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Build The Perfect Charcuterie Board
Build the perfect charcuterie board and cultivate confidence in entertaining.
A beautifully curated charcuterie board is a fun way to show off your meats and cheeses. Here’s how to create a real show-stopper!
What Belongs On a Charcuterie Board?
In terms of artistry and taste, creating a balance is key. You want a mix of sweet, savory, salty, and spicy flavors. Visually, create harmony by pairing various colorful and multi-textural ingredients together.
Meats
Cured meats are a key part of your board – try a mix of sliced salami, coppa, ham, or pancetta. Don’t forget to add pieces of sausage like bologna or summer sausage. Thick slices of chorizo add texture and a meaty bite. You could also pop on a pot of chicken liver pate or a terrine.
Cheeses
You want a balance of strong, creamy, tangy, and mild cheeses. Of course, camembert and gouda are popular, as is a lovely piece of blue cheese or manchego.
Don’t forget to add soft goat cheese or feta as a contrast to harder cheeses like pecorino or cheddar.
Accompaniments
Adding fresh fruits like grapes, sliced apples, figs, and berries adds sweetness and contrast to your charcuterie board.
Consider a sprinkle of nuts like toasted almonds or hazelnuts. Condiments like honey, fruit preserves, and jams are also at home on your board, as are mustard and pickles. Adding a few briney ingredients like olives or capers is lovely, too.
Choose two or 3 types of bread or crackers as the vehicles to load up all the tasty treats you’ve laid out. To cater to everyone’s tastes, consider multigrain, gluten-free, crusty, and plain white bread options.
Build The Perfect Charcuterie Board
- Choose your board: opt for a wooden or slate board, a marble slab, or even a large serving tray.
- Begin by placing small bowls on the board to hold condiments such as honey, mustard, or fruit preserves.
- Now, it’s time to arrange the meats. Do this in a way that allows easy access for guests to pick up slices without disturbing the overall presentation.
- Follow up by adding an assortment of cheeses.
- To complete the charcuterie board, add accompaniments that complement the flavors and textures of the meats and cheeses.
- Finally, fill any remaining empty spaces on the board with bread and crackers.
Be creative and use what is in season. Combine trendy ingredients with classic favorites, and everyone will want to tuck in.
Tips To The Best Charcuterie Board
- Adding color: fruits, flowers, and veggies all add pretty pops of color
- Vary the textures and shapes: arrange your meats and cheese in different shapes. Roll the slices, fold pieces, or cut cubes out.
- Choose complimentary pairings, for example:
- Sweet, sour, savory: try this Sour Cherry Bourbon Goat’s Cheese
- Tangy and creamy: pickles and olives with creamy cheeses
Remember, the key to taking your board to the next level is to think beyond the basics and incorporate elements that enhance both the visual appeal and taste experience.
Wrapping It Up
Take a look at our Products Page where you will find loads of options to choose from to build the perfect charcuterie board.
New Year’s Resolutions
Ok, ok….it’s the second week of the New Year. And by now a lot of folks out there are diving deep into their New Years’ Resolutions. Especially following that ten months of quarantine!
My sister and I occasionally joke about the “Quarantine 19.” I only wish we were actually joking. LOL. Well, Shisler’s Cheesehouse is not just all about the candy and cookies and cheese and meats. Well, not ALL about those scrumptious treats 🙂 We also offer plenty of skinny alternatives to satisfy your snack cravings while sticking to your resolves!
A Delicious Holiday Brunch Buffet for Everyone
The holidays are upon us, which hopefully means lots of family sleepovers! If everyone is up and at ’em at different times of the morning, it’s tough to make the perfect hot and made-to-order breakfast for everyone. Take a look at some of these ideas for a five-star brunch experience for your guests in the comfort of your home.
It’s National Snack Food Month!
It’s National Snack Food Month this February so we are bringing you a list of our favorite snack foods.
