What to do with cheeseboard leftovers

Emily Gussin

Food Producer Emily is a champion of sustainability. She started her editorial career on cake magazines before completing a Cordon Bleu diploma to train as a chef. When she’s not developing recipes for delicious. she co-runs supperclub 10 Miles Club.

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Wondering what to do with those cheeseboard leftovers? You’ve come to the right place. A cheeseboard is essential at Christmas, but judging the quantities can be tricky. Emily Gussin shares genius use-up ideas and tips for both hard and soft cheeses…

How to store your cheeseboard leftovers

Cheese needs to breathe a little to prevent it drying out without trapping mould-causing moisture (another reason to cut down on cling film). So re-wrap your opened cheeses in the wax paper they came in (or, failing that, in baking paper) and keep in the fridge in a container that’s not completely airtight. Stored correctly, chilled cheese should last anywhere from 1-4 weeks after opening. Cheese is best eaten at room temperature, so unless you’re cooking it, remove it from the fridge a few hours before assembling your cheeseboard.

Can you freeze cheese?

Hard cheeses freeze surprisingly well, either wrapped whole or grated, ready to sprinkle into your cooking from frozen. If you have leftover grapes on your cheeseboard, freeze these too (on a tray first, then in a bag) for a sorbet-like snack you can eat from frozen. They’ll keep for up to a year.

Make a batch-cook bechamel

Having an easy-to-throw-together macaroni cheese to hand is always a winner. You can use scraps from most cheeses to make a big batch of sauce. Hard cheeses will add more flavour while soft cheeses will give a gooey, melting texture. Portion up and freeze for when cheese cravings hit.

Use cheese as a seasoning

Add a salty, umami hit to all kinds of meals using the crumbs from your cheeseboard. You can keep them in the fridge for up to a week to scatter over pasta, salads and soups, crush into a salad dressing or fry with bread leftovers to make gorgeously cheesy croutons.

How to use up leftover crackers and biscuits for cheese

Give leftover crackers a new lease of life by whizzing them to crumbs to make a crunchy topping for gratins or to coat croquettes. Crumble them into melted chocolate with dried fruit and chopped stem ginger to make a crunchy chocolate bark, or mix with crushed biscuits for a salty-sweet dessert base.

Need more inspiration? We’ve got lots more ideas for using up festive cheeses in our Christmas leftovers recipes collection.