Although there are plenty of crowd-favorites and Aldi finds to be found when scouring the aisles of my local store, the one area I never skip is the cheese section. Aldi’s cheese selection is not only diverse, but incredibly budget-friendly, too. Whenever I’m entertaining, cheese and charcuterie is definitely on the menu, and in my experience, Aldi is a great one-stop shop for everything you need to build a well-rounded cheeseboard.
To get the lowdown on the best Aldi cheeses, as well as tips on the best way to build out a cheeseboard, I spoke with cheese pro Madelyn Varela, a Cleveland-based cheesemonger, former cheesemaker, and founder of Cheezy Talk with Madelyn, where she has nearly 675,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. Varela’s videos that uncover the best cheeses to buy at grocery or warehouse stores such as Aldi and Costco are particularly popular. During recent trips to Aldi, Varela identified several cheeses that would be perfectly-placed on a cheeseboard.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Aldi
Cocoa Cardona ($4.95 for a 5-ounce package): The rind of this semi-firm goat’s milk cheese is rubbed with cocoa powder. According to Varela, the brightness from the goat’s milk and the bitterness from the cocoa offer a “fun flavor contrast.”
Credit: Simply Recipes / Aldi
Emporium Selection Brie Cheese Round ($4.39 for an 8-ounce package): This well-priced double crème Brie wheel is a rich and creamy soft-cheese option for your cheeseboard. Be sure to pick up an extra wheel or two for baked Brie season.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Aldi
Emporium Selection Cranberry White Cheddar Cheese ($3.29 for an 8-ounce package): According to Varela, not only does this cheddar taste good with its nutty and sweet flavor, it will also add a nice pop of red color to your cheeseboard from the cranberries.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Aldi
Emporium Selection Cheddar Parmesan Cheese ($3.95 for a 7-ounce package): This firm cheese has a “nutty tang from the cheddar and fruity notes from the Parmesan, and is a bit more interesting than a generic block cheddar,” says Varela.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Aldi
Emporium Selection Blueberry Vanilla Flavored Goat Cheese Log ($3.85 for a 6-ounce log): Aldi carries a variety of flavored goat cheeses throughout the year. “I really like their Spring Garden goat cheese and their cranberry goat cheese,” Varela says. “It’s a fun one during the holidays, too.”
Building a Balanced Cheeseboard at Aldi
A balanced cheeseboard has a variety of flavors and textures. “I want a lot of texture,” Varela says. She recommends serving a firm cheese, a “crystally” cheese, and a creamy cheese. “You could do a flavored cheese, like the Cocoa Cardona; a firm cheese, like the cheddar Parmesan; and then a creamy cheese, like one of their fresh goat cheeses or a Brie wheel.”
Serving cheeses with a range of flavor profiles is also important. Too many bold cheeses will overwhelm the palate (and the nose!). “Have that balance of a really powerful cheese—whether it be a funky Gruyère or an extra-sharp cheddar—and then have something a bit more mild and docile, like a goat cheese.”
While the cheese may be the star of the cheeseboard, it would be nothing without a full cast of supporting characters:
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