- Trail Mix
Our original trail mix is packed with nuts and dried fruit. Our diet trail mix is great if you’re hiking to get fit. Buggy trail mix has butter toffee peanuts, honey roasted sesame sticks, cheddar crackers, pretzel nuggets, and wheat crackers.
We also offer a banana split mix which contains cranberries, banana chips, almonds, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate drops, pineapple tidbits, raisins, yogurt covered peanuts, peanuts, and yogurt drops. You could also try Mikey’s Mix which is packed with nuts and chocolate treats.
If you’ve got time, you could try making your own trail mix. Check out our gourmet foods section and pick your favorite things to mix up.
- Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is a great source of energy and nutrients. We especially love dried strawberries, kiwi, banana chips, and pineapple.
We also offer Think Fruit Dried Fruit Snacks in a variety of flavors, packaged up and ready for you to pop in your bag for those on-the-go snack moments.
- Jerky
Jerky is full of protein which makes it a great snack, especially if you’re exercising or having a busy day. Try our Uncle Mike’s Beef Jerky, which we offer in Mild, Hot or Teriyaki flavor. It’s easy to pack and pull out when you’re out and about.
- Nuts
We have a great range of nuts including peanuts, pistachios, and cashews. They’re a healthy source of protein and fats. You can even create your own mixes of them to snack on. Keeping a jar of nuts in the kitchen can stop you reaching for more unhealthy snacks, especially at hungry moments like when you’ve just got in from work!
- Seeds
Seeds contain high levels of essential fatty acids as well as lots of vitamins and minerals that can help to keep us healthy. Because they are so nutrient-rich, you don’t need to eat a lot each day to get the health benefits of them. A tablespoon a day is more than enough and they’re easy to snack on. Try toasting them and adding them to salads if you’re having a more substantial snack.
- Cheese!
Of course, cheese is one of our favorite snacks. Whether you have a few slices with some crunchy crackers or create a more substantial snack with slices of bologna, it’s a great source of calcium and a delicious treat. Pop in to try some new cheeses and you might find a new favorite for your snack pack.
What’s your favorite snack food? Let us know in the comments below!
Celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day!
Today, January 31st is National Hot Chocolate Day!
We thought you’d like to read some of our fun ideas for creating delicious hot chocolates. Whether you’re looking for topping ideas or a way to celebrate the day we have got you covered.
The Best Hot Chocolate
One of our favorite ways to make hot chocolate is to grate real chocolate into hot milk. You can try this with lots of different types and flavors of chocolate to find the best one for you.
Otherwise, the best hot chocolate is the one that you love! Try a few to find one that works best for you. Do you prefer it with hot milk or mixed with water? You could even try plant-based milks for a different flavor.
Play with toppings and syrups
You name it, it could be delicious on top of a hot chocolate! We’re sure someone has even tried crispy bacon bits on top of their whipped cream! So this is the time to get creative and experiment with something new.
There are the classics: marshmallows, cream, chocolate sprinkles. But you could also add cinnamon, sauces, nuts, marshmallow fluff, dried fruits, coconut shavings, or cereals. For extra decadence, try popping a chocolate truffle on the top and letting it melt in. You could even put a scoop of ice cream on the top for extra creaminess. If you add marshmallow fluff, try crisping it with a kitchen blow torch for a s’mores effect!
For extra flavor with your chocolate, you can pour in something a little extra. There are so many syrups available now and loads of them would be delicious in a hot chocolate. Try classics like peppermint, salted caramel or vanilla. You could even try making your own syrups at home with your favorite flavors. We highly recommend trying a bay syrup with your hot chocolate for a grown up twist. add a little of your favorite spirit. Whiskey or brandy work well but our favorite would have to be Irish Cream. You could try even flavored vodkas instead of syrup.
Friday Night Celebrating National Hot Chocolate Day
It’s a Friday so we think tonight is the perfect chance to gather some friends together, get cozy with a mug of hot chocolate and even a movie or even some board games. Why not have a competition to see who can create the most delicious and inventive hot chocolate? If you’ve got little ones they’re sure to enjoy a little sweet treat. You could use lower sugar hot chocolate to include them without it being too unhealthy.
