entertaining/how to/recipes/snacks/starters

How to make the Ultimate Cheese Platter

Posted May 15, 2015 by Stephanie
how to make the ultimate cheese plate - www.iamafoodblog.com

how to make the ultimate cheese plate - www.iamafoodblog.com

how to make the ultimate cheese plate - www.iamafoodblog.com

how to make the ultimate cheese plate - www.iamafoodblog.com how to make the ultimate cheese plate - www.iamafoodblog.com

I have an obsession with cheese, especially cheese made from 100% Canadian milk – it’s one of my favorite things to eat and I almost always have at least three kinds of cheese in the fridge. I find it adds that extra bit of oomph to everything. And while it’s a great in recipes and between two slices of bread, what makes my heart swoon, whenever I see one, is a fancy cheese platter. Fancy cheese platters mean that I can make cheese into a whole meal and in my books, nothing could be better.

Fancy cheese platters are easy to put together and are kind of sort of over the top impressive, at least to me. Here are some rules of thumb that I like to follow.

1. Don’t go to crazy with the amounts of cheese. Two or three types of cheese is what I’d say is good for a small plate, and up to five cheeses will do for a giant party platter. If you start offering up more than five, it gets a little confusing and your palate will be overwhelmed.

2. Texture is a big thing in the cheese world. Try to have one soft (think Brie, Camembert), one medium-hard (Swiss, Gouda), and one hard (Parmesan, Aged Cheddar). There are so many, many cheeses out there, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

3. Speaking of experimentation, I think it’s good to try new things – maybe go for a Blue Cheese? That being said, don’t feel pressured to have a crazy cheese board with cheese that you don’t actually want to eat. If you don’t like a certain kind of cheese, just say no. There are so many cheeses out there and no one’s going to judge your cheese choices. They’ll just be happy there’s cheese!

4. Speaking of happy cheese, cheese is happiest when it’s not straight from the fridge. Let it chill out for a while at room temperature so that you can taste more than, well, cold.

And with that, this is the little (ha!) platter I put together of some of my favorite Canadian cheeses. I’ve got triple cream brie, which is creamy, tender, and smooth. Burrata, which is a delicious hybrid of mozzarella and cream. Saint-Paulin, which is a creamy mild semi-soft cheese. Smoked gouda, which is hard, smoky, and buttery. The last cheese is the ever classic parmesan: hard, crumbly, and sharp.

I put them all on a marble board with a variety of crackers, toast, reduced balsamic, honey, roasted tomatoes, grapes, marcona almonds, and olives. Grab some friends, pour some wine and you’ve got good eats!

And, with that, I wanted to ask you guys, which one of these cheeses made from 100% Canadian milk (Triple Cream Brie, Burrata, Saint Paulin, Smoked gouda, or Parmesan) would you most like to see me feature in a recipe? Let me know in the comments!

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35 Comments

  1. tea soaked dates! Oh oh oh and sardines (not a cheese thing but my thing)! Oh wai wai wait, and something spicy like picked chilis! Ok… I think I’m ruining it.

  2. This looks so great- I love how freeform you made your platter. I’d love to see a smoked gouda recipe- I feel like it doesn’t get the tlc it deserves compared to burrata, parmigiano, mozzarella, brie, etc).

  3. Hannah says:

    Anything but Buratta- it’s very difficult to find in many US cities.

  4. If you haven’t tried fig jam with that triple cream brie before, it is worth a go. The duo is divine!

  5. This looks so good. The photo alone is making my mouth water! I love pairing sweet and sticky dries figs onto my plate too!

  6. I have always loved the fruit and cheese combos! I am adventurous eater but green apples and quince paste is always on my cheese platter. Oh your cheese selection sounds delicious! Smoked gouda would be a interest feature recipe Stephanie.

  7. Great post! It’s left us with a craving for burrata. Would love to see a recipe using this decadently creamy, mozzarella. :)

  8. Claudia says:

    have you tried parmesan with maple syrup (the real thing in both cases)? DELICIOUS!!! thanks for the post!

  9. Silvia Chung says:

    You had me at Burrata.

  10. Chantal says:

    Wow, these are some really great tips. Thanks for sharing! I think it’d be great if you featured triple cream brie in a recipe sometime.

  11. Abby says:

    I adore this, Stephanie! And these photos are so insanely gorgeous. <3

  12. cynthia says:

    omg this is HEAVEN. and the photos!!!!! so so so gorgeous!

  13. Christine says:

    So funny. I’ve been planning a cheese plate post for my blog, too. As you say, three kinds seems to be the magic number for me (for me, a bleu is not negotiable.) And there is NO shame in a trusty old cheddar, not flashy, but so so good.

  14. Megan Markwardt says:

    Smoked Gouda!

  15. Megan Markwardt says:

    I was actually able to find it at my local Kroger store in Michigan. Although it is quite pricey.

  16. Ive got to put my hand up for burrata! It’s just heavenly. the oozy centre is a dream! It never needs a lot to make it taste good. tomato, basil, salt and pepper do it fine for me! Your pics look sensational. Its made me want to plan a cheese party although i will need to add some cold meats to the mix too as this probably sums up my favorite meal of all time! Thanks for the inspo as usual! xxx

  17. Greeting from Malaysia. A nice blog you have here. I agree with ‘There are so many cheeses out there and no one’s going to judge your cheese choices.’ anyway tastes and preferences are subjective.

  18. Max says:

    Being from Wisconsin, the undisputed king of cheese (in the US) I love a great cheese plate! I would suggest some good Canadian maple syrup, I though you guys used that like bath water ;) it also pairs well with salty cheese! Thanks for the great post!

  19. Frances says:

    I love a good cheese board! My top three cheeses are: Camembert, smoked Gouda, and swiss aged Gruyere. The best part is choosing sweet, salty, and savory pairings to with the cheeses. Would be awesome to see a recipe with smoked Gouda. Keep up the great work!

  20. Chris says:

    Burrata please! which brand would you recommend?

  21. Chris Cheesy says:

    Burrata please! which would you recommend?

  22. Geoff says:

    Enjoyed your post and your callout to blue cheese ;) My fav blue has to be Bailey Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill (VT), not. Love it alone or with just about everything, although not a Canadian cheese, it’s still wicked good!

  23. Mahée Ferlini says:

    Great pointers! I would like to see the smoked gouda in a recipe – Thanks for sharing!

  24. julianne c. says:

    burrata, please. it’s so dreamy. i could eat that all day long.

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