How To Assemble a Cheese Plate

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This post is basically me revealing how to fake out your friends and make them think you're super fancy when really... you just know how to put all the tasty things together on one plate. Pretty simple, when you think of it like that, right!? The art of the cheese plate is one I've been exploring lately, although the "rules" are more like suggestions/guidelines, and there is so much room for creativity and expansion. For this cheese plate, I included two La Terra Fina Dips: Lemon Pepper & Asiago and Spicy Green Chile & Cheese. They were a hit at the party I took this plate to — spicy green chile really is deliciously spicy, and both are full of creamy, cheesy goodness. I'm a big fan!

Here is my basic anatomy of a cheese plate:

• 3-6 types of cheese, varying in texture/flavor (some mild, some stinky, some hard, some soft)
• 2-4 kinds of fresh or dried fruit
• 2-3 types of nuts
• 2-3 pickled/brined things (olives, pickled asparagus, pickles, etc.)
• 1-2 delicious dips (e.g. La Terra Fina Lemon Pepper & Asiago)
• 1-2 delicious spreads (e.g. jam (fig, onion, fruit), mustard, etc.)
• 4-6 kinds of vehicles: crackers, breads, etc.
• 3-5 kinds of cured meat (optional)

I know that's a long list, but I think variety is key! You don't need a TON of any one thing, but having a little bit of everything makes it fun for the consumer. The keystones here really are cheese/dips: if you took away everything but the vehicles (crackers/bread) and cheese/dip, it'd still be delicious. Start with those!

As for the actual art of assembling in a pretty way: think about a variety of shapes! Cut some cheese into triangles, some to strips, leave some in the wedge, etc. You can fold sliced meat into halves or quarters, slice some/leave some unsliced, or put it in a bowl. As mentioned above, cheese/dips are the main focus here, so place those on your tray (I use a baking sheet) first. Spread them out enough so they have their own distinct area, and then fill them in with the fruits, nuts, pickles, vehicles, meat, etc. so that there's good variety around each kind of cheese.

Really, that's it! There's not a ton more to say about making a cheese plate other than HAVE FUN and make sure you get some delicious ingredients.

How To Assemble a Cheese Plate

• Author: Mary

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Description

Assembling a cheese plate is easier than it sounds — you just have to know what to put on it! Here are some guidelines on how to assemble a party-perfect cheese plate.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3-6 types of cheese, varying in texture/flavor
  • chevre (goat cheese)
  • sharp cheddar
  • stinky blue cheese
  • triple cream brie
  • medium-textured fontina
  • smoked gouda
• 3-5 kinds of cured meat (optional)
  • chorizo
  • prosciutto
  • pancetta
  • mortadella
  • speck
  • saucisson
• 2-4 kinds of fresh or dried fruit
  • fresh apple, berries, figs
  • dried apricots, mango, pineapple
• 2-3 types of nuts
  • spicy candied pecans
  • roasted almonds
  • cashews
  • curry peanuts
• 2-3 pickled/brined things
  • olives
  • pickled asparagus, radish
  • cornichons
  • sauerkraut
• 1-2 delicious dips
  • La Terra Fina Lemon Pepper & Asiago
  • La Terra Fina Spicy Green Chile & Cheese
• 1-2 delicious spreads
  • fig, onion, or raspberry jam
  • spicy course mustard
  • Pâté
• 4-6 kinds of vehicles
  • slices of french bread
  • rice crackers
  • wheat crackers
  • breadsticks
  • pretzels
  • fancy crackers!

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Instructions

1. On a large tray or baking sheet, place the cheeses and dips with space between each other.
2. Next, place the meats. Put one type of meat near each kind of cheese, so that each type of meat is grouped together separately from another kind of meat.
3. Repeat the placement with each subsequent category of food, so that there are little pockets of variety throughout the entire board. Fill all of the space!

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