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How To Make a Cheese Platter For Entertaining
Save my tips and tricks for making a cheese platter that your party guests will love. Perfect for the holidays!
Servings 20
Ingredients
- 3 assorted cheeses: soft cheese, semi-hard cheese, hard cheese
Savory extras:
- marinated olives, raw nuts, smoked nuts, prosciutto, salami, bread sticks, artichoke hearts. Check the olive bar and bulk bins for good deals on olives and nuts.
Sweet extras:
- fruit, any kind but especially grapes, berries, apricots, and fresh figs, dried fruit, jam (my favorite is fig jam,) honey.
Instructions
How much and what to buy:
- Plan on 3-4oz of cheese per person. No matter how many people you'll be serving, include at least three different types of cheese on the platter. I like to include a soft cheese, like brie or camembert, a semi-hard cheese like an aged cheddar, fontina, or smoked gouda, and a hard cheese like parmigiano reggiano (make sure you're getting real parmigiano reggiano - it should have the name stamped on the rind.) Blue cheese is popular to include on a cheese platter but I find people either love it or hate it, and unless it's a big party, or you know your guests love blue cheese, I personally wouldn't spend the extra money.
Follow the formula:
- For a well-rounded cheese platter, follow my 3x3x3 cheese platter formula: include at least three types of cheese on the platter, three savory extras, and three sweet extras - plus crackers
Ask questions:
- If you're new to the cheese world, or know what flavors you like but aren't sure which cheese fits the bill? ASK FOR HELP. The people at the cheese counter at my grocery store love helping me pick out new cheeses. They're the experts and can describe the flavor and texture profiles better than anyone. Furthermore, they can cut wedges of cheese from the big wheels in whatever size you want so you don't buy too much for the crowd you'll be serving. A specialty cheese shop is a real treat to visit and shop from, but if your budget is important, check out your regular grocery store first.
Let the cheese rest:
- Let the cheeses rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes before serving as cheese tastes totally different at room temperature vs cold. Also think about letting guests slice their own semi-hard cheese vs pre-slicing it, as cheese slices can dry out around the edges if left to sit for too long. Hard cheeses like parmesan are ok to crumble a bit to show guests how to enjoy it.
Raid your kitchen:
- Keep costs down by using what you've already got at home on your cheese platter. Raid your fridge and pantry for olives, crackers, dried fruit, and nuts.
Label well:
- Make sure each cheese is labeled to indicate what kind it is, and include a separate knife for each cheese.
Simple is best:
- Don't stress about having the perfect-looking cheese platter. The most inviting ones have casually-arranged ingredients on a clean, wooden or marble board. You don't have to put all the fruit in one corner and all the meats in another corner either. Separate items to fill in the cracks, and to make sure everyone can get a little bit of everything no matter where they're standing around the board.