On those occasions when you need an appetizer on the fly, a wheel of brie cheese can be your best friend. As is, it's delicious—and when it's heated, it's divine. To warm up the brie, skip the oven and simply pop it into the microwave. In less than five minutes, you'll have a Pinterest-worthy cheese plate to serve your guests. Need convincing? Watch this video to see what perfectly melted brie cheese looks like.
Things You'll Need
Wheel of brie cheese
Microwavable-safe plate
Parchment paper
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1. Prepare the brie
Slice off the top rind of the brie wheel. This not only makes for a prettier presentation when you serve it, but it also allows for easier dipping.
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Line a microwave-safe plate with parchment paper and set the brie on top. The parchment paper will allow you to easily slide the brie onto a serving platter when it's done.
2. Heat the brie in the microwave
Set the microwave to high heat and place the brie inside. Following the correct cooking time is essential to getting the best result. We recommend heating the brie cheese for 2 minutes. Keep reading to see why...
What Brie Cheese Looks Like When It's Too Firm
If you microwave it for 1 minute, the result is a wheel of cheese that's too firm and disappointingly not spreadable onto a cracker.
What Brie Cheese Looks Like When It's Too Soft
If you microwave it for 3 minutes, your wheel of brie becomes an oozing hot mess. Not that hot oozing cheese is the worst thing in the world, but you want it to retain its shape for a pretty presentation.
What Brie Cheese Looks Like When It's Just Right
If you microwave your brie for 2 minutes, you end up with a perfectly melted wheel of cheese that is hot and bubbly on top but also keeps its beautiful round shape and offers the perfect cheese-pull factor.
How to Garnish and Serve Melted Brie
The best thing about brie is that so many things pair well with it — nuts, fruits, honey, herbs. Try a handful of pecans on the top, drizzled with honey, and serve it with your favorite cheese board accoutrements.