Tag: Ohio Amish cheese
The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Spooky Halloween Charcuterie Board
Autumn air rolls in. Leaves turn amber and crimson. It is officially time to embrace all things spooky. Whether you are hosting a haunted house party, planning a cozy movie night with classic horror films, or looking for a show-stopping appetizer for a fall gathering, nothing captures the festive spirit quite like a Halloween charcuterie board.
Often referred to as a “boo board” or “char-BOO-terie”, these creative spreads combine the classic appeal of a traditional meat and cheese platter with eerie, whimsical, and delicious Halloween elements.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know to design, style, and execute a wickedly good Halloween charcuterie board that will leave your guests spellbound.
1. Choosing Your Theme: From Ghoulishly Glam to Kid-Friendly
Before you start shopping for cheeses and cured meats, decide on the overall vibe of your Halloween charcuterie board. Tailoring your concept helps streamline your grocery list and ensures a cohesive look.
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The Gothic & Moody Board: Think dark, elegant, and sophisticated. Use a dark slate board or dark wood platter as your base. Incorporate deep-toned ingredients like blackberries, black grapes, dark chocolate, and blue cheese, accented by flickering LED candles or faux cobwebs.
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The Classic Monster Mash: Perfect for families and parties with kids. This style leans heavily into playful elements like candy corn, gummy worms, pretzel sticks shaped like broomsticks, and mozzarella balls turned into creepy eyeballs.
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The Harvest Pumpkin Board: A subtle nod to the season. Focus on autumn colors—deep oranges, warm yellows, and rustic browns—using items like roasted pumpkin seeds, dried apricots, cheddar wedges, and mini pumpkins as decor.
2. The Anatomy of a Spooky Board: The Essential Elements
A great charcuterie board relies on a balance of flavors, textures, and heights. To build a well-rounded Halloween spread, use the classic formula: 3 meats, 3 cheeses, 3 star fruits/veggies, and 3 crunches.
Cured Meats (The Savory Base)
Look for meats with deep, rich colors. They add a dramatic flair to your board:
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Prosciutto or Capicola: Fold or drape these loosely to create “shrouds” or texture resembling folds of fabric.
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Spianata Piccante or Chorizo: Spicy, dark red Italian or Spanish salamis provide a bold kick and a deep crimson color palette that mimics a spooky aesthetic.
Cheeses (The Creepy Canvas)
Mix textures and flavor profiles to satisfy every palate:
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Brie or Camembert: Use small cookie cutters (like bats or ghosts) to stamp out shapes from the top rind of a Brie wheel.
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Blue Cheese (e.g., Roquefort or Gorgonzola): The natural, earthy mold of blue cheese fits right into a haunted theme.
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Mozzarella Pearls (Bocconcini): Turn these into edible eyeballs by pressing a sliver of a black olive or a caper into the center of each ball.
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Aged White or Orange Cheddar: Sharp cheddar cut into triangles or geometric shapes adds structure.
Fruits and Vegetables (The Fresh Elements)
Balance out the heavy fats with vibrant, seasonal produce:
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Dark Fruits: Blackberries, dark mission figs, and Concord or Moon Drop grapes (often called “witch’s fingers”).
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Oranges: Mandarin oranges peeled and topped with a tiny piece of celery stick look just like mini pumpkins.
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Crudités: Carrot sticks, orange bell pepper strips, and purple radishes add a crisp crunch and vibrant Halloween colors.
Crackers, Breads, and Crunches
Provide structural elements for scooping and stacking:
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Water crackers, dark rye crisps, or black sesame seed crackers.
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Bat- or ghost-shaped tortilla chips and potato snacks found seasonally at specialty grocers.
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Marcona almonds, walnuts, or candied pecans for an earthy crunch.
3. Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Assemble Your Board
Assembling a charcuterie board is an art form. It is entirely approachable. Follow these steps for a professional finish:
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Select Your Board: Choose a large wooden cutting board, a slate platter, or a clean, food-safe baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Place the Anchor Items: Position your focal points first. Space your Brie wheel, raspberry jam bowls, and dip cauldrons evenly across the board.
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Add the Meats: Create rivers, ribbons, or folded tiers of salami and prosciutto weaving between your anchor items.
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Layer the Cheeses: Add your sliced blocks and wedges of cheese. Ensure different shapes and colors are distributed evenly.
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Flesh Out with Produce & Crunches: Fill in the gaps with clusters of grapes, blackberries, nuts, and crackers. Fan out crackers along the edges or stack them neatly.
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Garnish with Spooky Details: Scatter candy corn, gummy worms, plastic spiders, or fresh edible flowers to bring the entire theme to life.
