Start With The Big Items: Bowls And Cheese
Start with the things that take up the most room on a cheese plate youll tuck everything else into the blank spaces later on!
A lot of people like to start with the cheese, but I prefer to start by placing some little bowls around my cheese board. Why? Because it helps me make part of the cheese plate ahead of time. If I know Im making a cheese plate for a party, Ill set out the cutting board and place the bowls the night before so its ready to go. You can skip the bowls if you like, but I like using them to hold dips and smaller items plus, the height and round shape helps break up the cheese board to make it more fun to look at.
Next, add the cheeses. Cheese should really be served at room temperature, which means you should take it out of the fridge and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour before serving . You can do this two ways: One, take the cheeses out of the fridge, throw them on the counter, and come back later to add them to the cheese plate. Or two, unwrap and cut the cheeses straight out of the fridge, then place them on the cheese plate and let them come to temperature on the board .
Meat And Cheese Platters
Meat. Cheese. Satisfaction!Our meat and cheese trays feature a variety of quality meats and fine cheeses that cater to all tastes. Theyre perfect for any occasion from the big game to the holiday get-together or office party. Choose from our Italian meat and cheese platter, our International meat and cheese platter, and many other meat and cheese platters. Each is made with the finest meats and cheeses.
Looking For Other Party Starters And Appetizers You Might Like These Recipes:
GORGONZOLA JALAPENO CHEESY BREAD: This ridiculously addicting oven baked cheesy garlic bread is loaded with jalapenos and gorgonzola. And best of all, it’s ready in under 15 minutes!
BAKED NAAN NACHOS: These flavorful Mediterranean inspired nachos are made with naan and a creamy feta cheese sauce. Add roasted tomatoes, crispy chick peas and fresh herbs for an even more fun spin on this classic app!
PHO DEVILED EGGS: These Vietnamese Inspired Deviled Eggs will forever be one of my favorite appetizers. They’re sweet, spicy, herby and full of flavor! And they’re super quick to make, too!
UPSIDE DOWN PINEAPPLE BAKED BRIE: This baked brie recipe is like none other! Inspired by my favorite retro dessert, pineapple upside down cake and my favorite baked brie – this variation is loved by all!
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What Is A Charcuterie Board
Did you know one of the most frequently asked questions in Google on the subject is what is a meat and cheese tray called? Knowing that I think it is important to address what I would name such an arrangement.
I am sure you have seen such a party platter being sold in supermarkets during the holidays. While they refer to it as Meat and Cheese Platter or Meat Cheese Tray, the most commonly used name is Charcuterie Board.
According to the definition on Wikipedia, Charcuterie is a French term for a branch of cooking devoted to primarily pork meat products. It was originally intended as a way to preserve meat before refrigeration was invented.
Nowadays, with the increased availability and popularity of cured meat made from various meats, the name Charcuterie is used as a general term for all kinds of preserved meat including bacon, ham, confit, salami etc.
And if this word is new to you, the correct way to pronounce it is shahr-ku-tuh-ree.
So, in light of this information, what we refer to as Charcuterie Board here is a board prepared with various cold cuts . Nowadays, most Charcuterie Boards are also arranged with various cheeses, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, and served as an appetizer.
When To Serve A Cheese Platter
The holidays are the perfect time to serve a cheese platter. More than likely you already serve some sort of cheese platter or cheese plate 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 cheese plate at every single birthday party or holiday 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.
During the holiday season we all love to decorate when we entertain guests 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.
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.
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How Much Cheese Should I Buy
As a general guideline when you’re serving several different types of cheese, assume that each guest will eat between 1 – 2 ounces of each cheese that is served.
More specifically, if you are serving other types of food or the cheese is being served as dessert at the end of a meal, you can assume between 1 – 1 1/2 ounces of each cheese per person. If you’re serving a cheese platter as the main hors d’oeuvre, you’re likely to need at least 2 ounces of each cheese per person.
