Cheese Platters

I've had a few folks ask me recently how I decide what cheeses and meats to serve for our weekly cheese platter supper.  My answer for this is to ultimately go with what you like!!  Every palate is quite different.  I've noted some of our favorites below for some inspiration to get your cheese wheels a turnin!  A few staples, a few new ones thrown in for good measure.  How we pair the cheeses and meats, which accompaniments to have, and layout ideas for your platter.  A must have: a freshly baked baguette or really good quality crackers {read: not the time to bust out the wheat thins}. A tip: We eat with our eyes first. So, no matter if you get the most expensive gourmet cheese or a basic block from the grocery store {hello, one of our faves is the Publix chipotle gouda!}, the real key here is to make your platter aesthetically pleasing.

Here are some suggestions as well as some pics of our recent platters :)

 

 

 

 

This board consists of gorgonzola, gouda and havarti.  We chose salami and also added in some leftover medium rare steak from the previous nights grill out. We sliced it thin on the bias and warmed it just so it was a little hotter than room temp.

 

Here, the same cheeses minus the gorgonzola but with some pesto on the side to spread over the baguette.  This tastes delicious with the Cream Havarti.  Prosciutto was the meat choice on this particular night.

 

Sea salt and olive oil crackers and sausage this time!  Chipotle Gouda in the back.

Upclose pic below. :)

 

 

Here, we chose garlic and herb white cheddar and gouda {see a theme here with the gouda?! lol}.  We added dipping sauce as well as red pepper jelly.  We always use the remainder of the cheeses we had the previous week so as not to be wasteful. Upclose pic below.

 

 

More gorgonzola with drizzled honey! Accompaniments for this platter were apricots and dried pineapple {soooo good!} I generally toast the bread in the oven for a few minutes {make sure to toss it with good quality olive oil for extra flavor}.

 

Lastly, here is an inspirational pic from one of my favorite entertaining and lifestyle books, Cupcakes and Cashmere {love the blog too!} When serving this for guests, I love her idea of the chalkboard signage to it's corresponding cheese.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We really enjoy this weekly treat!  Hope you give it a shot if you need to mix up your dinners or add in a big appetizer platter to your next dinner party.