Table of Contents

1. Plan Your Thanksgiving Meal With Our Cheese Subscriptions
2. Get a Jump on Holiday Cheese Gifts and Entertaining
3. Set Your Fall Table with Cheese Grotto
4. The Best Cheeses to Eat for Fall
5. Our Favorite Thanksgiving Cheese Recipes
6. Thanksgiving Cheese Board Recipe

Fall is our favorite season for cheese, and not only because some of the absolute best cheeses are made with rich fall milk. It’s also our birthday! We shipped out the first Cheese Grottos on November 2, 2016—just after a little writeup in the New York Times, which really helped our business come to life.

In the seven years since we launched, we’ve expanded our product line to four Grotto models, created two different cheese subscriptions featuring American artisans, taught hundreds of virtual and in-person tastings, and grown our cheese gift box program. We couldn’t have done it without the thousands of cheese lovers worldwide who embraced a better way to store cheese. Thank you so much for all your support over the years!

To celebrate this special season, we’ve rounded up a selection of our favorite autumnal cheeses, recipe ideas, Thanksgiving and holiday entertaining guides, and—for those who like to start holiday shopping early—our favorite cheese gifts, too. Happy fall!

Plan Your Thanksgiving Meal With Our Cheese Subscriptions

Our Thanksgiving menu always includes our favorite American artisan cheeses, whether served on a bountiful board or in delicious recipes. This year, we're offering a Thanksgiving preorder collection, so you can preorder everything you need for your cheese & charcuterie board, along with any other cheese cooking needs (hello, Raclette and Fondue). Place your preorders by Thursday, November 9th to ship Monday, November 13th and have a stress-free holiday!

We curated November’s monthly cheese subscription box to complement your Thanksgiving feast. Sign up by Thursday, November 9th to receive yours before the holiday!

Want to get up close and personal with your cheese? Our Meet the Maker Quarterly subscribers get access to our virtual tasting event with Jasper Hill Farm on Thursday, November 16 at 6 p.m. Eastern. Sign up by Thursday, November 9th to receive 4 of their award-winning cheeses and an exclusive invite to this special tasting.

Wherever you source your cheese, we’re here for you to help the holidays run smoothly! Here are some of our guides and tips to save you time and ensure you’ll have a deliciously cheesy celebration.

• We’ve Got Thanksgiving Cheese Covered With Our November Subscription Box
• 5 Tips for Navigating the Cheese Counter
• How to Eat Cheese: The Ultimate Guide

Get a Jump on Holiday Cheese Gifts and Entertaining

Now is a great time to prep for the holiday season, from sourcing the perfect gift for the cheese lovers on your list to planning menus, boards, and more for your celebrations. Whether you’re shopping for a budding cheese fan or a dedicated connoisseur, our cheese gift shop is your one-stop source for everything from storage gear to serving boards to bountiful tasting boxes.

• The Best Cheese Gifts for the Holidays in 2023
• Go Behind the Scenes of Cheese Grotto’s Holiday Production
• The Best Holiday Cheese Recipes
• How to Build a Holiday Cheese Board

How to Set Your Fall Table with Cheese Grotto

Whether you’re having a quiet night in with a luscious cheese board or planning a big holiday celebration, the Cheese Grotto is the must-have cheese accessory. In addition to keeping your cheese fresh for longer—no wrapping needed!—the Grotto does double duty as a one- or two-tier cheese board and an elegant showpiece that deserves the spotlight on your fall tablescape.

• The Ultimate Guide to Cheese Storage
• How to Build Cheese Boards: The Ultimate Guide
• How to Build a Cheese Plate into the Grotto
• The Best Cheese Boards You Can Buy in 2023

The Best Cheeses to Eat in Fall

As dairy animals transition from fresh pasture to dry hay for the winter, the milk changes, becoming naturally richer in fat and protein. This is why some of the most delicious cheeses, from soft-ripened wheels to long-aged varieties, are produced in the fall.

With the cooler weather, fall is also a great time to bust out your raclette machine or fondue pot. Check out these helpful posts on how to choose and enjoy fall cheeses.

