It's the eternal question. I'm having guests over tonight, what am I going to put on the cheese tray?
OK, not a world shaking question. If you are like me, however, you may have stood in the store looking at the (expensive) specialty cheeses and crackers and wondered what to do.
Here's what I do. I have been buying Sam's Club Black Diamond Select Reserve cheeses. They are in the refrigerated section of Sam's over by the meat. These cheeses come in three varieties in packages that are rectangular and contain a little over a pound of cheese per package. Best part is they are $9.98 a lb. which is inexpensive for specialty cheeses. Sam's carries three varieties, 12 month aged, 2 year and 4 year. I have not tried the 12 month yet.
I buy one package of 2 year and one package of 4 year. The 2 year has a smooth Cheddar flavor while the 4 year is stronger and more developed. My guests enjoy both with maybe a slight preference for the 4 year. I like the 4 year better because of the more complex flavor.
I use my cheese slicer to cut cracker size portions of each cheese and pile them on two sides of my serving platter. I want to use them to frame the platter and leave room in the middle for the WOW cheese plate item.
What is this item? I was at a neighbor's a few weeks back and he had some cream cheese with something red on top of it. He forced my wife and I to try it. It was phenomenally good. Not just a little good. A LOT good.
The recipe? Softened cream cheese spread on bottom of a serving bowl/plate to a height of maybe half an inch. On top of that, Fig jam. The brand I use is Les Comtes de Provence Figue Rouge which is European and can be purchased at TJ Maxx (weird, I know). I assume any good fig jam will work. You don't want the cheap, runny jams. Get the imported thick jam from Europe. Spread a little of this on top of the cream cheese. I add a small serving knife to make it easier to serve and give it a touch of class. This bowl sits in the middle of the Sam's Club cheeses and adds a focal point for the cheese plate.
As far as crackers, I have always hated biting into a cracker and finding out it's some kind of fancy, funky tasting deal. I prefer plain crackers. I use Club crackers and regular Ritz crackers. Both of these crackers provide good bases for the cheese and the cheese/fig mix.
I set this plate out yesterday at a family GTG and had to refill it twice. I know the fig/cream cheese sounds weird but it's really good. All you have to do is get one of your guests to try it. He/she will convince others to try it. then it will be gone. Seems to me, in comparing my cheese tray to others I have seen, that simple is better. If my guests are making me refill the cheese tray twice, I consider that a success (or I'm not starting the main course early enough. :smile: )
What do you guys use when you put out a cheese tray?
OK, not a world shaking question. If you are like me, however, you may have stood in the store looking at the (expensive) specialty cheeses and crackers and wondered what to do.
Here's what I do. I have been buying Sam's Club Black Diamond Select Reserve cheeses. They are in the refrigerated section of Sam's over by the meat. These cheeses come in three varieties in packages that are rectangular and contain a little over a pound of cheese per package. Best part is they are $9.98 a lb. which is inexpensive for specialty cheeses. Sam's carries three varieties, 12 month aged, 2 year and 4 year. I have not tried the 12 month yet.
I buy one package of 2 year and one package of 4 year. The 2 year has a smooth Cheddar flavor while the 4 year is stronger and more developed. My guests enjoy both with maybe a slight preference for the 4 year. I like the 4 year better because of the more complex flavor.
I use my cheese slicer to cut cracker size portions of each cheese and pile them on two sides of my serving platter. I want to use them to frame the platter and leave room in the middle for the WOW cheese plate item.
What is this item? I was at a neighbor's a few weeks back and he had some cream cheese with something red on top of it. He forced my wife and I to try it. It was phenomenally good. Not just a little good. A LOT good.
The recipe? Softened cream cheese spread on bottom of a serving bowl/plate to a height of maybe half an inch. On top of that, Fig jam. The brand I use is Les Comtes de Provence Figue Rouge which is European and can be purchased at TJ Maxx (weird, I know). I assume any good fig jam will work. You don't want the cheap, runny jams. Get the imported thick jam from Europe. Spread a little of this on top of the cream cheese. I add a small serving knife to make it easier to serve and give it a touch of class. This bowl sits in the middle of the Sam's Club cheeses and adds a focal point for the cheese plate.
As far as crackers, I have always hated biting into a cracker and finding out it's some kind of fancy, funky tasting deal. I prefer plain crackers. I use Club crackers and regular Ritz crackers. Both of these crackers provide good bases for the cheese and the cheese/fig mix.
I set this plate out yesterday at a family GTG and had to refill it twice. I know the fig/cream cheese sounds weird but it's really good. All you have to do is get one of your guests to try it. He/she will convince others to try it. then it will be gone. Seems to me, in comparing my cheese tray to others I have seen, that simple is better. If my guests are making me refill the cheese tray twice, I consider that a success (or I'm not starting the main course early enough. :smile: )
What do you guys use when you put out a cheese tray?
