We love having cheese plates whenever we have friends over. It is an easy and delicious way to get the evening started or even just nibble on with a glass of wine. I love getting the small “leftovers” in the cheese baskets at my grocery store so that we can try new things and keep updating our favorites.
I like to have 1-3 things to pair with the cheese and 1-2 “toppings.” For this plate we had prosciutto, cantaloupe, and an assortment of olives. Melon with prosciutto and cheese is a huge “go-to” for me on its own that they are no brainers for a larger assortment. I added honey to the tray (for the hard greek cheese) and a pepper jelly on the side
This plate had brie (a staple for every cheese plate I make), havarti, manchego, and myzritha. I thought this was a nice blend of soft (brie, havarti) and hard (manchego, myzritha) cheeses. I also took a chance incorporating the sheep cheese with the greek myzritha. The manchego and brie were definitely fan favorites.
If you are building your own cheese plate I definitely suggest
- Get a couple cheeses you know you like. If all you know is you like cheddar, try a really nice block of cheddar cheese!
- Try a new one, maybe your store has a basket of the ends/bits of cheese too!
- Balance some hard cheeses with soft cheese, you will want some texture differences while you are eating
- Add a salty snack to go with them, it really makes a difference with all the richness
- Just enjoy!!!
Share your tips for cheese plates in the comments!
Xx
Kali