Paper towels, paper plates, cutlery or napkins. These are the easiest supplies to volunteer to bring to the family potluck or the office potluck. This way, you don’t have to stand over a stove, make an extended grocery store run, or worse, have to explain why you won’t eat half the food on the table. It’s a common problem for vegans and vegetarians, and even those who are allergic to dairy products.

But what if introducing food you actually eat in your home is the way to go instead of dodging the refreshment table, assuming nothing you like will be served? Even if other guests are more likely to be meat-and-potatoes guests, you can at least be happy snacking on the dish you brought. So what should that be? Think of something simple that can leave you feeling fully longer and won’t require a lot of work to prepare, such as a plant-based cheese like a Fontina cheese substitute. To make this cheese recipe even more memorable, create your own vegan charcuterie board with a legume dip and vegan lunch meat to complement the vegan cheese.

How To Make a Fontina Cheese Substitute

A charcuterie board isn’t complete without the star attraction: cheese. In this case, guests will (hopefully) enjoy a vegan Fontina cheese substitute recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of raw cashews* (soaked in water overnight for approximately eight hours)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch
• 2 tablespoons of agar agar powder
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper (black pepper is OK too)

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews.
2. In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, agar agar powder, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and white pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will start to thicken and become stretchy.
4. Continue to cook for about five to seven minutes until it reaches a thick, gooey consistency.
5. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased mold or container. Smooth the top with a spatula. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least two hours, or until firm.
6. Once set, remove the cheese from the mold and slice or shred as desired.

If stored properly, this Fontina cheese substitute recipe should last for a week. Keep it in an airtight container, and refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible. If you’ve made too much for the potluck, freeze what you guesstimate will not be eaten. Frozen cashew cheese can last for up to three months. Just thaw it when you’re ready to eat the rest, and stir it well to regain its original texture.

Also, while there is a nut-free vegan cheese that substitutes cashews for one cup of soaked sunflower seeds and one cup of cauliflower florets instead, this cashew recipe above has a creamier, richer taste that looks and has the texture of soft dairy cheese. The sunflower seed version, even with the same ingredients, still tastes a lot like sunflower seeds. Between the two, the cashew version is much tastier as a Fontina cheese substitute to eat on its own.

Five Choices To Broaden a Vegan Cheese Charcuterie Board

This vegan Fontina-style cheese can be eaten on its own. It’s also handy for making vegan pizza, sandwiches and plant-based casseroles later on. But having a charcuterie board with just one cheese leaves much to be desired. Here are five other ways to add some pizzazz to just this cheese recipe.

1. Open a box of multigrain crackers, and spread them around. Or, cut up and add small pieces of bread (like pita) to the board.

2. Fruit (ex. strawberries, grapes and dried apricots) is usually a hit with any cheese platter.

3. Add dairy cheese to the same board. Some additional Fontina cheese substitute suggestions are Gruyere cheese, Emmental Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, Havarti and taleggio.  However, this option only works if you’re sure guests will know which cheese is which. Label them so they’re easily identifiable. Make sure guests and co-workers with dairy allergies or who are lactose intolerant know which is which. Little toothpick signs on each section of cheese helps. For some people, ingesting dairy cheese can be fatal, which is why Elijah’s Law came about after the death of 3-year-old Elijah Silvera, who was served a grilled cheese sandwich.

4. From Whole Foods Market to neighborhood grocers, vegan lunch meat is easy to find online or in brick-and-mortar stores. A few examples of cold vegan lunch meat to add to this board include Tofurky, Lightlife and Field Roast. Or, choose a few cooked vegan meat options and cut them into small slices. Some of these vegan taste-tester portions could include Beyond Meat’s hot Italian sausage links, Field Roast’s apple and maple sausage links, Eat Meati’s MushroomRoot Steak, or Gardein’s Ultimate Fish.

5. Make a vegan dip to complement the vegan Fontina-style cheese and bread, such as vegan tuna salad.

How To Make Vegan Tuna Salad for the Charcuterie Board

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or soaked overnight for about eight hours)
• 2 tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of capers, drained
• 1/4 cup of red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of celery, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of pickles, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of nori flakes (optional, for a seaweed flavor)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. For soaked and dry chickpeas only: After soaking, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them in a pot and cover with fresh water (about 2 inches above the chickpeas). Bring the chickpeas to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for one to two hours, or until the chickpeas are tender. Add more water if necessary during the simmering period.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, use a fork or potato masher to mash the chickpeas until they are mostly broken down but still have some texture.
3. Add the vegan mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and capers to the mashed chickpeas. Mix well to combine.
4. Stir in the red onion, celery and pickles.
5. Add the nori flakes, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined.

This recipe is an easy legume dip that goes well with a Fontina cheese substitute, bread or both. However, it should be eaten in about five days, even if refrigerated immediately and stored in an airtight container. If there is any off-putting smell, mold or discoloration, toss it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cheese can you use in place of Fontina? 

Dairy Fontina cheese substitute options include Gruyere cheese, Emmental Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, Havarti and taleggio.

What is the difference between Fontina and Gruyere cheese? 

Besides origin stories (Fontina is from Italy while Gruyere is from Switzerland), Fontina cheese is semi-soft while Gruyere tends to be firm and smooth. Both become more intense in taste as they age and have an initial nutty, slightly sweet flavor.

Are provolone cheese and Fontina cheese similar? 

Both Italian cheeses melt well on sandwiches and are recommended on cheese platters. However, provolone is semi-hard in texture with a smooth finish. Provolone cheese is also buttery instead of the nutty, earthy taste of Fontina cheese.