Meat and Cheese Gift Baskets for Your Next Soiree

Anyone who has ever planned a party will tell you that it is simply no easy feat. Not only do you need to create a menu and guest list (and take into account for dietary restrictions), but you also have to take into consideration seating plans—heaven forbid there are social issues that arise through ill-advised seating arrangments.

And then there's cocktails, hors d'ouevres... the list goes on and on. So why not remove some of the hassle by ordering a meat and cheese platter from one of America's finest purveyors. Better still, take the headache away as a guest by sending one to your gracious host. A simple meat and cheese platter will ensure that guests have something to nosh on before they sit down to dinner.

As cheese expert Liz Thorpe explains in Serious Eats, "If you're setting out a nice cheese plate, you may want more on there than cheese alone. Honey, fruit, and crackers are easy enough additions. But cured meat adds substance and heft to cheese like nothing else." That heft can come from a whole muscle meat, like prosciutto, or an encased meat, like salami. As with cheese, it's good to consider a mix of textures and flavors as you assemble your selections. Also remember the adage, "what grows together goes together." Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto di Parma, for example, are an excellent pairing as both come from the Emilia Romagna region of Italy.

Now, thanks to retailers offering nationwide shipping and sites like Goldbelly facilitating it for them, you can get some of the best meat and cheese boards around sent straight to your home. Here are the top selections to order from some of our favorite shops like Eli Zabar in New York, Oakville Grocery in Napa Valley, and Blackberry Farm in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Bon appétit!

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