Cheese Tray?
April 30th, 2007 @ 12:27 pm by Mrs. Blueberry
I know it’s sort-of relatively last minute to be thinking about this, but now I’m having a thought (uh oh! Miss Blueberry having a thought? Hang onto your veils, girls!)…
You probably already know that we’re having a dessert reception, but I’ll just go ahead and say it again. It’ll be full-blown, not just a little wedding cake + mints + punch thing…
We’re talking cake, (fudge) groom’s cake, 2 chocolate fountains, baklava, kourambiedes, various pastries, snickerdoodles, sugar cookies, macadamia white chocolate chip cookies, mini cheesecakes, petit fours, sugar-free brownies, rice crispie treats (mmmmmmmm), Sour Patch kids (Mr. Blueberry loves ‘em!), those cute wedding-colored M&M’s, and lots more that I can’t think of off the top of my head.
But now I’m thinking (hence the aforementioned concern for y’all’s well-being). We’re having wine, and we’re having fruit. So wouldn’t it be cool to have cheese, too? Yeah, it would.
Here’s the potential problem with that…wouldn’t it be weird to have a cheese tray without crackers and deli meat? And I think we can all agree that would be sort of weird to have a (literally) 14-foot dessert buffet, then a couple trays of meat and crackers at the end–right? ‘Cause then I’d have to add other stuff, and then we’d pretty much just be having a dessert + hors d’oeurves reception. Which isn’t what I want.
So should I just forget the cheese tray idea and leave well enough alone? Or should I have one, with just a few nice cheeses? Would it look weird to have just cheese, or would people be looking around for more hors d’oeurves?
(Oh yeah, and I know nothing about cheese–what are some good (but still inexpensive) dessert cheeses? ‘Cause I wanna stay away from the Cheddar and American 
)
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31 Responses to “Cheese Tray?”
If you did some cheese pairings, I think it would be fine (select cheeses with figs, dried apricots, dates, pecans, etc.). Perhaps you have a store in your area that can help you create the plate?
I adore cheese plates for dessert… especially with port!
I think it’s a great plan! I second Leslie’s idea of placing it near the bar. Isn’t there something about sugar that messes with the way that our bodies process alcohol? (Or am I just making this up?) Anyways, it would be some nice “real food” for your guests so they can counteract the sugar overload.
Miss Blueberry, I think would be absolutely fine to have just a cheese tray sans crackers and deli meats - tres Euro if you ask me. In many european restaurants (french and italian specifically come to mind) a cheese plate can be ordered for dessert and that’s all you get - a plate with cheese on it! Also, it would be nice to have something savory to cut through all the sweets, and fruit and cheese is delicious together!
As far as which cheeses—mmmmm. I would get a strong aged white cheddar, brie, ricotta salata, manchego, goat cheese, and maybe even little mozzarella balls. Maybe start at a place like costco or sams club to get the most for your money? They carry some surprisingly international cheeses. Good luck!
I would say leave well enough alone. But I see where you are coming from so keep it minimal. No meat. have like 4 or 5 cheeses. Brie is always a good choice. I love smoked gouda but I know not everyone likes it.
where and how will the wine be served? - at the bar? or will glasses be passed around?
i would place the cheese trays near or around the area where the wine will be served.
I dont think people will be looking for hors d’oeurves
i’m partial to French Brie. yum! (having it at my Cocktail Hour)… You could buy small wheels of different cheeses and lay them out w/ crackers.
And you don’t need to have a plethora of it since not everyone may like cheese.
Here’s a website that lists diff. cheese w/ diff. wine pairings. ( i dont think you really need to follow the pairings…but thought it was interesting)
http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/prodview.aspx?cat=1&subcat=wine+and+cheese&prod=A195&gift=wine
hope this helps!
Cheese works. If you are trying to keep the all-desserts theme, it would be cool as the “cheese course.” Found some good websites:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4865689
Nothing wrong with an all-sweets reception, tho offering cheese provides a non-sweets alternative and if there is anyone who arrives hungry they can have something substantial before launching into sugar. Or maybe some guests can’t have sugar or dairy… well, can’t please everyone!
