Checkerboard Chalet Cheese Meats (Printable view)

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

# What You Need:

→ Cheeses

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

→ Meats

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

# How To Make:

01 - Cut all cheeses and meats into uniform cubes and slices approximately 0.6 inch in size to achieve a precise checkerboard pattern.
02 - Arrange cheese slices (cheddar, Swiss) and meat slices (ham, salami) alternately in a 4 by 4 grid tightly on a large serving platter to highlight the checkerboard design.
03 - On one side of the base, stack alternating cheese and meat cubes in a square footprint with 4 cubes per layer, building up 3 to 4 layers. Use toothpicks or short skewers as needed for stability.
04 - Place cheese slices or cubes at an angle on top of the stack and secure them with fresh chives arranged as decorative roof beams.
05 - Decorate around the chalet with halved cherry tomatoes and flat-leaf parsley to simulate a garden or pathway.
06 - Present immediately with small forks or cocktail picks to facilitate self-service.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It stops conversations the moment you set it down—people genuinely don't know whether to admire it or eat it first.
  • Zero cooking required means you can prep everything earlier and assemble with the confidence of someone who actually knows what they're doing.
02 -
  • Room temperature is your friend—cold cheese becomes brittle and won't stack cleanly, but cheese that's been sitting out for twenty minutes is forgiving and cooperative.
  • Cut everything on the exact same day you're serving it because pre-cut cheese starts weeping oils and meat begins drying out, turning your chalet from striking to sad in a few hours.
03 -
  • Assemble as close to serving time as possible because the longer it sits, the more oils migrate and the less structurally sound everything becomes.
  • If your toothpicks are holding things at slightly odd angles, that's actually better than perfectly vertical—it looks more naturally built and less fussy.
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