Example: 1 pound has 16 ounces, so for a party of 10 people where the cheese platter is the main hors d’oeuvre, you should consider buying 1.25 pounds of each type of cheese.
Budget Saving Tips:
What Drink To Serve With A Cheese Platter
Wine is always a favorite for us when serving a cheese board. However, there are several fantastic cocktails that go great with cheese as well, especially sangria. Here are a few cocktail ideas that will pair nicely with cheese platters:
Fall Sangria with Apple Cider The most perfect cocktail to serve with a seasonal fall cheese platter.
Floral Sangria Recipe Fun for a bridal shower or baby shower.
Red Sangria Recipe Great for holidays.
Black Sangria Recipe This goes really well with our Halloween charcuterie board.
Aperol Spritz Perfect for a summer gathering.
Mix and Match Garden Bar This is a fun party theme that would go perfectly with cheese platters.
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Fresh Goat Cheese Or Chevre
So popular now, the classic flavor characteristics of chevre are a fresh goat milk taste, mild flavor, and smooth texture. Try fresh goat cheese or chevre with a drizzle of honey or maybe some fig jam on a cracker or slice of baguette. The plain is always a hit and its nice to offer the pairing of a plain log with an herb-coated one for variety.
Pick Up Meat & Cheese Trays In A Store Near You
Ordering meat and cheese platters online from Price Chopper and Market 32 is the easiest way to get the party started. Our meat and cheese platters are prepared fresh at a store near you! With enough variety to cater to the tastes of your friends, youll be glad you skipped the caterer! Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Plan all the details of your party well in advance.
- Place your online meat and cheese platter order at least 3 days in advance.
- Schedule a time to pick up your meat and cheese platter when you complete your order.
- Please note meat and cheese platters are not eligible for grocery delivery.
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Let Us Make Ordering A Cheese Platter Easy
Whether it is for your meeting, reception or cocktail party, you can be assured that we will only select cheeses of the highest quality for your platter. All cheese platters include a garnish of grapes and dried fruits, and are labelled for your convenience.
Except for one and two person platters, all platters come with crackers. Medium size platters come with baguette & crackers.
Please order at least one business day in advance..
Best Cheese Platters And Charcuterie Boards
Grazing platters and trays are the latest food trend for celebrations, whether it’s a simple party of two to a large family gathering. That messy smorgasbord of cured meats, cheeses, grapes, and crackers just puts us in a holiday mood. It’s simplethough admittedly not cheapbut festive and definitely impressive for a potluck or for your holiday house party. We rounded up the places in Metro Manila that offer incredible grazing platters to share for Christmas.
Santi’s DelicatessenEveryone’s go to for deli meats obviously has some amazing grazing boards for you. They start at P1,500, which is already good for eight to 10 people, and may be customized according to your taste. Santi’s has a good range of cheeses, from your favorite Gruyere to an even more exotic coconut cheese, so you can comfort and surprise your guests with your choices.
Click here for a list of Santi’s branches.
IMAGE courtesy of Santi’s
Rustan’s has display counters for cheese and charcuterie, so you can also mix and match your own personal tray at home.
IMAGE Rustan’s
For orders, inquiries, and bazaar schedules, visit the Gourmandise by Sunshine website.
IMAGE gmdbysunshine.com
Aperitif CateringThis online company introduced Filipinos to the beauty of grazing spreads so it’s no surprise that they’re have so many packages available, from different boxes , a giant platter, a log, a table, and a cart.
For orders, inquiries, and bazaar schedules, visit the Aperitif website.
IMAGE Aperitif.ph
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Fill In Big Spaces With Fruit And Nuts
Now that the big pieces are on our cheese plate, its time to have some fun and start filling in the gaps! This is where a cheese plate really starts to come together
First, add some fruit. We used grapes here, but you can use any fruit you have on hand. I like to break the fruit into relatively small pieces and scatter it in a few places across the board I put grapes on either side of this cheese plate to help it look balanced
Next, add nuts! We used walnuts and almonds here. Drop a few nuts into the smaller blank spaces on the middle of your board to add some texture and cover any open spots. Leave a few spaces around the edges for olives or any extras youre adding!
