Can I just admit something: I LOVE CHEESE. Love it, love it, love it. I don’t know who invented cheese, but they should probably have their own national holiday. Cheese is sort of a big deal.
I absolutely love getting a cheese platter as an appetizer when I’m out with friends so I’ve been itching to create my own little spreads for get togethers. Here are my top five tips for creating the perfect cheese platter.
1. Select cheeses with care. Your cheese selections are going to be the meat and bones of this appetizer so you don’t necessarily want to just grab whatever. It’s good to provide a selection of textures and flavors; try choosing cheeses that are aged, soft, firm and blue.
You don’t have to serve all categories but it can be fun to! Also, keep in mind your guests’ preferences. Be sure to serve at least one familiar cheese.
And note if anyone has special dietary needs, like serving cheese made from raw milk might not be a great idea if you plan to have pregnant guests. Be considerate, but don’t be afraid to offer adventurous options too.
2. Label each cheese. This probably seems super obvious but I cannot tell you how much I wish more restaurants did this. If a guest tries a new-to-them cheese and they love it they will probably want to know what it is.
Of course you can simply keep repeating the names all night if you wish, but labels can be a great solution.
You can get really crafty with your labels or go as simple as tooth picks with printed slips of paper. I made these labels with ZERO artistic ability in about 3 minutes.
3. Accompaniments are a must! Half of the fun of trying new cheeses is trying them out paired with different flavors.
Be sure to offer all sorts of accompaniments with your next cheese platter: crackers, baguette slices, jams, sauces, chutneys, berries, sliced fruit and don’t forget the wine.
4. Set up your platter giving guests an idea how to pair the cheeses. You can see I set up little pairings—blue cheese with honey, Dubliner with sour apple, Colby jack with spicy mustard and goat’s milk cheese with candied pecans.
This will get apprehensive guests comfortable with the idea of pairing the cheese with accompaniments.
5. Serve it sliced and slightly warm. I like to go ahead and slice all hard cheeses (no need if the cheese is already soft enough for spreading). I feel this invites guests to go head and dig in!
It’s also good to set out the cheese 30 minutes to an hour before serving, cold temperatures mute flavors.
If you think your cheese will set out during a whole evening of entertaining find a creative way to keep it semi covered; you could serve it in on a cake stand or two. You don’t want cheeses to dry out before being consumed.
Have fun creating your own perfect cheese platter for your next party! xo. Emma
What cheese are you usually using? Anyway, thanks for this post, I really want to try this out. It looks so yummy!
Love all this picture, but the picture I prefer is the models in black and white, with the long dress! Very good pictures! Kisses.
What do you do with all the bread and crackers? I love the arrangement but it’s hard to eat if there’s nothing to put it on.
Mmm, raspberry and mint sounds relish! If you use warm/hot water to fill your trays, the water will freeze clear. Can’t wait to make some of these to show off!
It’s true …you first eat with your eyes..Your cheese presentation looks so inviting. I like the set up of a prepared cracker along with the cheese to give your guests the idea of a good pairing.
OMG I want this NOW!!! 🙂 I’ve just tasted something incredible yesterday: fresh goat-cheese with raspberries! mmmmm
love love LOVE.
Love it! gosh such a yummy piece.
So beautiful – Can’t wait to see more
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Wow, that looks so yummy! I would never have thought to put most of those accompaniments with any sort of cheese; where did you learn what’s best to eat with what cheese?
This makes me want to have friends over now! Thanks for the tips!! You’re the best, Emma!
OH this looks SO good!
You should try some Juustolepia it’s a Finnish cheese that is baked after it’s made and warmed before eating. It’s great with honey, jam or mustard. There is also Juustolepia made with jalapeños. Several Wisconsin cheese makers make Juustolepia here in the states.
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I’ve always wanted to serve a cheese party at our frequent game nights but wasn’t quite sure how to make it work for both seasoned cheese lovers and our less-food-adventurous guests. This is a great place to start, and I love the beautiful presentation! I have a feeling our next game night will include a cheese plate.
-Jennifer @ JennJill Designs
http://www.JennJillDesigns.com
This has made me crave a cheese board so much! I love them! x
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I’m also thrilled to see this feature again.
I too, love cheese and these tips are great! I especially like the idea of including various honeys/jams/mustards to go along with the crackers and fruit. Cheese platters are always a big hit when I host.
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Love this post! Very informational for us cheese lovers out there. I’m for sure using these tips! I want to put one together now!
ellen-loves.blogpspot.com
Oh these are such good tips! Nothin’ better than a good cheese platter! Will definitely be trying these out at my next party (when I say party, I mean me at home with a bunch of cheese)