• The Best Artisan Cheeses to Enjoy in Fall
• How Cheese Changes With the Seasons
• Our Favorite Fall Cheese Toast Recipes

Raclette and Fondue Recipes

• How to Serve Cheese Fondue
• How to Serve Raclette Cheese
• Raclette Dinner Recipe with Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, and Apples

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Cheese Recipes

Looking for inspiration as you plan your menu? We’ve developed a ton of tasty Thanksgiving recipes that incorporate our favorite artisan cheeses.

• The Best Recipes for Your Thanksgiving Table
• Sweet Potato and Bread Stuffing With Mushrooms, Bacon, Sage, and Blue Cheese
• Baked Brie in Puff Pastry Recipe
• Pumpkin Chèvre Crème Brûlée Recipe

Thanksgiving Cheese Board Recipe 

What are your favorite cheeses to enjoy in fall? Tag us @cheesegrotto on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and let us know!

Thanksgiving Cheese Board Recipe

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Category

Cheeseboard

Servings

6

Prep Time

45 minutes

Cook Time

2 hours

No Thanksgiving is complete without a cheeseboard.  This time of year, there are amazing artisan cheeses to choose from, so we've put together a Thanksgiving-themed cheese subscription for the month of November.  Below is a recipe for how to best use these cheese types to make a stunning board to feed up to 6 as an appetizer. We love making sugared cranberries and adding a sprig of rosemary for a pop of color.

Author:

Jessica Sennett

Ingredients

The cheeses

• 4 ounces cranberry orange chèvre

• 4 ounces pumpkin chèvre

• 1 wheel spruce-bark wrapped cheese, like Harbison

• 1 wedge full-bodied cheddar, 8oz

The pairings

• 1 box garlic & rosemary crackers

• 4 ounces candied pecans

• 8 ounces pâté de campagne

• 1 sprig Fresh rosemary

• 4 ounces Kalamata olives

Sugared cranberries

• 3 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed

• 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided

• ½ cup water

Equipment for serving

• 1 circular slate

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• 2 to 3 small spoons

• 3 ramekins, or small bowls

• 2 small knives for serving the cheddar and pâté

Equipment for sugared cranberries

• 1 large mixing bowl

• 1 set measuring cups

• 1 baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat

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Directions

Make the sugared cranberries ahead of time

1. In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for four minutes.

2. Stir in the cranberries to fully coat. Remove from heat and stir for one minute.

3. Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon and transfer to a parchment lines baking sheet or metal rack, allowing the cranberries to dry f Direction Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon and transfer to a parchment lines baking sheet or metal rack, allowing the cranberries to dry for one hour.

4. In a large mixing bowl, roll cranberries in remaining sugar to coat.

Prep the cheeses and place them on your board, with even space between each cheese

1. The fresh chèvre varieties will plate best if served in small bowls or ramekins with a tiny spoon.

2. Keep the spruce-bark wrapped cheese whole, and before serving, you can take a small pairing knife and cut off the top, serving it with a knife or a spoon. This works especially well for a riper wheel of this cheese. if the wheel is more firm and young, you can serve it with a knife.

3. Use a spade knife or pairing knife you knock natural chunks of the cheddar cheese off the block to give a rustic look. This is a much more elegant way to prepare cheddar than a cube shape.

Prep the charcuterie

1. The pâté is best plated whole whole to retain flavor and minimize oxidation as people enjoy it.

Create a cracker river in the center of the board to pull it all together

1. Layer the crackers as a river that snakes across the center of the board.

Place and fill your small vessels

1. Fill one small vessel with olives so their brine is contained. Olives pair wonderfully with cheddar and blue cheese, so we recommend placing them close to these cheese arrangements.

Fill open space with nuts and fruit

1. Use the nuts to fill open space on the board near the harder cheeses, as roasted nuts naturally bring out the nuttiness in cheddar and alpine cheeses.

2. Use the sugared cranberries as a pop of color all over the board to fill open space on the board.

Finish the board with sprigs of fresh herbs or edible flowers

1. Fresh rosemary will give a finished look to the cheese board. Lay it alongside the crackers in the center of the board to draw the eye inward.