Savor the sweet spot before the start of the holiday season’s hustle with an autumn-themed progressive dinner. Serve a cozy three-course meal perfect for fall featuring Wisconsin’s specialty cheeses. The cheeses elevate the menu with unique stories, rich flavors and exceptional craftsmanship. These are the dishes to share for Friendsgiving or when you want an exciting excuse for house-hopping with your favorite people on the weekend.
What is a progressive dinner? As the saying goes, many hands make light work—this is especially true for this entertaining idea, making it so appealing! Each course is meant to be made and served at a different destination so that no one is left shouldering the entire meal. You can prep your part of the meal at home, pulling out all the stops with special details like gorgeous harvest tablescapes, while your loved ones do the same at their houses.
First Course:
Kick the night off and impress your guests with an appetizer, warm cheese pastries and a flavorful butternut squash soup. Spread around the fun and give each guest a stunning, savory snack with crackers served on mini boards. Delightful Pine River Swiss & Almond Cold Pack cheese steals the show crafted with aged natural swiss and cheddar; it’s a creamy, sharp and spreadable backdrop for a sprinkle of seasonal toppings like dried cranberries, toasted almonds, minced fresh thyme and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Round out the course with cheese pastries served alongside soup. Roth Grand Cru® Surchoix takes center stage in these pastries; it was the 2016 World Champion cheese! Plenty of umami deliciousness is in each bite as this washed-rind, alpine-style treasure delivers complex caramel, fruit and mushroom notes. The notes are amplified with portobello mushrooms and sweet caramelized onions. A dollop of cranberry sauce lends a pretty pop of color and a pleasant autumnal touch.
A velvety bowl of butternut squash soup is extra elegant with the addition of Saxon Big Ed‘s Gouda, a handcrafted gem with bold buttery, sweet, nutty notes and a bright grassy finish. It was named one of the Top 20 cheeses at the 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest! Like its namesake, Big Ed’s is a cheese that “hugs you back and never offends.” It’s an easygoing gouda and an incredible choice for melting. Complete the look and garnish servings with ribbons of shaved gouda goodness.
Make it: Grand Cru® Surchoix Cheese Pastries
Make it: Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Second Course:
Dinner is served. The main event awaits you at the next location. Weyauwega Star Dairy Parmesan and panko bread crumbs are
tossed with seasonings, creating a light and mouthwatering crumb coating for chicken. A side of sweet corn gets treated to an extra dose of comfort, greeted with green chiles, crisp bacon, rich Crystal Farms Original Cream Cheese, and additional nutty, buttery parmesan. The cheeses take this dynamic duo to a memorable, decadent place you won’t want to leave.
Make it: Parmesan-Crusted Chicken and Creamed Corn
Third Course:
This is not traditional coffee and desserts. Instead, end the evening with a coffee bar and dessert cheese pairing experience. Set up the bar with sweet treats, berries and coffee syrups. And then take part in a Finnish tradition: Dunk dainty bites of buttery and baked Pasture Pride Juusto™ Traditional Baked Cheese into your coffee for a remarkable cheese tasting. Or sample the cheese warm with fresh berries, jam and cookies. Coffee paired with earthy and exotic Cello® Mayan Cocoa & Coffee Fontal and hand-rubbed Sartori Espresso BellaVitano® levels up the coffee notes of the cheeses. Fontal is a young, creamy cheese, while the aged BellaVitano® is a hard, creamy cheese, allowing you to enjoy their distinct textures and clever flavors. Include coffee mix-ins like hazelnut and Irish cream liqueurs or creamers in your spread. Dark-roast coffee and libations complement the specialty cheese and coffee notes, making each bite indulgent. Explore and experiment with your favorite coffee shop goodies to personalize and display custom cheese pairings.
Make it: Dessert and Coffee Cheese Board
