The truth is, it’s easy for connoisseurs to get carried away when presented with a large or exotic selection of that which you love. In the heat of the moment, you may lose all sense of reason, and forget that you have a limited amount of time to enjoy your purchases. While this may not be a problem for wine lovers or art collectors, whose passions don’t have an expiration date, cheese lovers know that there’s nothing worse than opening the fridge and finding that that exotic brick of cheese is no longer edible.

Of course, one way to avoid this problem is to simply put a limit on your shopping. You can resist the urge to go on a spree, and buy only what you know you can eat. But let’s be honest--sometimes you get carried away. And that’s okay, as long as you have some strategies for making sure everything you buy can be enjoyed. 

So next time you find yourself with more cheese than you can handle, follow these tips to avoid wasting cheese and instead putting it all to good use. 

Throw an Impromptu Wine and Cheese Party 

The best thing about cheese is that, just as the song says, it can stand alone. Unlike some other foods, cheese is not only acceptable as a stand-alone, but sometimes it’s even more classier that way. That is, as long as you pair it well and present it with some pizazz. 

So next time you find yourself with an excess amount of cheese, simply break out some nice cutting boards, break out a few bottles of wine, invite some friends over, and throw on your favorite jazz record. This is a good way to entertain without having to cook a full meal, and as long as the pairings are good and the presentation is nice, nobody will suspect that your real intentions behind the get-together is to offload your excess food. Everybody wins. 

Add Some Class to Every Meal 

Good cheese has the ability to turn even a casual meal into a feast for the senses. If your fridge is full of cheeses that you won’t be able to eat on their own, stop saving them for the more auspicious meals and break them out when you’re snacking, eating lunch, or sitting down to a casual dinner. 

If you’re a cheese lover, you’ll agree that there’s no meal that can’t benefit from a good cheese. So don’t be shy with adding it to all your meals. If you feel that your cooking isn’t worthy of your cheese collections, look into meal delivery services. Articles like  top10.com/meal-delivery/blue-apron-alternatives are a good place to find meal delivery services that match your palate and culinary needs, providing you with worthy meals that will only improve with some fine cheese. 

Never Let a Good Cheese Go Bad

We’ve all been in a position where we’ve bought more than we can chew, so to speak. For cheese lovers, this can be a particularly nerve-wracking experience since there’s nothing worse than watching our beloved food go to waste. But there are always workarounds, from impromptu wine parties to creative snacking, that ensure no matter how wild we get at the cheese boutique, we’ll be able to enjoy every last bite.