Creating A Cheese Plate

The holidays are among us and we're frantically planning our meals, snacks, desserts and cheese platters. Cheese platters?! Wait, you are planning one right? 

Configuring a cheese plate tends to be a nightmare for many. We hope to ease the pain by doing the thinking for you, because the holidays should be a time of peace, family and relaxation. Right?

So why is it so complicated? Because you want to please your guests. You're worried that you'll do something wrong and the 'foodie' guest of yours will jump all over you about it. We're going to prevent that.

Well, we'll do our best.

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1. Choose a theme

We're not talking Western or circus themes here though, that could be fun. We are referring to cheese types or cheese origins. Perhaps you want to have a tray with different ages of cheddar or one with all cows milk cheeses or goats milk cheeses. It's up to you. This is the part where you can get creative.

2. Know how much to buy

Figure an ounce of each cheese per person. This is assuming you have a selection of 3-4 cheeses.

3. Choose a platter

Any flat dish will do, but it's fun to have a stone or marble platter to display your cheeses on. Choose a dish that will provide enough room for your cheeses. You do not want them to be over-crowded.

4. Serving utensils

Each cheese should have its own serving utensil, or knife. The last thing you want is a co-mingling of cheeses on your knife. You can buy those cute little cheese knives, or use any small knives that you have on hand.

5. Preparing the cheese

Cheese should always be served at room temperature. Remove from the refrigerator about an hour before serving. If some mold has formed on a hard or semi-hard cheese, simply trim beneath the mold by 1/2 inch.  Soft cheeses with mold are not safe to salvage and should be tossed. If the cheese has a rind, we recommend leaving it on. The rind contributes a new color to the platter and shows off the variety of cheese.

6. It's all about strategy

Arrange the cheeses from mildest to strongest. We've found an awesome CheeseClock from our friends at Artisanal that is a great tool. Keep your prepared tray wrapped up until you are ready to serve it. 

7. A complement

Not for you, the cheese. Sorry. Try some of these great complements with your cheeses:

Baguette Slices or Unflavored Crackers

8. Know your cheese

Your guests are going to ask you lots of questions. Where is this cheese from? What's the difference between this one and that other one? Before your guests arrive, do a little research on the cheeses you'd like to use or are using. It will only take 10 minutes and will make you sound like a true cheese expert!

9. Leftovers

Not that you'll have them, but leftovers should be refrigerated and wrapped as soon as possible. The longer you leave them out, the dryer they'll get. Save the cheese, for heaven's sake!

10. Last but not least

Enjoy yourself. Please. If you do all the prep work ahead of time, it's going to all be worth it and your guests will have a wonderful time.

*For beer & wine pairings with our cheddars, check out our pairings guide.