Nothing beats a beautiful fruit and cheese plate laid out with sweet and savory treats for easy entertaining. It keeps changing with every season and is perfect for summer get-togethers as well as cozy Christmas and New Year’s parties.
Cheese platters have become a go-to snack for almost every person who’s going to entertain some guests. This is because everybody appreciates a good serving of cheese and cheese platters also add an elegant touch to your style. They are easy to make if you have got your hands on all the required ingredients but it might get tricky if you are a perfectionist.
So in this piece, I’ll share my ideas for what to include on a fruit and cheese platter, as well as my best and latest tips and tactics for the best fruit and cheese pairings so that you are never confused.
Pick out a Cheese platter or board.
Always try and choose a cheese platter or a cheese board large enough to accommodate all of your cheeses as well as your accompaniments. You will need cheese knives, one for each cheese. Cheese markers are optional.
What fruits work well with cheese?
The first step in mastering the art of making a perfect cheese platter is to know what to put on it. Knowing which fruit to put on your cheese platter is essential. Here’s a list of fruits that pair up with cheese very well.
- Apples
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Berries like strawberry and blue berry
- Grapes
- Apricots
- Plums
- Dates
- Strawberries
- Figs
- Fresh or dried Cherries
- Oranges
A piece of advice that I’d like to share with you here is to avoid using watery fruits like watermelon. They tend to spoil the whole cheese platter sometimes. If you really want to use any watery fruit on your cheese platter, try to keep hem separately in bowl and then place the bowl on the platter.
Best kinds of Cheese for cheese platters.
It’s a good idea to provide a selection of cheeses made from different milk sources: cow, goat, and sheep cheeses all have different flavors and textures. Provide at least one cheese that the majority of people will identify and be familiar with. 2 ounces of cheese per person is a good estimate.
Try to use three different kinds of cheese, because odd numbers are the most visually appealing, and I go for wedge-shaped, circular, and cubed or sliced cheeses to provide visual variation.
A soft cheese, a hard cheese, and a crumbly cheese are three different types of cheese to consider.
Some of the best soft cheese are- Camembert, Brie, Boursin/Gourney, Burrata, and Mozzarella.
Some best hard cheese is- Pepper jack cheese, Parmesan, Cheddar, Asiago Cheese, Gruyere, Gouda, and Manchego Cheese.
Some other elements to add to your cheese platter.
- Nuts like almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, and other mixed nuts. The nuts should be salted or roasted.
- Charcuterie meats like sausages, sliced salami, sliced pepperoni, and other Italian meats. They add a salty flavor to your cheeseboard.
- Olives and pickles.
- Sauces and dips like small jars of honey, mustard, unique jams like the fig orange jam, and sauces like basil pesto, arrabbiata sauce, and sun-dried tomato pesto. Basil pesto is a must-have along with cheese platters.
- Crackers and slices of bread- Choose from a variety of shapes and textures, including buttery and seedy crackers. A decent French baguette split into tiny slices is also a fantastic option. Pretzels or crispy breadsticks can also be used to provide visual interest. Chimichurri is available online to buy and pairs so well with salty crackers.
- Chocolates- On a fruit and cheese tray, who doesn’t want a little dark chocolate? Always include a little of it on your fruit and cheese platters since it works so well with so much of the fruit and cheese and adds another fantastic flavor contrast.
- Fresh salads go well as a side dish with cheese platters.
Folding the Charcuterie meats to make them look elegant.
Folding the meats to put them on a cheese platter is an art that you can master easily by following a few steps. All you need are some ideas to fold the different types of meats in different ways and here they are.
- To form a triangle out of meats, fold the thin circular pieces in half and then in half once again. Tuck the triangles below large pieces of cheese or any bowl you are using on your cheese platter. This aids in keeping it in place. This is how I like to stack a lot of pieces.
- To make a little cone, fold the circular pieces in half and roll them up into cones. Keep the cones in place by tucking their points between a cheese and a bowl. This method is generally used for the deli salami but can be used for any other meat as well.
- Simply hold each piece vertically above the cheese tray, then gently lower it down, twisting your fingers a little as you go to help it develop some folds and stay in a tiny space for thinner meats like prosciutto.
- For sausages, just cut them into smaller pieces and spread them in a row or two.
- Remember to fill up the empty spaces with nuts and sprigs of thyme. Thyme also adds an element of green to your cheese platter and gives a nice contrast to the colors of meat.
Depending on the type of party you’re holding and how much money you want to spend, cheese platters can be basic or complex.
They can be simple or complex, but remember that all you’re doing is purchasing a few intriguing types of cheese and arranging them with nice garnishes such as fruit, almonds, crackers, and cured meats, and your visitors will enjoy it. To avoid the hassle of making them at home, get your hands on the best kinds of cheeses and dips & sauces today by ordering them online. They are available at decent prices and good quality as well.