Pantry Party Planning with Cracker Barrel Cheese

I don’t think there is a single one of us that is unfamiliar with the Surprise House Guests who drop by and leave you in a quiet panic with no planned appetizers, meals or treats to serve. Talk about a scramble. So between getting out of my yoga pants and into something presentable and putting something out to snack on – it’s time to hit up the pantry and scrounge up whatever I can in a jiffy. Cracker Barrel Cheese makes it easy with their quality cheese, perfect for entertaining in a snap. On hand and quick to grab out of the fridge I snapped up some Mediterranean Herb and Aged White Reserve cheddars.

And even if you’re not entertaining and just want a lunch in a hurry, slicing up some cheeses and fresh colorful veggies along side some quality meats and you can have a faux-charueterie plate done in a hurry! Fancy doesn’t have to take forever, and quality cheeses don’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

I set out to find the perfect faux-chareuterie plate from everything I had already stocked in my own pantry – and it’s amazing what I found. With a few different blocks of Cracker Barrel Cheese sliced up, I brought out a few slices of my favorite deli meats – pepper turkey, sun dried tomato turkey, Virginia Ham and Homestyle sliced turkey. Folded or rolled up they makes a nice presentation.

Nuts also make a nice presentation and accentuate the nutty and earthy notes in the cheeses. I always have a stock of pistachios, almonds and pine nuts on hand, just in case I get a craving. Pistachios are my favorite with sharp cheddar and pepper turkey.

In the back of my pantry I even found a baggie of trail mix I was meaning to take to work. I live of trail mix at work. It’s nice having a handy snack around – and it makes for an even handier cheese plate presentation in a pinch. Dried apricots, bananas, apples with pineapple made it fun and gave the plate a little tropical flair.

Cracker Barrel makes for easy entertaining, and it’s easy to find in your grocer’s dairy case. You don’t have to break the bank when you buy it either. Cheese with heritage, history and quality doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg and you know you will always find consistent quality when you pick up a few bricks for yourself. Even if you’re not entertaining – pack up some of these staples and a bottle of wine and take your hunny out on a picnic this summer. Berries are on the vine right now – especially blueberries and blackberries. So set out a blanket, pick a few berries and see what fun new fresh pairings you can add to your picnic!