Ina Garten’s Formula for the Perfect Cheese Platter

A stunning cheese platter is a thing of beauty. Whether you're looking for something to serve with happy hour drinks or need an app to tide guests over while dinner is on the way, a good cheese board does the trick.

But building the perfect cheese platter can be confusing and a little overwhelming, especially with all of the cheese options at the grocery store. How many do you put on the platter? What pairs with what? Luckily, we know an expert who can help with all of these questions: the one and only Ina Garten.

Related: The Super Smart Biscuit Trick Ina Garten Learned While Running The Barefoot Contessa

In a recent video for the TODAY show, Queen Ina took viewers to her favorite cheese shop in Paris where she shared her tricks for making the ultimate cheese platter. She then showed off what one of her typical cheese platters looks like—and we're relieved to say that the method is way easier than we thought.

Related: 25 Classic Ina Garten Recipes to Make All the Time

Ina Garten’s Formula for a Perfect Cheese Platter

After Ina stopped by the fish market, it was on to Barthélémy, her "favorite cheese shop anywhere on the planet." As she walked around the 100-year-old shop she said, "How do you choose? This is crazy!" when faced with all of the beautiful options. But choose she did, and her choices were based on a very simple plan. "When I'm doing a cheese platter, I look for a balance of flavors," she said. Use Ina's three-step plan below to build a great cheese plate for your next party.

1. Choose something creamy. Brie, blue cheese, Camembert, Roquefort all work here.

2. Add some goat cheese. While technically a creamy cheese, tangy goat cheese is a great foil for creamy, milder cheeses.

3. Include something sharp. Sharp cheeses have a stronger flavor profile thanks to a longer aging process and are also firmer in texture. Some sharp cheeses to consider for your cheese platter include cheddar, asiago, manchego, aged Gouda and Parmesan.

Related: Taste, Types, Serving Temperature and More—8 Essential Things to Know about Goat Cheese, According to Cheese Experts

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