By following a few simple guidelines, anyone can put together a classy and delicious holiday cheese plate. Cheese plates commonly contain three to five cheeses and should feature a variety of tastes and textures. The easy way to get a good variety on your plate is to select one cheese each from different categories: fresh, blue, soft-ripened, washed rind, semi-soft and hard. You should also include at least one goat or sheep-milk cheese for added variety.

Some people choose a flavored cheese and others may double up on a category because they want a particular
cheese that is a favorite. Here at the co-op, with our focus on local cheese, you can put together a plate featuring only cheeses from the five-state region. With this in mind, we recommend a devilishly delicious, 100-percent-local plate comprised of: St. Pete’s Select (blue), Prairie Breeze Cheddar (hard), Bent River Camembert (soft-ripened), Shepherd’s Hope (fresh, sheep) and Les Freres (washed rind).