Whenever hosting guests during the holiday season or having friends over for a dinner party, birthday party or when friends stop by unexpectedly an easy way to dazzle them is to serve them a Cheese Platter.
Making an appetizer tray with cheese, meats, fruits and crackers is so easy.
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When to serve a Cheese Platter or Charcuterie Board
The holidays are the perfect time to serve a cheese platter. More than likely you already plan to serve some sort appetizer when you are entertaining guests.
Maybe friends stop by unexpectedly and you need an easy appetizer to serve. You pile some sliced cheese and crackers on a plate and everyone digs in.
We serve a cheese platter or charcuterie board at every single event we host with family and friends. Our cheese platters usually consist of a plain old divided plastic food serving tray piled high with slices of cheddar cheese, pepperoni slices, pickles, and olives. Sometimes we do a Fruit Charcuterie Board along with a cheese and meat tray.
During the holiday season we all love to decorate when we entertain so everything looks pretty. Why not turn a very easy holiday appetizer plate into something special?
I think the holiday season gives us the perfect excuse to serve up a fancier cheese platter or cheese board while we celebrate the holidays with family and friends.
To take your everyday cheese platter and turn it into something special get yourself a wooden cheese board. Wooden cheese boards are available in all shapes and sizes.
If you really want to impress your guests buy a spectacular cheese board set like this Bamboo Cheese Board with Cutlery Set, Wood Charcuterie Platter and Serving Meat Board with Slide-Out Drawer with 4 Stainless Steel Knife and Server Set.
Then you'll be ready to serve a simple cheese platter or go all out when entertaining.
You'll have everything on hand no matter what type of cheese platter you plan to serve.
If you already have a cheese platter on hand but you need some cheese knives to make cutting and serving the cheese you can buy an simple set of cheese knives.
This 6-Piece Cheese Knife Set has a cheese knife, cheese fork and cheese spreader to cut and serve any type of cheese you may be serving.
What are the best cheeses for a Cheese Platter?
You decided to serve a cheese platter but your not sure what the best cheeses are for your platter? Simple cheeses are a best bet when your not sure how your guests tastes run.
Next time your out shopping take a look through the imported cheese case. There are many varieties of cheddar cheese available. You could make a cheddar cheese only cheese platter and still serve a variety of cheddar cheeses.
Soft or hard cheeses on your cheese platter? It is a good idea to offer a soft cheese spread along with the hard or semi hard cheeses. A simple soft cheese spread is cream cheese. Softened cream cheese can be dressed up with a hot pepper jelly.
If you are into canning you could make one of my homemade pepper jellies and pour it over a block of softened cream cheese and serve it on your cheese platter.
I used my Habanero Apricot Jelly in this photo. It is my new favorite pepper jelly!
Cheese Platter Ideas for Entertaining
A simple Cheese and Cracker platter will serve most purposes. Pick a few of your favorite hard cheeses, one or two types of crackers and almost everyone will dig in heartily.
If you want to get a little fancier serve a Fruit and Cheese Platter. You can go even farther and pick a theme for your fruit and cheese platter.
During the fall serve crisp apple slices, fresh figs and pear slices with a few delicate types of cheese. Smoked Gouda cheese tastes wonderful with in season fall fruits.
If you need a hearty party appetizer to serve a manly crowd a Cheese and Meat Platter would be perfect.
Fill your cheese board with sliced pepperoni, sliced or cubed salami and cubed sausage along with cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese and provolone cheese and this easy appetizer board will satisfy the hungriest of your guests until the main course is served.
How To Make a Cheese Platter
Wooden Cheese Platter or Cheese board to serve the cheese and crackers to your guests.
If you don't like the look of a wooden cheese board you can buy a large slate cheese board with a set of cheese knives that you can write the names of the cheeses you are serving on it with a piece of chalk.
Marble cheese boards are also very pretty and can be the focal point of your appetizer table.
Small Wooden Bowl to hold softened cream cheese and pepper jelly
Cheese Knives to cut the blocks of cheese.
Apple-wood Smoked Gouda Cheese, cut into slices.
Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, cut into slices.
Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut into slices
Golden Delicious Apples, sliced. Golden Delicious apples do not brown as quickly once cut as most other apple varieties do.
Red Grapes or green grapes
Homemade Dijon Mustard or other spicy mustard to spread on the cheese.
Homemade Apricot Habanero Jelly or Hot Pepper Jelly to serve over a softened block of cream cheese.
Softened Cream Cheese to serve with the hot pepper jelly.
Carr's Cheesemelts Cheese Crackers for a fun twist on crackers and cheese.
Ritz Crackers or Club Crackers. I love serving buttery club crackers with sliced cheese. The slices of cheese when cut from a square block fit perfectly on a Club Cracker.
Print the How To Make a Cheese Platter guide below
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How To Make a Cheese Platter
Equipment
- Wooden Cheese Board
- Cheese Knives
- Small Wooden Bowl
Ingredients
- 10 oz. Apple-wood Smoked Gouda Cheese (cut into slices.)
- 8 oz. Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (cut into slices.)
- 8 oz. Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (cut into slices)
- 2 large Golden Delicious Apples (sliced. Golden Delicious apples do not brown as quickly once cut as most other apple varieties do.)
- 2 large bunches of red or green grapes
- ½ cup Homemade Dijon Mustard or other spicy mustard to spread on the cheese.
- ½ cup Homemade Apricot Habanero Jelly or Hot Pepper Jelly to serve over a softened block of cream cheese.
- 8 oz. Softened Cream Cheese to serve with the hot pepper jelly.
- 1 box Carr's Cheese melts Cheese Crackers for a fun twist on crackers and cheese.
- 1 box Ritz Crackers or Club Crackers
Instructions
- Arrange a variety of sliced cheese and crackers on a cheese board.
- Place a bowl of softened cream cheese and hot pepper jelly on one end of the cheese board.
- Place a bowl of homemade Dijon Mustard or other spicy mustard on the other end of the cheese board.
- Tuck bunches of grapes in between the cheese and crackers.
- Add some fresh apple slices.
- Place cheese knives on the cheese board.
- Serves 10 -12
Nutrition
Want to create the perfect cheese platter? Check out these books on creating the perfect cheese plate.
The Art of the Cheese Plate: Pairings, Recipes, Style, Attitude: This book succeeds by matching some of the world's greatest cheeses with unexpected, seasonally inspired flavors and textures and presents a composed cheese plate as a fun, modern, and accessible option for delicious entertaining.
Composing the Cheese Plate: Recipes, Pairings, and Platings for the Inventive Cheese Course: Cheese need not stand alone! Composing the Cheese Plate isn't just another cheese book -- it's a gateway into the wonderful world of pairing and plating your favorite cheeses with dozens of sweet and savory condiments.
Tasting Wine and Cheese: An Insider's Guide to Mastering the Principles of Pairing: Is there anything better than a great wine and cheese pairing? For some, it can be challenging. The good news? Creating a combination that makes your mouth sing is easier than you might think!
Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maître Fromager: Maître fromager Max McCalman, author of The Cheese Plate and Cheese, is steeped in the world of artisanal cheeses like no one else. In Mastering Cheese, he shares the wealth of his expertise to help cheese lovers on their path to connoisseurship.
Megan
One of my great pleasures in life is a delicious cheese platter, and I think you've nailed the key points of creating one. Well done!
Arlene Mobley
Megan
Thanks! No holiday needed to enjoy a cheese platter!
Love from Munchkintime.com
This cheese platter looks perfect, pinning! I made one too, recently:https://www.munchkintime.com/3-easy-shrimp-charcuterie-cheese-platter-ideas/