If you want to celebrate in true Shisler’s Cheese House style, you’ll need our signature mug to enjoy your hot chocolate in. We even sell it as a gift set with some chocolates if you are a true chocoholic!
How are you celebrating National Hot Chocolate Day? Let us know in the comments below.
Let’s Celebrate National Peanut Butter Day!
January 24th is National Peanut Butter Day!
We have a whole range of fun peanut butter products for you to try!
Our Amish Peanut Butter Spread is made locally from a special blend of all natural ingredients. It’s sweet and creamy, with a soft and silky texture, perfect for baking or spreading on toast!
If you need a sweet treat, then Heggy’s Peanut Butter Creams are completely delicious. If you are keen to avoid sugar right now, then we also have sugar free peanut butter meltaways.
For pretzel lovers, we have peanut butter pretzels that are both salty and sweet! We also stock peanut butter yogurt pretzels which are a firm favorite around here.
We thought that you might like to celebrate the day with a little baking. Read on to pick one of our ideas to cook up something fun!
- Peanut Butter Cookies
Best served with a glass of milk, these are a true classic. Add peanut butter to your cookie batter or spread it on top. You can go for straight peanut butter or add chocolate – choose your favorite. Cookies also make great ice cream sandwiches!
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Mix the peanut butter into the cheese, use peanut butter cookies in the base, or even create a peanut butter topping. You could even chop some Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Creams and stir them in. However you decide to bring peanut butter into your cheesecake, you know that it will be delicious.
- Peanut Butter Brownies
Take your favorite brownie batter and swirl in some peanut butter. You could even add a crunchy topping with some crushed up Peanut Butter Pretzels. Try a blondie with white chocolate if you have a really sweet tooth.
- Peanut Butter S’mores
Just when you thought s’mores couldn’t get any better, we added peanut butter! You can do this in a couple of different ways. Either make a normal s’more and add a smear of peanut butter to one of your graham crackers or replace your chocolate with a peanut butter cup. You could even add some caramel if you want a real treat.
5. Peanut Butter Pancakes
Pancakes aren’t just for breakfast. They make a great dessert too! This filling will work for both. Put peanut butter, chocolate chips and slices of banana in your crepes before rolling them up.
6. Peanut Butter Sundae
Create a sauce by heating 3 parts caramel, 1 part peanut butter and 1 part milk until it is smooth. Pour it into the bottom of your sundae glass. Layer it with ice cream, banana, caramel, and any other ingredients that you like. Top with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.
Happy National Peanut Butter Day everyone!
If you plan to serve these at a party or take them along to an event, please be careful to ensure that no-one present has a nut allergy and always label your dish stating its ingredients. We would hate for someone’s baking to become a health risk.
Show Your Support This Veteran’s Day
As today is Veteran’s Day and we are passionate supports of our veterans, we wanted to share our Veteran’s Day Care Package with you.
This is a great way to remind our heroes that we still appreciate all they do! It is perfect as a gift for our veterans or as active duty military care packages. We have included less perishable options than some of our other gift boxes, for those who wish to send a care package to military personnel stationed overseas.
There really is nothing like a little taste of home to let our men and women in uniform know they are appreciated. We will ship to any FPO-AP address via U.S. Postal service. We will also show our appreciation for our men and women in uniform by donating a portion of the proceeds from every package sold to The Wounded Warrior Project.
The Veteran’s Day Care Package Includes:
- Baby Swiss Cheese Wheel (2 Lbs.)
- Trail Bologna Ring or Beef Jerky (In non-perishable option)
- Clem’s Hot Pepper Relish – delicious with cheese and crackers!
- Banana Split Mix – cranberries, banana chips, almonds, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate drops, pineapple tidbits, raisins, yogurt covered peanuts, peanuts, and yogurt drops all mixed together for a great trail mix
- Amish Peanut Butter Spread
- Amish Homestyle Jam
- Carr’s Crackers
We know that you love to show your appreciation and, to us, food is the perfect way to do that.
