Gaby, from the blog What’s Gaby Cooking, explains her steps to creating a truly fantastic cheese plate!
I’ve been practicing my cheese plate making skills for years and I’ve finally perfected this art form (round of applause for me, thankyouverymuch). So today, we’re going in. Here are some tips for making the most kick ass cheese plate on the face of the earth and a grocery list of everything you’ll need! Literally, jaws will drop when you present this at your party. People will be obsessed. And you’ll have a line of friends wanting to know your secrets.
1. Textures of cheese – bring a variety to the party – mix it up with soft, semi firm and hard/aged cheeses!
2. Same goes for type of cheese …. mix up the type of milk – cow, sheep, goat, maybe even get crazy with a combo of 2!
3. Allow for about three ounces of cheese per person. Unless you’re inviting me, then allow for 12 ounces per person. I can put cheese down like a boss.
4. Once the cheese is purchased, you’ve got to up the ante with nuts, fresh fruit, dried fruit, fruit spread, and honey.
5. Castelvetrano olives are mandatory for any cheese platter.
6. Give people a selection of different crackers or breads – mix it up with some sliced crostini, different kinds of crisps, and some traditional flatbread crackers.
7. Let the cheese sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before your guests arrive. This will allow the cheese to be at it’s peak since all the oils will get moving.
8. Display the cheeses in different forms: some can be cut into spears, other wedges, cubes, whole etc. Let your guests cut the soft cheese depending on how much they want.
HOW TO MAKE A CHEESE PLATE INGREDIENTS
• Sharp cheddar, broken into pieces
• Wedge of Bleu cheese
• Cowgirl Creamery Mt Tam Triple Cream
• Cypress Grove Creamery Humboldt Fog
• Salami
• Prosciutto
• Marcona almonds
• Roasted pistachios
• Fresh figs
• Grapes
• Candied walnuts
• Castelvetrano olives
• Breadsticks
• Rainforest Crisp Crackers and a few other varieties of crackers
Arrange everything in piles on a large board or platter. Keeping things in organized chaotic piles keeps things looking gorgeous and Instagram worthy (and let’s be honest, that’s what life is all about!).
Blog & recipe photo courtesy: What’s Gaby Cooking