When Rachael invites friends over for the holidays, she loves simplifying her hosting duties by offering a cheese selection. "You bring home a few cheeses and a few nibbly bits to go with them, put out a nice bottle of wine and you're done," she says. "It's a great affordable way to entertain!" To help you plan your menu, Fairway's cheesemonger Steven Jenkins suggests three savory pairings that are great for any budget:

Portions. Serve 2 ounces of cheese per guest if you are also offering dinner and 6 ounces each if it's a wine and cheese party.

Ricotta Salata. This salted version of ricotta is roughly $5 a pound. "It's not salty at all," Steve says. "It's as sweet as it can be and even sweeter if you'll serve some strawberry jam with it, some great preserved figs or fresh figs."

Danish Fontina. While Italian fontina cheese can run $20 a pound, this version from Denmark is less than $5 a pound. "It tastes great. It's nice and soft, made from part skim milk too, which is another advantage. I love to serve it with walnuts," Steve says. "And when your cheeses are this inexpensive you can have all this money left over to splurge a little on the accompaniments!"

Wisconsin Gorgonzola. At $7 or $8 a pound, this American version can be found for up to half the price of the Italian blue cheese. Pair with strawberry jam, honey or fig loaves.

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