Here at Shisler’s Cheese House, we also make a range of gift boxes if the Veteran’s Care Package isn’t quite right for you.
Our Football Season Special is perfect for sports lovers. It contains Swiss Cheese, Troyer’s Trail Bologna, Pepper Jack Cheese, Shisler’s Private Label Mustard, Shisler’s Private Label Hot Pepper Relish, and Carr’s Crackers.
The Fall Harvest Collection celebrates the best flavors of fall in Amish Country. You’ll find Baby Swiss Cheese (2 Lbs.), Streb Meats Smoked Sausage (1 Lb.), Cranberry Delight (1 Lb.), Pumpkin Muffin Mix, Pumpkin Butter, and Popcorn on the Cob inside.
If you want to show your support to a beer and cheese lover, then our Beer Collection is absolutely the gift for you. It contains enough Brick, Gouda, Gruyere, and Ohio Premium Swiss Cheese to entertain 20 people. These cheeses have been chosen for their strong flavors which pair beautifully with beer. We recommend trying out a few different beers to compare the tasting experience.
Finally, our Hot Stuff Collection has everything that you might need for someone who lives spice and heat. Enjoy trying Hot Pepper Cheese, Habanero Cheese, Troyer’s Trail Bologna with Hot Pepper Cheese, Shisler’s Private Label Hot Pepper Relish, Shisler’s Private Label Hot Jalapeno Mustard, Hot Pepper Jelly, and Carr’s Crackers. Be warned, you might need a cooling glass of milk on hand.
Do get in touch if you have any questions about any of our gift boxes, but especially if you would like to get a Veteran’s Day care package for a special someone to recognise their service this month.
We’d also love for you to take a look at the work of the Wounded Warrior Project and consider supporting them in their efforts.
Packed Lunch Ideas For Fall
With many of us back at school and work after a fun summer, many of you will be thinking about options for packed lunches. There’s nearly always someone in the household that needs to take lunch with them in the morning.
Packed Lunch Ideas: Warming Lunches for Fall
As it starts to get cooler, you’re probably going to want something warming at lunch. Why not take a delicious soup, hearty stew or even a rich pasta dish with you to keep the cold at bay. There are so many options for food containers that will keep your lunch hot as you work or learn these days. Not only that, but taking your own along reduces the environmental impact of packaged foods.
Packed Lunch Ideas: Baking Mixes
Our range of quick baking mixes will help you to whip up something quick for tomorrow’s lunch that feels truly homemade.
We have bread baking mixes for Beer Bread, Golden Cornbread, or Red Hot Cornbread. Our Cheesy Biscuits Baking Mix is sure to please someone hungry for lunch!
For the sweet tooth, we have a great range of muffin mixes. These include strawberry, apple cinnamon, chocolate chip, pumpkin raspberry, and “bran”ana.
Packed Lunch Ideas: Trail Mix
We’ve got a trail mix to suit every taste here at Shisler’s Cheese House!
Banana Split Mix: Cranberries, banana chips, almonds, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate drops, pineapple tidbits, raisins, yogurt covered peanuts, peanuts, and yogurt drops for those of you looking for a fruity sweet treat.
Amish Hot Mix: Hot Cajun sesame sticks, taco sesame corn sticks, redskin peanuts, pretzel twists, and chili bits for spicy food lovers.
Buggy Trail Mix: Butter toffee peanuts, honey roasted sesame sticks, cheddar crackers, pretzel nuggets, and wheat crackers for anyone who loves a bit of crunch.
We also have a Diet Trail Mix, Mikey’s Mix and a basic Trail Mix. You could even combine some of these to create your ultimate trail mix. This is a great snack if you’re sending hungry kids to school. Just be sure to check whether the school has any allergy requirements as you may not be able to send snacks containing nuts.
Packed Lunch Ideas: Dried Fruit
Another great healthy snack is dried fruit. We stock Think Fruit: a fab dried fruit snack. Try pineapple, blueberries, cranberries, peach slices, cherries, and cinnamon apple slices to discover your favorite.