4. Pro Tips for Hosting a Successful Halloween Spread
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Mind the Temperature: Keep soft cheeses and meats refrigerated until about 30 minutes before guests arrive. This helps them reach optimal flavor and texture.
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Label Your Spooks: Use small chalkboard signs or custom paper tombstones. Label unusual cheeses or spicy meats so guests know what they are trying.
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Play with Dips: Serve warm spinach and artichoke dip inside a hollowed-out small pumpkin. Create a “spider web” dip by piping sour cream over black bean dip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of candy on a healthier Halloween board?
Avoid refined sugars completely. Stick to naturally colorful options like dried apricots, blood oranges, green kiwi slices, and dark red pomegranate arils. You can also use organic pumpkin seeds for a seasonal crunch.
How far in advance can I make a Halloween charcuterie board?
Prep your cheeses, wash fruits, and slice vegetables a few hours in advance. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Assemble the actual board no more than 1 to 2 hours before guests arrive.
What theme are you planning for your Halloween charcuterie board this year—a moody gothic spread or a fun monster mash?
Shisler’s Cheese House, still darn Gouda after 60 years (Massillon Independent)
GREAT article about us in The Massillon Independent by Jolene Limbacher
Second, Third, and Fourth Generation Shislers: Rita, Dennis, and Natalia
ORRVILLE Say “cheese” and smile because Shisler’s Cheese House is celebrating its 60th anniversary Friday and Saturday with fun, food and festivities.
It’s a joyous occasion for matriarch Rita Shisler and her family, who have shepherded the small but mighty specialty food shop, which has been a longtime popular tourist stop on the east-west corridor of Rt. 30.
On Aug. 7, 1958, Grandpa John Shisler purchased the cheese house from Fred Bieri, an elderly cheesemaker from Switzerland. Now, six decades and tons and tons of cheese later, it’s time to party.
Throughout the next two days, the celebration will include music, prizes, face painting, characters from the movie “Frozen,” a bounce house and free cheese samples, hot dogs and grilled bratwurst.
The 900-square-foot store, which does a robust business:
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- Sells 2,000 pounds of Swiss cheese alone every week.
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- Offers imported cheeses from Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Holland.
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- Carries 82 different kinds of local cheeses made at six Holmes County cheese factories.
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- Shipped cheese and gourmet products to 30 different countries last year.
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- Ships to every state in the United States, with the most cheese and bologna going to Florida.
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- Has shipped hams made at nearby Streb’s Meats to every National Football League owner.
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- Used to send a wheel of baby Swiss every Christmas to legendary comedian Bob Hope. After he died at age 100 in 2003, the shipments continued to his widow, Dolores, until her death in 2011.
It’s a shame, Rita Shisler lamented, that many people only know about pre-packaged cheese that’s cut into slices, wrapped in cellophane and sold as “processed cheese.”
“They have no idea what fresh cheese tastes like,” she said. “Once they taste it, they absolutely fall in love with it.”
Jailed for keeping Sunday hours
For 49 years, Shisler has been opening the store at 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at 9 a.m on Sundays. She’s the good-will ambassador with the personal touch and instant rapport with customers, chatting about where they’re from, how many children and grandchildren they have and how they must try their latest kind of cheese.
She reminisced about Grandpa Shisler, who at 19 years old, became the youngest postmaster of Dalton in 1909, a position that was once a political appointment. He held that job for 16 years.
He was quite the rebel, she recalls, because soon after he bought the store in 1958, he didn’t cotton to being told what hours he could keep.
Until, that is, the Wayne County sheriff conducted a sting operation by sending an employee to the store on a Sunday to buy a loaf of bread. With sirens blaring, they hauled a defiant Grandpa off to jail for violating Ohio’s now-defunct blue law, which prohibited retail activity on Sundays.
Then, to punctuate his personal dislike of government dictating his business hours, he refused to allow son Dan to bail him out right away. Grandpa was 76 when he died in 1966.
“I would not have gone to jail,” said Rita Shisler. “I would have followed the law and closed the store.”
Under Dan Shisler’s ownership, which began in 1959, the store grew by leaps and bounds. Rita Shisler said her husband was one of the best baseball players to come out of Dalton High School. From there, he went to Ohio University where he played ball, signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, but tore up his shoulder and never fulfilled his dream of playing in the majors.
After Dan and Rita married, he turned the store over to her and became delicatessen and wine manager at the former A & D Foodarama. They opened a second location — Shisler’s Cheese & Wine Barrel — in the Belden Village area in 1974. That store was closed seven years later so they could spend time with sons, Daniel (DJ) and Dennis before they graduated high school and went to college.
