Cheese is a delicious snack to serve your guests as soon as they arrive to your dinner party. It’s an excellent treat to pair with the right types of wine and you can add various other light foods too. In some cases, a simple meat and cheese platter can be enough for you to entertain your guests without a formal dinner. This is especially great when guests arrive unexpectedly. If you are not sure how to pair cheese with meat, here are some tips.

Consider quantities

The first thing you need to do is choose the type of cheeses you want to include in your meat and cheese platter. You should include at least three to five types of cheese in order to cater to everyone’s preferences. Choose at least one soft cheese, a medium cheese and a hard cheese. Strong-flavoured cheeses like Stilton are optional. For each type of cheese, you should include approximately 150g of meat to keep it deliciously balanced. The meat should be thinly sliced so that it is easy to serve and enjoy.

Mixing it up

Arranging a meat and cheese platter is not just about choosing the right combinations. You also want to make sure that you alternate between the different types of cheese and meat. You should arrange them in such a way that they create a pattern. You can also add some fresh fruit and nuts in between for colour. Set some crackers aside as well as bread so that your guests can help themselves. If you are serving any gluten-free products, keep them separate. The same goes for strong-smelling cheeses. They should be placed on a separate cutting board.

Include a variety

As briefly mentioned above, variety is essential when it comes to meat and cheese platters. You may like to include a spicy meat as well as something smoked and regular cold cuts for those who prefer simple flavours. The same goes for your cheese selection.

Back up in your fridge

Place one platter on the table and keep a back up meat and cheese platter in your fridge. Once your current platter becomes more than half empty, you can quickly switch them out without missing out on the ‘action’. You can place the remaining meat and cheese on a smaller platter and place it in the fridge. When your second platter runs low, bring out the smaller platter and switch them out. This way, your table will always appear full.

By following these simple guidelines, you will always serve the best meat and cheese platters in town! Never underestimate the importance of pairing your cheese with the right beverages and make sure that you also have non-alcoholic drinks available for those who do not drink or for the designated drivers.