We hope some of these ideas will be useful to you as you plan your lunches in the coming weeks. Something that you might find useful is creating a meal plan so that you always know what’s coming up for lunch and which snacks you need to stock up on. You could even cook batches of meals ahead of time and freeze them for later. A couple of great soups and stews frozen in portions can save a lot of time and headaches later!
What do you like to take for your packed lunch? Let us know in the comments!
Do Mice Really Like Cheese?
We all know the image of a mouse eating some cheese. It’s prevalent in cartoons and we even chose it for our own logo. Many of us would first think to use cheese if we were hoping to catch a mouse. So, we thought it was about time that we found out: do mice really like cheese?
The simple answer: yes! But it’s a little more complex than that.
In various studies, it has been shown that mice will eat cheese, but that they will usually try to eat something with a higher calorie content or carbohydrate content. For example, the BBC conducted a simple study where peanuts or cheddar cheese were available, and the cheddar cheese was entirely avoided by the mice. They, instead ate the nuts, although one ate a grape; they must have been having a healthy day! Peanuts have approximately 50% more calories than the cheese, so the mice are choosing a food that will give them energy for longer.
Mice are more likely to gravitate towards sweet treats such as fruits or even chocolate, it has also been found. They can be particularly sensitive to smell, so a very pungent cheese is likely to put them off rather than entice them. In rural areas, they will look for grains, fruits, and seeds to eat.
So, if you’re offering a mouse some cheese and nothing else is available, they will go for it. But given a choice, they might opt for something with more calories. We think our mouse must simply be a very hungry cheese lover!
There you have it. If you have always been wondering ‘do mice really like cheese?’ then now you have the answer! Do you have other interesting questions about cheese? Let us know in the comments and we’ll try to answer them!
Grilled Cheese: A Classic
Today we thought we would explore the history of one of our favorite comfort foods: the grilled cheese. Read on to find out about its origins and find some ideas for making yours extra delicious.
The modern American grilled cheese sandwich first originated in the 1920s, when inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese became widely available.
Around the world, people have different preferences for how to make their grilled cheese, be it in a pan, on the griddle, or in a panini maker or sandwich press. In the UK, they are often called toasties and made in a machine which seals the edges of the bread whilst melting the cheese. In Australia, they are often called jaffles!
We’ve put together some fun ideas for you to make an extra special grilled cheese at home today.
1. Add fruit
We absolutely love a sweet and savory combo! Try blueberries with mascarpone, peaches with gouda, apple butter with pepper jack, or strawberries with mozzarella. You could even create a Hawaiian pizza inspired grilled cheese with ham and pineapple. Something that we recently tried was a small amount of jam in a grilled cheese made with ricotta. It sounds strange, but trust us, it really works!
2. Go for different bread
Sometimes you can’t beat the classic sliced white bread, but if you’re feeling adventurous then try something new to sandwich your cheese between. Have you tried brioche bread for your grilled cheese? It gets an incredible caramelization from its high sugar content. Croissants also work really well. Donuts and pound cake are an extra decadent addition to a sweet grilled cheese, although you might want to leave these to the professionals!
3. Add pickles and relishes
Some of you will be purists who want the cheesiest sandwich that they can find, but we’re pretty partial to a good pickle in our sandwiches. It cuts through the richness and will pack a flavor punch at the same time. A spoonful of mustard can also work wonders with the right cheese.
4. Top it with a fried egg
Whether you like yours over easy or sunny side up, you won’t be sorry that you topped your grilled cheese with a fried egg. It does mean that you’ll have to use a knife and fork to dig in, rather than picking it up, but that’s a small sacrifice to make for the perfect combination of bread, melted cheese, and oozing egg yolks.
5. Go wild
We know that there’s a combination that you’ve dreamed of but haven’t dared to try. You’ll find all sorts of combinations work well, although maybe you’ll want to try them out before unleashing them on any unsuspecting guests.
How do you like your grilled cheese? Let us know in the comments below!