What about sweet and savory versions of seasoned nuts? Figs or dates (or other dried fruits)?
I would go for the cheese tray. I attended a “Sweet Charity” event this year which had all deserts (from local bakeries) plus wine, champagne, and coffee. It soon became way too sweet to eat any more! It would have been a nice “break” to have cheese and crackers. Also, the kid in me also wanted milk there at least to break up the sweetness 
ps - some of my favories are..
brie, camembert, & goat cheese..a sharp cheddar would be nice too..
I agree w/ LS - definitely check out BJ’s, Costco, Sam’s Club, etc for the best bang for your buck!
You can always swing by your local gourmet foodstore to try samplings of diff. cheese as well~
I think a cheese tray would be awesome — and definitely pair it with the fruit and wine, not just stuck on the end of the dessert line.
Ask your caterer what he/she thinks would be a good selection to go with your desserts, or hit up your local gourmet food store. The guys who work the cheese counter at my Whole Foods are incredible, and they always make fantastic recommendations!
i agree with LS, in many upscale restraunts i have been to a cheese plate is offered on the dessert menu. also, we are having a very similar reception (i.e. desserts only with MANY varied desserts) and we will be serving cheese and crackers as a savory option. go for it!
i love cheese with wine! and i don’t need crackers and meat to eat it - i think it’d definitely be a great addition.
brie, gouda, mozzarella, roquefort, parmagiano reggiano… yum cheese, cheese, cheese!
Check into a place like Central Market (don’t know if you have those) because they are a regular grocery store but they have a whole cheese department with wall to wall cases of cheese. My favorite cheese is bleu, followed by medium cheddar and mozzarella.
I’m with Miss Lemon- pair cheeses with figs and dried apricots and you will have a very fancy cheese plate- no need for meat.
I love cheese for dessert, heck I love cheese for dinner, so i think this is a great idea. I would suggest go to a local gormet shop or dean and deluca and test out some samples to see what kinds of cheeses you like (anything made with goat’s milk is my absolute favorite) and then check out Costco or Sams for some reasonably priced items.
As Jenn mentioned, Whole Foods cheese selection is awesome and they can help you with wine/cheese pairings. You can also check out other cheese specialty shops in your local area. I don’t think you need meats. I think just cheese or cheese with some nice crackers will be great. Instead of crackers, you can put bunch of tall crunchy bread sticks (like those served in Italian restaurant) in a glass jar or other neat containers, place it in the center with different cheese around it. Along with all the different cheese mentioned above, stilton with fruits, I’ve tried apricot and blueberries, is deeelicious as well. I think your reception will be wonderful!
Miss Blueberry I have to ask, are you Greek? I didn’t think non-Greeks knew kourambiedes. (Which happen to be my favorite Greek sweet.) My FI is greek so we are giving out favor boxes filled with kourambiedes, baklava, kouroulaka (s/p?) and the almond wedding bells.
Miss Blueberry I think this is a great idea! This might be a little extra work but I think one easy way to get around the deli meat and crackers is to provide small squares of cheese with little toothpicks so that you don’t need a cracker as a vehicle for the cheese, you can just use the toothpick. If you do this, it would probably not work for softer cheeses like brie or goat cheese though.
When I went on a winery tour in the fall, one of the cheeses they served with the wine was a smoked gouda and while it is a stronger flavour, it was absolutely fabulous with the wine. I would recommend it! An aged cheddar would also be lovely. You want to try to offer a variety of colours and flavours, so definitely go for a white aged cheddar, the smoked gouda is a yellow-ish colour, find one that’s bright orange, and one with a milder flavour also.
If you’re doing a dessert reception, it might be a good idea to offer a dessert wine or ice wine in addition to regular wines - they will pair better with the sweets.
Darn, everyone said everything i was going to say. So I’ll just say YAY CHEESE!
I love a nice mild to medium chedder with fruit like apples and grapes…so nice, sweet, and filling too! And healthy
I second thistleorchid.
yes, skip the crackers. But then make sure that the cheeses are firm enough for people to pick up with their fingers or a toothpick or something. Brie is often very creamy and might not make it from the platter to the mouth without some mess. The cheeses should be strong enough to stand up to the dessert wines or deep reds.