Rita’s husband died 14 years ago.
Expansion plans
With an estimated 40,000 cars a day passing Shisler’s Cheese House, Rita Shisler said about 80 percent of their customers are tourists or folks who frequently travel to the Columbus and Canton areas.
Plans call for expanding the current structure late this fall, making it at least three times larger and having a dining area for soups and sandwiches. Dennis, a third-generation Shisler who manages the store, which is just outside of Dalton, would like to construct a building nearby to expedite shipping orders. Sixty percent of shipments, he said, go to the Tampa-Clearwater area, crediting much of those sales to local people who have moved South.
The family also has discussed opening stores in the Greater Tampa area, Dallas and perhaps Reno.
A second location is open in Copley at 1275 Cleveland-Massillon Road and is owned by son Daniel Shisler. It offers catering, deli sandwiches and soup, wines and a large variety of specialty foods.
At 72, Rita Shisler remains active in Orrville Lions Club, Dalton Ruritans, Women’s Network of Wooster and Akron, and Quota International, a women’s group that assists community members with hearing problems. The store employs many area students, who Shisler mentors about business and doing what’s right.
Dennis Shisler and his wife, Claudia, have a nine-year-old daughter, Natalia, who, as a fourth-generation Shisler, enjoys being in the store with her grandmother and running the cash register and making change.
See the full text of the original article in the Massillon Independent here.
Amish Country Swiss Cheese Fondue
Swiss Cheese Fondue
There are countless recipes for fondue, but most contain some form of the original “Swiss” cheese. Many contain Emmentaler or Gruyere, but in today’s economic climate it is not always necessary to break the bank with expensive imports to impress your guests. The taste is what will impress them, and the best tasting fondue we’ve tried is made with Ohio’s Amish Country Swiss Cheese.
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1 ½ Pounds of Grated Swiss Cheese
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1 peeled fresh garlic clove
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½ Pint of white wine
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1 Ounce of kirsch
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1 teaspoon of cornstarch
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pepper, nutmeg, or paprika to taste
Serves 5 guests.
Out ‘N About Columbus September 29, 2013
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukui2Rh4fgo&w=420&h=315]
Our Segment on Out ‘N About Columbus that aired on September 29, 2013. Here is where you can purchase some of the items that were referenced: Ohio Swiss Cheese, Yogurt Cheese With Garlic and Herb, Manchego Cheese, Smoked Cheddar Cheese, Heggy’s Chocolates.
Shislers Cheese House Copley on New Day Cleveland
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lby5HJNjAjo]
Shisler’s Cheese House Copley is owned by one of our family members. They are located at 1275 S. Cleveland Massillon Rd. Copley, OH 44321 and on the web at www.shislerswordpress-436460-1531479.cloudwaysapps.com.
Amish Country Swiss Cheese Pie
Here is a wonderful recipe with Amish Country Swiss Cheese as the principle element While there are many cheeses on the market that fall under the broad title of “Swiss Cheese”, including almost anything with holes at your local grocery store, we have found that the proper cheese will make or break the recipe. The mass-produced cheeses found at most grocery stores typically use chemicals to speed the aging process. But those chemicals of leave a metallic aftertaste to the cheese, which can negatively alter the taste of the pie. For anyone desiring a bolder flavor, trying substituting the Swiss cheese with Emmentaler or adding some sharp swiss into the mixture.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ½ cups sifted cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
With fingertips, work it until crumbly:
- 1/4 lb. butter or margarine (½ cup)
Slowly add, stirring with fork:
- 1/4 cup cold water
For the filling:
Fry until crisp:
- 12 slices of smoked bacon
- 1/4 lb. of grated Swiss cheese
Into bowl break:
- 4 eggs
then add:
- 2 cups of cream
- 3/4 teaspoon of salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Heavy pinch of sugar
- Pepper to taste
Preparation
Crust:
Shape the mixture into a ball and roll it in wax paper; chill it in the refrigerator, about 1/2 hour or until it’s easy to roll. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a floured board, roll the dough into a large circle about 14 inches in diameter and fit it into 11” pie plate. Make a fluted edge as shown. Aerate the crust well with a fork. Place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Filling:
Beat the mixture thoroughly with an egg beater. Take the piecrust from the refrigerator and rub the inside with 1 tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle the bacon bits, and then the grated cheese evenly in the bottom of the piecrust. Pour the cream mixture evenly over all.
Bake for 15 min., then reduce the oven temperature to 300°F, bake for 40 minutes longer or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve hot, cut into pie wedges.
Happy Valentines Day!
A Collection of The Best Sweet Treats for The True Chocolate Lover!
