Healthier Holiday Cheese Board How To

I don’t know about you, but I am totally ready to plan my holiday party. It’s been too long. Let’s gather together with delicious food and celebrate with gratitude all of life’s blessings. There is nothing better than sitting at the table surrounded by those you love most. So, let’s get this party started with a Healthier Holiday Cheese Board.

This is my appetizer entry in The Lucky Foods Recipe Challenge.

It’s simple to make a healthier holiday cheese board that will WOW your guests with a few surprises. First, let’s start by loading up our board with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Use whatever is in season. Then let’s add some parmesan shards and whole grain crackers. Now for the surprises! Grilled cheese (not the sandwich) and a kicked up Gochujang Glaze that is also perfect for dipping.

What is Grilling Cheese

• Finnish Bread Cheese: semi-soft cheese made of cow’s milk in USA
• Halloumi: semi-hard cheese made from a combination of goat’s and sheep’s milk
• Queso Panela: soft white cheese made from skim milk

Grilling cheeses have a firm texture and high melting point. They hold their shape when grilled, fried or baked. Mildly salty they brown on the outside and are soft on the inside when warmed up. They are a blank canvas for a great topping like my Gochujang Glaze.

It’s amazing how a few simple high quality ingredients can elevate something like fruit and cheese. This gochujang glaze brings the party to your mouth. With only 5 ingredients and literally a minute of cooking time this flavorful glaze is now a staple in my kitchen. Not only does it bring fruit, vegetables and cheese alive, but it’s also fantastic on chicken, fish, beef and pork.

Gochujang for a Healthier Holiday Cheese Board

Lucky Foods Gochujang is a red chili pepper paste made from authentic Korean chili peppers. A staple in ethic recipes, this pepper paste has a subtle sweetness and well balanced lingering heat. It’s an umami flavor bomb in my book adding magic to this glaze. Give it a try. Your taste buds will thank you.

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Lucky Foods chose me along with other bloggers to create recipes for their “Lucky Foods Recipe Challenge”. To inspire delicious recipes they sent me a generous sampling of their products to experiment with in my kitchen. The Kalbi Sauce, Kimchi Mayo and Gochujang are so fresh tasting and full of flavor that I am not only able to minimize my ingredient list but also get fantastic dishes on the table in less than 30 minutes. I hope you give them a try. Cheers to healthier holiday times together.

Check out Lucky Foods web site to find more great recipes and learn about the inspiring Jo family achieving the American dream. You can buy their products on-line or find them locally at Whole Foods, Giant, Acme and Food Lion.

Do try my other recipes inspired by Lucky Food Products Kalbi Chicken Steam Buns and Kalbi Short Rib Bowls