The Cheesy Way Your Mini Skillet Can Become The Star Of Your Next Party

Did you know you can turn your mini skillet into the star of your next party with a wheel of cheese? Melt or broil the cheese in the oven and it becomes a fun party dip for chips, veggies, fruits, or crackers, or the centerpiece of a mini skillet charcuterie board. So the next time you're shopping at the supermarket, grab your favorite cheese that melts with heat, be it a wheel or brie, provolone, or camembert cheese. Fontina, gouda, mozzerrella, or gruyère cheese work too. These are the cheeses that melt better than the others as they are softer and have more moisture. Which cheese you choose is really up to you, but we're partial to brie because it melts and spreads like a dream.

Place the wheel of cheese in the middle of the mini skillet and bake or broil it until the top is somewhat gratinated and the inside is melty. Cooking cheese this way is a clever use for your tiny cast iron skillet. When removing the skillet from the oven, be careful as the handle and the rest of the skillet will be very hot. 

Serve the cheese while it is still hot, directly in the skillet. How you serve the cheese is up to you.

Surround or top the cheese in the skillet with tortilla chips for a fun play on cheesy nachos. Alternatively, consider loading the skillet with a variety of ingredients such as crackers, nuts, fruits, and cold cuts like salami and prosciutto. This way, you've just made a cheesy charcuterie board with melted cheese and a mini skillet. While there's an ultimate guide to building the perfect charcuterie board, there's room for creativity when you're using a skillet. But you might want to avoid adding ingredients that melt into a mess quickly when the skillet is too hot. 

If you don't want to craft a cheesy charcuterie board or go with the nachos and cheese route, you can top the mini skillet with chicken wings. For the vegetarians, top the cheese on the skillet with veggies or nuts and mixed berries. 

Finally, there are also ways to spruce up the melted cheese. For example, you can drizzle honey or hot honey over the cheese for another layer of flavor. If you love the tingle of spice and heat on your tongue, top the cheese with umami-ful and flavorful chili crisp. A simple sprinkle of sea salt flakes and ground black pepper will do too. For a herby spin, garnish the cheese with minced cilantro, chives, or parsley. However you dress up the melted cheese, it'll still be the star of your next party.