Entertaining with Cheese This Holiday

Cheese is a beloved staple, rich with age-old stories and traditions, often at the heart of every gathering and celebration anywhere in the world. These customs and traditions manifest in different ways—just like Noche Buena in the Philippines, which serves the classic queso de bola alongside jamon, France has Le Réveillon, a long dinner on the evening before Christmas Day, that typically includes a cheese platter before dessert. In England, blue cheese—especially Stilton—has long been associated with the holidays, as it was traditionally aged from early autumn to winter, just in time for the holiday season.

While holiday menus vary across the world, cheese almost always finds its way to the table, thanks to its incredible versatility. With flavors that range from mild, buttery, salty, tangy, and nutty, every cheese has its own distinct character that shines more when thoughtfully arranged into a cheese board.

Building your own cheese board

A perfectly crafted cheese board relies on two things: variety and balance. One unspoken rule when building a cheese board is considering only three to four, or at most five, types of cheese. With many options available in the market, the key is knowing what each type of cheese brings to the table and selecting different varieties depending on textures and flavors to balance out other accoutrements served on your table. 

Soft cheese – for creaminess

Soft cheeses are in charge of adding creaminess to your board. Unlike hard cheeses that undergo an aging process to achieve more complex flavors, soft cheeses have higher moisture content—about 50% or higher, depending on the cheese—resulting in fresh, sticky, gooey, and crumbly textures. 

Some soft cheeses you may want to consider adding to your board:

Goat cheese is commonly sold fresh or soft-ripened, though aged varieties and ash-covered types are also available, offering a balance of acidity and creaminess. If you’re adding goat cheese to your board, try Meredith Dairy’s Goat Cheese infused with Fresh Dill.

Feta, a white cheese aged in brine, has a tangy and salty flavor that becomes more pronounced as it ages. Taste the authentic and traditional Greek flavor of Feta by trying out the mild but smooth Koliós' Crystal Feta, or go extra by trying Malagos Farmhouse’s Feta Tricolore with hints of rosemary and red pepper flakes. 

Semi-soft cheese – for mildness

Semi-soft cheeses are the perfect middle ground for guests who like flavor that’s not too pungent and intense. Unlike soft cheeses that are spreadable or crumbly, semi-soft cheeses have around 40 to 50% moisture content, giving the cheese a pliable texture that is perfect for slicing or melting.

Some semi-soft cheeses you may want to consider adding to your board:

If your guests prefer a lighter blue cheese, Cambozola is your perfect introduction to blue cheese—it’s mild and not too intense. Cambozola brand is a good choice for those with dietary restrictions but still want to enjoy a bite or two. Their Cambozola cheeses are lactose-free due to the natural maturation process and are naturally gluten-free.

Semi-hard cheese – for nuttiness

Semi-hard cheese develops a good balance of mildness, nuttiness, and slight sharpness due to longer aging time than soft cheeses. They are dense but not too hard and are often grainier with cheese crystals developing on the rind because of lower moisture content.

Some semi-hard cheeses you may want to consider adding to your board:

Toma, a less familiar but exquisite Italian cheese, boasts rich and buttery flavors—an instant crowd-favorite. Point Reyes’ Toma is the perfect table cheese for any occasion, while their Toma Provence is a fun and unique addition to your holiday board, boasting a wonderful blend of creaminess with herbs like rosemary, basil, marjoram, savory, and wild thyme. 

Of course, holidays aren’t complete without an Edam cheese, also known as the famous queso de bola. Marca Piña’s Cheeseball stays true to the classic salty, crumbly, and nutty Christmas cheese.

Hard cheese – for sharpness

Hard cheeses offer contrast. They provide a more intense flavor and balance out your board with their firm and crumbly textures. Hard cheeses typically undergo a longer aging or ripening process to further intensify the flavors and achieve their hard and crumbly texture. 

Some hard cheeses you may want to consider adding to your board:

Asiago cheese is commonly sold in fresh or aged varieties. It can be either soft or hard, and its taste ranges from mildly sweet and buttery to sharp and nutty, depending on its age. 

Moliterno, a traditional Italian hard or semi-hard cheese, has a more complex flavor—rich and nutty with subtle undertones of sweetness and tang. Give your Moliterno a different layer of flavor by trying out Moliterno al Tartufo infused with black truffles. 

Cheddar, on the other hand, is typically rich and creamy when young, while aging brings out sharper and tangier notes. Add different varieties of sharp cheddar by trying bold flavors from Cabot Creamery, like the Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese, or make it all fun with the iconic heart-shaped vintage Burton Beauty Cheddar from Godminster.

Note: cheese types, textures, and flavors may vary depending on the age and ripeness of the cheese.

Pairing your cheese

Serving a cheese board is often an equation of two or three: cheese + flavor pairing + base, or cheese + flavor pairing. Cheese has a very complex flavor to begin with, and while it can be enjoyed alone, having the right pairing brings out an even better tasting experience for your guests. Here are some good pairs to start: 

• Strong and pungent blue cheeses are balanced out with sweet pairings like honey or jams.
• Asiago can be enjoyed on its own or with fruits and nuts—also great for wines like cabernet, sauvignon, or pinot. 
• Soft cheeses like Brie are easily spreadable over crackers and bread, and best with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
• If you’re serving charcuterie and baguettes, Cambozola will be a great pair along with red wine or sweet beer.
• If you’re more into dark beers, a medium-aged Gouda is a nice balance, while whisky, aged Madeira, or other heavier beers will benefit from the intense aroma of a longer-aged Gouda. 
• If you’re serving light snacks like toasted nuts paired with a good old-fashioned cocktail, a few slices of Toma cheese will be a good choice. It also goes well with sweet fruits like peaches or fruit compotes. 
• Balance out the salty and tanginess of Cheddar by pairing it with sweet and tarty fruits like apples and pears. 

Serving with a cheese knife

A good host means serving your cheese board the right way—pair it with the right cheese knife! Here are some tips to help you serve them the right way: 

• Due to its creamy, spreadable texture, fresh and soft cheeses require a soft cheese knife with thin blades and holes that help minimize the cheese from sticking. If you don’t have a soft cheese knife, grab a cook/chef’s knife, dip it in hot water, then wipe. This will help prevent the cheese from sticking. 
• Semi-soft cheeses are one of the easiest types of cheese to serve. Slice them however you want—wedges, cubes, triangles, etc.,—using a pronged knife with a fork-like tip for easier serving. It can also cut different types of cheeses, except hard cheeses like Parmesan.
• Semi-hard or hard cheeses like Gouda and Cheddar will need a cheese cleaver, while cheese like Moliterno can be sliced with a spade knife. Bigger and firmer cheeses like Asiago are best sliced using a hard cheese knife.

When choosing cheese for your holiday cheese board, consider what will work best with other elements on your table. However, don’t let this limit you in figuring out your taste preferences—the best tip for hosting and serving a cheese board is to consider all taste preferences by providing a variety on your table. 

Holiday platters at Joel's Place 

This holiday season, enjoy a hassle-free celebration with Joel's Place's Christmas platters featuring a beautifully curated mix of cheeses, cured meats, and savory bites, perfect for sharing. For more exciting holiday offers, discover the Festive Flavors of Christmas or browse our Christmas catalog.