How to Make Your Own Holiday Cheese Gift Basket

It’s time to de-stress the gift giving process! Designing a thoughtful, creative gift basket that features The World’s Best Cheddar is a wonderful way to say happy holidays.

A holiday gift basket can fit every budget from modest to extravagant and it shows that you care about fine food for the holidays. Here are ten tips for creating a beautiful – and totally tasty – DIY gift basket that anyone would love to receive. Fill it full of goodies that will make a gorgeous holiday cheese board.

Start with cheese. It’s an appealing appetizer, a scrumptious snack, and popular at any meal. Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar is the foundation of any great gift basket. From there you can add more of your favorite Cabot Cheddars – Vermont Sharp, Extra Sharp or even specialty options like our 5 Year Cheddar, or Alpine Cheddar. They’re all great additions to your basket.

Go nuts. Whether you like pistachios or pumpkin seeds, walnuts or pecans, spiced or honey roasted, nuts are another element to elevate your gift basket game.

Meet the meat. Smoked meats add a delicious dimension to your gift basket. Our friends at Vermont Smoke and Cure have a yummy selection of smoked and cured meats from beef and pork to turkey that pair perfectly with Cabot cheese.

Spread the love. Our Vermont friends at Blake Hill Preserves make a variety of sweet and savory jams that are an essential part of any cheese board!

Crack ‘em up. What’s a cheese board without crackers or biscuits? A crisp little vessel for sliced cheese is just what your cheese gift basket needs. Our friends at Effie’s Homemade make the most delicious lightly sweet biscuits that pair incredibly well with Cabot cheese!

Add a little sweetness. The sharp flavor of Cabot cheddar is enhanced when a drizzle of sweetness is added. Local honey is a lovely complement to your cheese gift basket. Or you might consider adding rich maple syrup to the mix. Many Cabot farmers also make some of the world’s finest maple syrup from trees on their farms.

Don’t forget the chocolate. The combination of chocolate and cheese is, in a word, amazing. Another word might be Divine, as in Divine Chocolate, another proud B-Corp.

Wine, beer and spirits for the win. You can’t go wrong including some libations in your holiday gift basket. Our B Corp friends at A-Z Wines make this delicious Pinot Noir that pairs well with our cheddars. If you’re looking for beer to include, we also have B Corp friends at Allagash and The Alchemist – they make some of the best beer around. If spirits are more what you had in mind, our friends at Bar Hill in Vermont make this gift-able gin distilled from honey.

Wrap it up. It doesn’t have to be in a basket. Whether you bring a bottle of wine and a block of cheese in a pretty gift bag or go all out with an extravagant basket, remember that the presentation as well as the contents should be memorable. Take time to find the perfect container – a vintage milk crate, a colorful colander, or a massive mixing bowl – for your gift. Look for something unusual and distinctive to hold all your holiday gift goodies. Wrap it all up in holiday cellophane or even a holiday themed dishtowel. Adding fresh sprigs of evergreen or herbs will make this gift basket come together & be the perfect gift.

There are so many ways to create a beautiful and unforgettable holiday gift basket. Start with a delectable selection of Cabot cheese and then let your imagination soar.

Happy holidays from the farm families who own Cabot. We wish you all the joy, health, and love of the season.