Checkerboard Chalet Cheese Meats (Printable Version)

Striking checkerboard base of cheese and cured meats topped with a playful 3D chalet for parties.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheeses

01 - 7 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 0.6 in cubes and slices
02 - 7 oz Swiss cheese, cut into 0.6 in cubes and slices

→ Meats

03 - 7 oz smoked ham, cut into 0.6 in cubes and slices
04 - 7 oz salami, cut into 0.6 in cubes and slices

→ Garnishes & Extras

05 - 16 small fresh chives (for logs or roof beams)
06 - 8 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional, for decoration)
07 - 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley (for greenery)
08 - 8 toothpicks or short skewers (for stability)

# Directions:

01 - Cut all cheese and meat into uniform cubes and slices about 0.6 inches to ensure a precise checkerboard pattern.
02 - Arrange cheese slices (cheddar, Swiss) and meat slices (ham, salami) alternately in a tightly packed 4x4 grid on a large serving platter to form the base.
03 - On one side of the checkerboard, stack alternating cheese and meat cubes in a square footprint of four cubes per layer, building 3 to 4 layers high. Use toothpicks or short skewers to secure for stability.
04 - Position cheese slices or cubes at an angle atop the stacked layers to form the roof and secure chives as decorative beams.
05 - Decorate the chalet area with halved cherry tomatoes and parsley to simulate a garden or pathway. Serve immediately with small forks or cocktail picks.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours on it when really you spent thirty minutes cubing cheese—that's the whole magic right there.
  • Your guests will actually remember this appetizer instead of just remembering eating something.
  • No cooking means no stress, just assembly, so you can be calm and present while everyone arrives.
02 -
  • If your structure starts leaning, toothpicks inserted at an angle between layers work better than straight-down insertions—I learned this by watching my first chalet slowly tip sideways.
  • Room temperature cheese holds its shape better than cold cheese straight from the fridge, so pull everything out about fifteen minutes before assembly.
03 -
  • Chill your serving platter for fifteen minutes before assembly—cold ceramic holds everything in place better and keeps the cheese from sweating.
  • If you're traveling with this, stack it in layers in a container and reassemble at the venue, because the car ride's bumps don't respect architecture.
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