Cut and arrange pieces of cheese to make a decadent cheese platter.
A cheese platter is ideal for serving before a large dinner such as holidays, baby showers or birthday parties. When making a cheese platter, you want to make sure it not only has variety to appeal to everyone's taste buds, but also looks attractive and appealing. However, if it's too good, they might end up filling up on cheese and have no room left for the main course.
Instructions
1. Purchase plenty of variety for your platter. One type of cheese may appease the masses. But to really encourage people to venture out of their comfort zones or to taste the deliciousness, supply at least one cheese from each of the four types of aged, soft, firm or blue. Aged cheeses include Gouda and Cheddar, and soft cheeses include Camembert or constant bliss. For a firm cheese, choose mimolette or Parmigiano-Reggiano and for blue, stick with Stilton or Gorgonzola Dolce.
2. Serve enough to accommodate the size of the party. Some will eat more than others, but assume approximately 3 to 4 oz. for each adult attending the party. For eight people, 3 lbs. should be adequate.
3. Cut each type of cheese into slices that are easy to pick up and eat with hands and arrange them around the outside of a serving dish or platter.
4. Add bread in the center of the platter to go along with the cheese or place some meats like salami or pepperoni and crackers on the platter to allow guests to make individual sandwiches from the ingredients.
5. Label the types of cheeses so guests know what they're eating. Some people are finicky and won't eat something if they don't know what it is. Add a few adjectives under the name to describe the cheese.
6. Remove the cheese platter from the fridge one hour before the event because the cold dulls the flavors.
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