rosemary on the side

CRANBERRY SAUCE BAKED BRIE

This Cranberry Sauce Baked Brie is sweet, savory and just seriously delicious.

It’s melty, gooey cheese friends. And it’s topped with homemade cranberry sauce and chopped pecans for a fabulous crunch. The brie has a woodsy richness that is complemented by the tart cranberries, and it’s baked until bubbly and oozey, then scooped up with Sfilati Olive Breadsticks. It’s rich, sweet, and festive — practically a dessert — although I’ve found that people will attack it at any time of day. You only need a handful of ingredients, and since I know the holidays are crazy busy, you can make the cranberry sauce ahead of time.

woman's hand dipping a breadstick into cranberry sauce baked brie

I’d love to know if you make this (or any) recipe! Tag @kimscravings on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

package of breadsticks alongside a holiday meat and cheese tray

holiday cheese board with cranberry sauce baked brie
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5 from 10 votes
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Cranberry Sauce Baked Brie

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 13 minutes
Cranberry Sauce Baked Brie is one of the prettiest, easiest, and most lusciously decadent appetizers and it pairs so perfectly with your holiday cheese board.  
Author: Kim

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel or slice off the top rind of the brie and scrape out a small amount of cheese to form a shallow hollow in the center. Place the cheese in a small baking dish like a pie pan. (If you plan on transferring the cheese to a serving dish after it's baked, line the pie pan with a square of parchment paper.)
  • Top the brie with prepared cranberry sauce and sprinkle the pecans over the top.
  • Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the cheese is gooey. This is a delicate process, and baking time can vary. The goal is to take the cheese out after it has softened, but just before it collapses into a heap.
  • If desired, lift the parchment paper and use a spatula to carefully slide the cheese onto a prettier serving dish. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and serve immediately with assorted crackers and Mulino Bianco Breadsticks.

Notes

  1. Select the cheeses. Try to include a variety of flavors and textures by selecting cheeses from different families: aged, soft, firm, and blue.
  2. Add some charcuterie…aka cured meats. Prosciutto, salami, sopressata, chorizo, or mortadella are all good options.
  3. Add some savory. Think olives, pickles, roasted peppers, artichokes, tapenades, almonds, cashews, or spicy mustards.
  4. Add some sweet. Think seasonal and dried fruits, candied nuts, preserves, honey, chutney, or even chocolate.
  5. Offer a variety of breads. Sliced baguette, Mulino Bianco breadsticks, and a variety of crackers in different shapes, sizes, and flavors.
  6. Finish it off with some garnishes. This is a great way to give your cheese board a seasonal touch. Use edible flowers, fresh herbs, or additional fruits to give your board the look and feel you want.
Author: Kim
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 181kcal, Carbohydrates: 6.8g, Protein: 8.3g, Fat: 13.8g, Saturated Fat: 6.9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4.9g, Cholesterol: 37.8mg, Sodium: 242.2mg, Potassium: 80.1mg, Fiber: 0.6g, Sugar: 6.2g, Vitamin A: 235IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Did you make this recipe?

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If you’ve never shopped at HEB, you’re in for a real treat! There are so many options when it comes to finding grocery products you love and creating your holiday cheeseboard! I found everything you see pictured and so much more, at my local HEB. Use the HEB website to find Mulino Bianco products at an HEB store near you!

HEB shopping bag filled with cheeseboard ingredients