Don’t like to cook? You can still put together a gourmet spread without turning on the stove. Cheese plates are ideal for entertaining since they can be prepared ahead of time and don’t require cooking.

Selecting the right cheeses to serve can be totally overwhelming. You want to serve a variety, but you also want the selection to be cohesive. You want to satisfy your less adventurous guests, but also want to have varieties even your cheese snob friend will approve of. And, of course, you want to look like you know what you’re doing.

Once you know a few key rules, you’ll be able to put together an impressive cheese plate in no time.

Image via Southern Living

1. Choose your Cheese Pairings

Consider using a theme for your cheese platter. Sticking with a theme simplifies cheese selection and also ensures the cheeses make sense together. For example, you can choose cheeses from the same region (such as all French cheeses) or made from the same milk (such as all sheep’s milk cheeses).

Next, you’ll want to pick a good balance of textures and strengths. Your cheeses should complement one another, rather than compete. If you stick with one cheese from each of these categories, you can’t go wrong in terms of variety:

• Creamy, such as Brie

• Semi-firm, such as Manchego

• Blue, such as Gorgonzola

• Aged, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano

• Stinky,such as Epoisses

2. Plate Your Cheese

Take your cheeses out of the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before serving. After sitting out, the cheeses will be the optimal temperature for showcasing their flavors and textures. You can also slice and arrange your cheeses at this point.

When it comes to plating, less is more -- keep your presentation simple:

• Solid color serving platters and wood or stone boards work best for serving cheeses since they allow the beauty of the cheese to be the focal point.

• Lay the cheese down so the cut sides will face your guests.

• Don’t crowd the cheeses. Leave plenty of space between each cheese.

• Arrange the cheeses in order of strength. If you have a rectangular serving platter, start with mild on one side and arrange with the most pungent cheese on the opposite end. If you have a round serving platter, work around the plate like a clock.

• Arrange breads, fruits, and spreads around and between the cheeses. If it’s too crowded, serve the accompaniments on a separate platter.

• Include plenty of small cheese knives, ideally one for each cheese.

3. Select the Right Accompaniments

A general rule of thumb is to pair cheeses with flavors that are the opposite of the cheese. For example, a mild cheese goes best with a flavor-packed jam or chutney. Strong cheeses, like any blue variety, goes well with something sweet or robust that can stand up to its flavor, such as chocolate or honey (yes, chocolate and blue cheese are magical together!).

As far as wines, you don’t need to be a sommelier to know the perfect wine and cheese pairings. Think in terms of matching the boldness of the wine with the boldness of the cheese. A bold cheese can handle a bold wine, and a mild cheese is best with a lighter wine. For example, blue cheeses go well with very sweet wines, like Riesling, or bold wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mild cheeses, like brie, pair best with light, crisp wines such as Chardonnay. When in doubt, stick to wines from the same region as the cheese. But if you don’t feel comfortable coming up with your own pairings, consider using an app like iPairings that you can easily reference on your Lenovo tablet.

4. Keep Blue Cheese Separate

If you plan on having cheese leftover from your platter, serve your blue cheeses on a separate serving platter away from the other cheeses. Blue cheese releases invisible spores that will change the composition of other cheeses. You may notice your other cheeses taste “off” after being exposed to blue cheese and it’s not because they’ve gone bad -- they’re transforming into blue cheese!

With the holidays right around the corner, keeping a few cheeses on hand will let you always be prepared for company. You can quickly put together a cheese plate that will surely impress anyone who stops by your house during the holidays.