How To Make A Charcuterie & Cheese Board Attractive
Making a cheese board more attractive is all about the details! I have a whole collection of my and i highly recommend you check them out for inspiration!
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Tips For Arranging A Cheese And Charcuterie Plate
NOTE: Try to arrange ingredients next to the other flavors that you think go together. I try to keep the savory ingredients on one side of the board and the sweets on the other. This just makes creating the perfect bite much easier for your guests! And you’d also be surprised on how aesthetically pleasing this method is, too!
Add Meats Bread And Crackers
Next, add charcuterie to your cheese plate! I used soppressata, a basic deli salami, and prosciutto here.
You can add your meats a few different ways: In a simple stack , fanned out in a line or half-circle or by folding larger pieces into fun shapes .
For this cheese plate, I opted to fold our charcuterie pieces to help them take up less space since we had a lot to get onto the board.
I fold charcuterie meats a few different ways on cheese plates:
- Fold large, thin, circular pieces in half, and then in half again to make a triangle. Tuck the points of the triangles tight in between a large cheese and one of your bowls . I like to stack quite a few pieces this way and then fan it out. This is the technique we used for the soppressata in at the bottom of this cheese plate
- Fold large, thin, circular pieces in half, and then roll them to form a small cone. Tuck the points of the cones tight in between a cheese and a bowl to keep them in place . This is the technique we used for the deli salami on the far left side of the cheese plate.
- For thinner meats like prosciutto, simply hold each piece vertically above the cheese tray, then gently lower it down, twisting your hand a little bit as you go to help it develop some folds and stay in a small space. This is the technique we used for the prosciutto, slightly right of center on this cheese plate.
- If youre using sausage, cut the sausage on a bias and fan the pieces out in a row.
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How To Build A Beautiful Yet Cheap Cheese Board For Under $30
February 3, 2019 by grilledcheesesocial
Building an attractive cheap cheese board for under $30 is super easy and totally doable. It’s a great way to entertain without spending a lot of money. And best of all, cheese and charcuterie pairs perfectly with wine and cheese. Below I’ll build one out using Trader Joes ingredients plus give you some helpful tips to make yours even cheaper.
Impressive Cheese Platters That You Can Order And Have Delivered Right To Your Doorstep
Have a sudden yearning for grazing on a gorgeous cheese platter to bring back those al fresco Parisian evenings, back when travel was still a thing? We feel you, and we have good news for you because you can totally satisfy those cheese platter cravings right here in Singapore from the comfort of your air-conditioned couch.
Also known as charcuterie boards these cheese platters have transformed over the years to become gorgeous and sometimes extravagant boards arranged with an array of artisanal cheeses, cured meats, crackers, bread, dried and fruit, nuts, dips, and other accompanying tidbits like olives and pickles.
And with no lack of options for doorstep deliveries these days, here are some of the most amazing artisanal cheese and cured meat platters for you to graze your days away.
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Tuck Some Greenery Into Any Space Thats Still Empty
YOURE ALMOST DONE! At this point, you have alllllllll the good stuff ready to go and have assembled a great cheese plate . All thats left is to fill in any remaining teeny gaps to make your cheese board look full and inviting.
I ALWAYS opt to fill any last little spaces with something green. I find it helps break up the color since cheese plates tend to lean very red/white/brown. For this cheese plate, we chose fresh arugula, but you could also use fresh herbs Arugula is my go-to because its almost always in my fridge, and the leaves are small and flexible enough that I can really tuck them into small spaces .
Add a few pieces of your greenery anywhere theres a gap, and tuck some around the edges to help frame the cheese plate
TA-DAAAAAA! See what I mean? YOU CAN TOTALLY DO THIS.
For best results, lets talk through some essential tips and techniques to help you make a beautiful cheese plate!
