CHEESE
Time: Varies, around two to 12 hours
Leaving cheese out overnight can affect quality, but isn’t typically dangerous, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board says. In fact, all but fresh or shredded cheeses such as feta or mozzarella should be given an hour on average to come to room temperature, when hard cheeses become easier to cut and soft ones easier to spread. Be more careful about the latter after several hours, as soft cheeses more easily encourage bacterial growth.