The Cheesiest Holiday Ever

It's holiday party time, and that means you'll probably have a lot of cheese trays in your near future. Whether you're charged with serving one or faced with a foreign selection and a grumbling tummy, it's important to know what makes a great cheese tray. You may even want to forego the cookies and leave some for Santa.

Just this week, Jennifer prepared something of a cheese tray feast with some really smart pairings that featured a nice variety, while still maintaining mass appeal. Whether you like your cheese orange or moldy, you'll find something satisfying.

Starting with the least piquant cheese first, here are our ideas for a successful cheese tray.

La Tur
Pasteurized blend of cow's, sheep's, goat's milk
Paired with: honey, toasted pumpin and sesame seeds

Perfect for spreading, this creamy, buttery and tangy cheese needs to be warmed to room temperature before eating.

Its rind is as beautiful as the inside.

Comes from the renowned Italian wine region of Piemonte. Try with white or sparkling wine.

Scharfer Max Raw Mountain Chese
Raw cow's milk cheese
Paired with: Prosciutto, conischons, roasted beets

Kind of a raw Swiss cheese, it's a little sharper and stinkier (aged six months), but with a nice buttery base.

Plays nice with strong/saltier flavors.

Did I mention this was a stinker? It's OK, because the taste is deep, like aged gruyere.

It finishes sweet, so best to try a beer with this.

6-Month Aged Manchego
Pasteurized sheep's milk
Paired with: fresh and dried fruits, quince jam.

It's Spain's most famous cheese because of its approachable salty-nutty flavor.

It's my favorite hands down, especially with sliced apple. And a Lancaster Milk Stout. Or Malbec would have been nice.

Look for its characteristic crosshatch pattern on its (inedible) rind.

photos by Jennifer McCafferty