I would prefer a straight cheese course followed by dessert (epicurious.com)
I compare it to eating a meal: Meal A is steak frites, Meal B is a 5 - course bistro meal with aperitif, appetizer, entrée, cheese course etc etc.. (vanessafrancis.com)
On one occasion a priest was giving her details of the simple meals that were being provided, and she asked what the retreatants were being given for the cheese course - «et pour le fromage?» (faith.org.uk)