I love the cheese and fruit idea. The best prices I’ve found for a great variety of cheeses has been at Trader Joes. As an example, 3 oz. of goat cheese that costs $6 at Safeway typically costs $2-3 at Trader Joes. I think Brie with fig paste on top would be a great compliment to your dessert buffet, as would an apricot stilton, and fresh mozarella (for a little salty break from all the sweetness). Good luck!
If you want something a little bit fancier and well worth the price, look for Old Dutch Masters or Old Amsterdam gouda. It is an amazing, slightly piquant lighter cheese, which holds up on it’s own. It is also INCREDIBLE with apple slices too–I am actually eating Old Amsterdam with a Pink Lady as I write them. SOOOO good. I probably go through at least a pound of this a month. At least.
CHEDDAR, BRIE AND GOUDA! *drool*
I think cheese would be a great idea actually. Since you’re having such an extensive dessert buffet, it might get a bit…heavy. EVERYTHING is sweet and people will be looking for something a bit salty to off-set the sweetness so they can continually enjoy the delectable desserts!
I think *just* crackers and deli meats would go great with the cheeses (because I enjoy them and I don’t think people won’t be looking for more hors d’oeurves; it provides enough of a variety), but it sounds like you don’t want to deal with crackers and deli meats. If that is the case, I think just the addition of cheeses would be perfectly fine.
Great idea, even witout crackers and meat. My suggestions: GRUYERE (mild but a very distinct taste, my favorite!), gouda, some blue chese, and a goat’s cheese.
cheese would be perfect with fruit and wine… Your dessert extravaganza sounds awesome, but I’m a fruit and cheese girl myself.
I’m sure that either which way, you can’t go wrong with a ton of crowd pleasing desserts
Europeans often have a cheese plate for dessert and I think it is so amazing (delicious). If you serve the cheese with fruit (figs, apple, etc.) it fits right in with the desset theme and then you do not need crackers or cold cuts. Brie is a must and there is this really good, buttery one similar to brie called St. Andre. Mmmmmmmmmmmm!
i know this doesn’t have anything to do with cheese, but miss blueberry, how did you let guests know it is strictly a dessert buffet? Or did you? i’m also wondering what time your reception will be?
Thanks for your responses, everyone! I’ve actually never tried most of the cheeses you suggested; but we’ve got this great cheese shop down on the plaza called the Better Cheddar or something like that; I’ll have to go give their samples a whirl before hitting up Sam’s Club for the real deal You’re all so wonderful and helpful!
marvil–We put a note at the bottom of the invitation, worded like this: “Reception, dessert, and dancing to immediately follow”. We didn’t say “massive dessert buffet” but you know what? We also didn’t NOT say it 
That way, guests will know to eat dinner beforehand, and they’ll be pleasantly surprised at the massive spread o’ food before them And our reception is starting at 7pm Here in the midwest, I think people dine earlier than on the coasts. So for guests to eat dinner before the 6:30 wedding won’t be too unusual for most of them
Amy–I’m not, despite what my family would have you believe. My dad cooks a lot of Greek food, and kourambiedes have been my favorite dessert since, like, forever. We’re just very much into Greek food and culture
kp–the wine will be served at a bar area we’re setting up (ie a table in the corner). So it wouldn’t be any trouble at all to place the cheese (and figs and apricots! I love that idea!) tray there.
Mrs. Blueberry, Kansas City
Age and Occupation in 06: 21, Full-time Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Full-time Student
Engagement Date: September 10, 2005
Wedding Date: May 25, 2007
Venue: Wynbrick Center - a historic mansion in my hometown.
About Me: We're having an intimate, 125-ish person wedding with a full-blown dessert reception. When I'm not obsessing over wedding stuff or studying for my BA in English, I'm usually playing with our two kitty cats, blogging, doing crafty things, or hanging out with Mr. Blueberry!
Maybe you could do a cheese and fruit tray, with fruits that complement your cheeses and wines (apple slices, grapes, etc.) and put it at the bar (or wherever guests will get the wine). Then it wouldn’t look so out of place on the dessert buffet.