Heggy’s Candy Company has built a rich tradition of premium hand crafted chocolates and candies throughout the United States for over 9 decades. Founded by Ben Heggy in 1923, Heggy’s Chocolates remains one of the premiere candy companies in America.
Over the years, Heggy’s Chocolates has remained a family owned and operated business and today they maintain a high level of commitment to their customers and the community.
While the art of handcrafting quality candies and chocolates has been discarded by most candy producers, Heggy’s Chocolates has withstood the test of time. They still use the care and patience necessary for Heggy’s Chocolates unique savory taste.
Heggy’s Chocolates has built a devoted following of candy lovers in the US over the years, and we at Shisler’s have created a special Chocolate Lover’s Valentines Gift Box made primarily from Heggy’s Chocolates.
The Valentine’s Chocolate Gift Box Includes:
Chocolate Cheese
Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Turtles
Chocolate Covered Fruit
 Custom designed for the sophisticated lady!This package includes Havarti Cheese, Heggy’s Solid Milk Chocolate Heart, Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Fudge, Strawberry Caramel Creams, and Yogurt Covered Cranberries. Best Enjoyed with a glass of wine and a warm hug!
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For the man in your life. Flowers and candy just don’t work as well for men. So why not let him indulge in what he truly loves! This collection includes a ring of Troyer’s Genuine Trail Bologna, Ohio Swiss Cheese, Pepper Jack Cheese, Clem’s Hot Pepper Relish, Shisler’s Private Label Mustard, and Carr’s Table Water Crackers!
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Matt Patrick Christmas Radio Spot
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgNHGwlyEtM]This is our Christmas radio spot from 2009, during Matt Patrick’s last two weeks with WKDD. Matt may be semi-retired, but his words here still ring true.
Troyer’s Trail Bologna: An Amish Country Classic
Troyer’s Trail Bologna
Have you ever heard of Trail Bologna? We used to think everyone had. Passers-through never seemed to be able to get enough of it. But then we realized that it was only available in the local area. We have seen imitations in places like California and New Jersey with clever names like “Ring Bologna.” But this is a perfect example of one of those cases where nothing even comes close to the original: Troyer’s Trail Bologna.
Trail is capitalized because it is named after the tiny town of Trail, Ohio. Trail is so small that it does not even have it’s own zip code. It shares a zip code with the nearby town of Dundee, OH, and population statistics are not even available. Trail was so named because SR 515, the main road through the town, was originally a trail created by American Indians before the European settlers moved to the area. About the only thing in Trail Ohio today is the original production facility where Troyer’s Trail Bologna is made, complete with a general store where enthusiasts can buy all of the products Troyer’s offers, along with other local fare.
Michael Troyer began producing this bologna in 1912. He used a special blend of seasonings and unique wood smoking process to develop this chunky beef bologna with a rich smoky flavor. It was originally hand stuffed into casing and rolled into its hallmark “ring” shape. It is a common misconception that the Original Trail Bologna was made from Venison (deer meat). It is illegal to sell the meat of wild game, so the Original Trail Bologna is all beef. But the facility will process deer brought in by hunters using their unique methods. There is also a rumor that Michael Troyer purchased his recipe for $25 from another family in Trail named Weiss, who had already been producing the now famous bologna for some time. But that has never been confirmed.
Today, Kenny, Kevin, and Darrin Troyer run the facility with the same standard of quality that their great grandfather did nearly one hundred years ago. Of course the facility has evolved. The Trail Bologna is no longer hand stuffed and modern machinery has enabled them to keep up with the ever-increasing demand. The facility now produces an average of 50 tons of Trail Bologna per month, doubling that during the holiday season. But the standard of quality that made Troyer’s Trail Bologna famous has never faltered. All three brothers are still highly involved with the production process. They now offer their Trail Bologna infused with locally made cheddar cheese and hot pepper cheese. They also produce it in sandwich size logs suitable for slicing and enjoying on sandwiches. They even make a Turkey Trail Bologna for their more health conscious customers.
Troyer’s Trail Bologna is best enjoyed with Swiss Cheese, Baby Swiss Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, or Hot Pepper Cheese for those with a more daring palate. Local and tourist taste buds are intimately familiar with the unique flavor of Troyer’s Trail Bologna. Locals who move out of state often complain that they cannot find it anywhere else. It can be very difficult to find outside of the state of Ohio. Fortunately however, for those who are web-savvy, one local merchant is offering it nationwide over the internet at https://cheesehouse.com/troyers-trail-bologna.aspx
Enjoy the smoky flavor of Troyer’s Trail Bologna, an Ohio Amish Country original!
