Cheese for timid palettes

[BahHumbug2022]

I’m in charge of the cheese board. I’ll eat anything and enjoy strong flavours and interesting cheese. Unfortunately the other five guests don’t.

Only one other likes Stilton ( no other blue cheese) and a couple can just about do a creamy mild Brie. They all like Baby Bels and I’ve been asked for Port Salut😞.
Any suggestions for less dull cheese just to make it a bit special for Christmas please.

You know what would help you...?

Go stand in front of the prepacked cheese slices bay at the supermarket. Each cheese has a ranking eg 1 or 2 or 3 etc on the front as to how mild it is (well definitely in Morrisons) and you can use that as your guide for buying block cheeses.

Just get them some string cheese, couple of tubes of primula cheese, and some Dairylea triangles, and throw some ritz crackers in for good measure.

If you really want to create a good impression you could always do a cheese and pineapple hedgehog, and say this retro cheese thing is all the rage!

Gruyere is lovely and fairly mild.

I’m not going to make them eat anything. I just want to know what might be nice and festive for people who don’t eat “exotic” cheese.
I might try that pineapple cheese thing. And Capricorn as one has goats cheese on pizza so she might like it. And Cornish Yarg.

Thanks everyone.

Y-fenni is a Welsh cheddar with mustard seeds and ale. It looks nice on a cheese board but it is nice and tame for people who dread a cheeseboard.

Get the cheeses you want to eat too! But just get them some dull ones too

Port salut is good, get babybels if they like them

would they brave a Boursin?

I think Wensleydale with cranberries is a good choice. mild and creamy.

Ive got a double Gloucester with onion and chives from Aldi in the fridge which I seem to remember isn't a strong cheese flavour.

Pays D’angloys is a nice very mild soft cheese which appears regularly on our cheese board next to a strong Stilton.

Like you, I prefer flavour 😀

However, when it comes to brie, I find most French brie has a bitter aftertaste. Somerset brie does not.

As treat, I recommend St Endellion brie, often sold in Waitrose. This isn't the same as the St Endellion sold in Asda/Sainsburys AFAIK.

When Eldest was dairy intolerant, we also bought Village Green goats cheddar. I've only just discovered both these, and Gevrik are made by the same company. Village Green was also in our local Waitrose, easily spotted by it's apple green wax coat. The only goat cheddar that behaved like hard cheese in cooking (I'd use it to make cheese sauce or to grate into baked dishes). Even my Ex, who hated all goat cheese on principle, liked it.

Also, is it worth having a baking camembert, to dip bread/crackers into? May not be practical.

This thread has now made me hungry - and I'm trying to save the cheese in my home for Christmas...

Forgot to say, if getting brie/goats cheese/camembert, it's worth checking how ripe your guests like it.

I like mine oozing and gooey. Ex liked his firm.

Timid palates may prefer young, firm & bland. As opposed to near/past best before, squishy & flavoursome. If the former, keep in fridge until just before serving - if the latter, take out the night before.

Morbier (the one with the ash line in the middle) is relatively bland. Slightly tangy, with a texture like Port Salut.

Cornish cruncher
Cambazola

A nice Applewood smoked cheese.

A mild cheese, but the smoky flavour adds depth.

What about Petit Basque? It’s a hard, mild but utterly delicious cheese. You can get it on the cheese counter in Waitrose.

Lancashire crumbly
Manchego
Havarti
Emmental
Doux ds Montagne
Tagellio

Go for a Charouce, lovely creamy texture but not ‘cabbagy’ in taste like some Bries or Camemberts.

I find people who like mature cheddar and Emmental often like Comte

If they really only like bland cheese what about a mozzarella fondue/baked mozzarella? Mild but the fondue makes it a bit more special, you can buy smoked mozzarella too.

Smoked cheese

If you are going to get yourself some more interesting cheeses, be firm on the timid ones saying they will ‘just try a little bit’. They’ll discover they like it and scoff the lot and you’ll be left with the Babybels! 😁

Where can you get blocks of Havarti these days? They stopped being sold in Waitrose and Sainsbury's years ago; they make the best cheese soldiers for dipping into a boiled egg.

I tried Munster cheese yesterday (French, soft, Brie-ish) and it was bloody lovely!

Caveat-I love all cheeses, they are like family to me.

Port Salut is another one which my kids love.

Doux de Montagne - by Christ that is a lovely cheese.

Stilton isn't a strong as people think - get a good salty whole rain cracker to go with it and I think even a timid palette could cope.

Caboc. Nice and creamy rolled in oats.

Havarti was probably my entree into the cheese world I think.

Agree on boursin and the herb cream cheese rolls as well.

Oh sorry, saw Havarti was mentioned already!

St Agur-very creamy and mild blue cheese
Gjetost-has caramel overtones, very mild, for those with a sweet tooth
Brillat-Savarin-very mild, very creamy, very rich