I absolutely love cheese. Honestly, I could eat cheese all day everyday – I haven’t met one that I didn’t like. I’m almost 100% sure that I inherited this trait from my mom because she started my love affair with cheese.

That being said, I’ve learned what pairs perfectly with cheese. I decided to share some helpful tips when it comes to creating a cheese plate. These come in handy when you’re hosting a girl’s night in, wine tasting party … or if you’re just Gossip Girl binging. Not that I’ve done that before or anything.

1. Mix different kinds of cheese

Choose different kinds of cheese so that you can have distinct flavors on your plate. I like to pair a soft cheese like blue cheese with an aged, sharp provolone. The blue cheese has a distinct taste that pairs well with fruit and meats. We also added smoke gouda because I cannot pass up gouda.

2. Add some meat

Make sure to add meats such as salami and soppressata. Soppressata is an Italian dry salami that has been cured. The soppressata is a little spicier than the salami and gives a nice kick.

3. Drizzle some honey

To soften the blue cheese, I like to drizzle orange blossom honey on top of it. It gives the cheese a sweet element that really adds another dimension to the plate. I learned this trick from the Savannah Bee Company.

4. Complement with sides

I love to add fruit, nuts, crackers and bread to cheese plates. Depending on what’s in season, I will either add grapes or strawberries. I like to add almonds and cashews because I’m slightly obsessed with cashews as well. You can add roasted vegetables and olives too. However, the most important part of the plate (besides the cheese), is the bread! My absolute favorite bakery in Gainesville is Uppercrust. They make the absolute best, flaky croissants and baguettes.

5. Pair with drinks

I’m personally not a wine fan, but I’m sure that this plate would pair well with a nice, dry white wine. I like to pair my cheese plates with hard apple ciders – there’s just something about the apple that brings out the cheese flavor as well.

Well there you have it! I hope at your next party or gathering or binge watching that you’re able to have a wonderful cheese plate! Enjoy!