Grazing Table

How to create a beautiful – and scrumptious – grazing table

Social media today is filled with images of grazing tables – unbelievably gorgeous spreads of cheese, meat, vegetables, fruits, dips, and breads. These lavish arrangements can be both a visual centerpiece of a gathering and an efficient way to serve a hungry crowd.

But here's the most impressive thing about a grazing table: They're incredibly easy to create. There is no fussing over the stove or prepping dishes the night before – all the elements for a grazing table come prepared and ready to eat. All you need to do is artfully arrange some amazing ingredients – and that starts with choosing the best cheese. After all, the wonderful flavors of prosciutto, fig jam, marcona almonds, and crisp pear slices can't hold a candle to the incredible universe of flavor and texture you get with cheese. So, for a grazing table that will astonish your guests, you simply have to choose great cheese.

Wisconsin Cheese: The star of the grazing table

Wisconsin cheese is among the most flavorful, most awarded cheese in the world. We've been making cheese here since before Wisconsin was even a state, and our cheesemakers have pioneered more than 600 varieties, types, and styles of cheese. As you're looking for stunning flavor and texture, you can't go wrong with varieties like The Wild Boar cheese - an aromatic monterey jack filled with bits of earthy black truffle. Dill Havarti from Roth Cheese blends creamy goodness with the slightly sweet taste of dill.

Marieke® Golden is a gouda parmesan cheese that combines the sweet nuttiness of parmesan with the creamy texture of gouda. Luna cheese from Hill Valley Dairy is a gouda and Alpine-style blend with salty, creamy, sweet, and earthy flavors – exactly what the moon would taste like if made of cheese.

Cheddar Gruyere from Wood River Creamery is another blend that combines the tang of cheddar with the complex flavors of gruyere cheese. And Sartori's SarVecchio Parmesan is one of the most decorated parmesans made in America.

Tips for preparing and building a gorgeous grazing table

Here are the secrets to creating a beautiful and tasty grazing table.

  1. Embrace bounty. Be sure to buy enough food for the size of your crowd. A good rule to remember is to choose two ounces of cheese and meat per person if the grazing table is meant as an appetizer course or five ounces of each if the grazing table is the main culinary event.
  2. Prep your ingredients. Since building a large grazing table may take an hour or two, you'll want to prep as much of your refrigerated food ahead of time. Cut up vegetables, roll up the charcuterie, and slice the harder cheeses ahead of time, then keep them chilled in the fridge until you're ready to set up the table. Cheese should come out of the refrigerator 30 minutes ahead of time to allow it to warm to room temperature. As you prepare the cheese and meat, consider cutting the harder cheeses into bite-size wedges, triangles, and rectangles and arranging them in pleasing patterns. With the meats, try bunching bits of bresaolo, rolling slices of prosciutto, and cutting salami into cubes.
  3. Choose a beautiful surface. For a food-safe surface, you can cover a table in butcher paper or with a variety of wooden cutting boards, marble slabs, or serving platters.
  4. Go for height. On a larger grazing board, you'll want to include one or more large pieces that provide visual anchors. These could be centerpieces of flowers, cheese wheels, bottles of wine, garlands, or greenery that add some height to the table.
  5. Start with cheese. When you're ready to assemble your grazing table, place the cheeses first, spacing them around the table. Place any cheese that must be cut close to the edge to make it easier for guests.
  6. Add the meat. Set out the meats next, with an eye for mixing textures, taste, and colors.
  7. Use bowls and ramekins for dips and spreads. Place these around the table where guests can easily reach them.
  8. Fill in the spaces in between. Add the rest of your ingredients to any empty spaces, being sure to alternate colors and textures.

Videos: Discover Your Next Favorite Cheese

Selecting the ingredients for your grazing table

Variety is paramount when choosing cheese, meats, and other ingredients for your grazing table.

A selection of cheeses

Choose cheeses that offer a range of texture and taste. These may include:

  • Soft cheeses like brie, ricotta, burrata, stracchino, and mascarpone
  • Semi-soft cheeses like butterkäse, monterey jack, havarti, and muenster
  • Semi-firm cheeses like cheddar, colby, gouda, and fontina
  • Hard cheeses like aged gouda, aged cheddar, romano, asiago, and parmesan
  • Blue-veined cheeses like cheddar blue, marbled bluejack, and triple-cream blues
  • Crumbly cheese like ricotta salata, cotija, and feta
  • Spreadable cheese like fresh goat cheese or cream cheese

A variety of meats

When selecting cured meats, be sure to include:

  • Whole-muscle cuts like prosciutto, speck, or jamón Iberico
  • Cured sausages like salami, soppressata, coppa, or chorizo
  • Pâtés or forcemeats like salmon rillettes or chicken liver pâté

Vegetables, spreads, and more

The complements to your cheese and charcuterie may include:

  • Breads like slices of baguette, toasted crostini, or breadsticks
  • Vegetables like pickles, artichokes, carrot sticks, and sweet cherry-red peppers
  • Fruit such as sliced apples and pears, grapes and berries, green and black olives, and figs and dates
  • Nuts like pistachios, macadamia nuts, marcona almonds, and candied pecans
  • Spreads and dips, including whole grain mustard, honey, fruit preserves, chutneys, hummus, and fig jam
  • Hearty crackers that are firm enough to hold slices or dollops of cheese, such as multigrain crisps, Spanish tortas, sea salt crackers, crisp butter crackers, or oat biscuits

FAQs

What is a grazing table?

A grazing table is a beautiful spread of food that typically includes cheese, cured meats, bread and crackers, fresh fruits, vegetables, olives, nuts, and dips. Grazing tables provide a stunning visual centerpiece for a party or reception and an efficient way to serve a large number of guests.

How long does it take to build a grazing table?

You should typically allow 30 minutes to two hours to build a grazing table, depending on the size of your spread.

Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try? The world’s best cheese is just a click away! Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for?

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