{"id":3211,"date":"2014-01-26T18:19:54","date_gmt":"2014-01-26T23:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=3211"},"modified":"2021-12-14T17:32:17","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T22:32:17","slug":"perfecting-the-holiday-cheese-plate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/perfecting-the-holiday-cheese-plate\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfecting the Holiday Cheese Plate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: This story was updated in December 2021<\/em><\/p>\n

No holiday gathering is complete without a cheese plate. But how do you decide how many cheeses to provide, which to choose, and how much you need total? Here are some guidelines on assembling the perfect holiday cheese plate.<\/p>\n

How Much is Enough?<\/h3>\n

You can estimate 3 – 4 ounces of cheese per person at your gathering. This means that a group of 10 people would need a total of about 2 pounds of cheese. You\u2019ll divide this between the various cheeses you choose to serve.<\/p>\n

Another good rule of thumb is to have at least 3 cheeses for your spread, but to increase that number by 1 cheese for every 3 guests. You don\u2019t want to overwhelm your tasters though, so you may want to cap this number at 6 or 7 options total. This means that for that group of 10, you\u2019ll want 5 cheeses.<\/p>\n

Diversity is a Good Thing<\/h3>\n

Try to have a variety of flavors, textures, and milk types in your selection of cheeses. An all-cheddar cheese plate is a fun academic exercise, but for a party different people will have different tastes. You want everyone to be able to find a favorite on the plate. And with that in mind, you should also have some very accessible cheeses for the less-adventurous party goers.<\/p>\n

We recommend having a hard cheese (like a cheddar, aged gouda, or pecorino); a soft cheese (a bloomy rind such as brie or a decadent cheese like a triple creme); a blue cheese; an adventurous cheese or two (washed rind cheeses are great for this); and a sheep or goat cheese. You can mix and match these to fit the number of cheeses you want to have and to cater to your guests palates.<\/p>\n

Better Together<\/h3>\n

Accompaniments are half of what makes a cheese plate. They roughly fall into four categories:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Drinks<\/li>\n
  2. Charcuterie<\/li>\n
  3. Preserves<\/li>\n
  4. Pickles<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You want your accompaniments to match your cheeses and vice versa. For a holiday party you may know that you want to have sparkling wine. In this case, you may want to pick richer, creamier cheeses for your plate and charcuterie and other sides that can stand up to that power pairing. Or, you may want to go with a selection of dark beers and spiced ciders, which will go better with very strong cheeses. Just choose a starting point: a drink, a cheese, or an accompaniment\u2014and go from there.<\/p>\n

    As with cheeses, you want an array of flavors and textures in your accompaniments. Find things that are sweet, savory, and tart or crispy, chewy, and creamy. Keep in mind what you want the main focus to be. If you want cheese to be the star of the show, you might want a few simple accompaniments like fruit jams or sliced meats and crackers that don\u2019t have flavorings. If you want to experiment with crazy crackers, maybe stick with some solid but uncomplicated cheeses. Or mix and match with a few solid options from each category.<\/p>\n

    Forward Thinking<\/h3>\n

    The best cheese plate can be underwhelming or ignored by guests if you don\u2019t serve it with style.<\/p>\n