Celtic Cross Cheese Platter (Printable)

Striking cheese display arranged in quadrants around a flavorful central dip, ideal for elegant gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Cheeses

01 - 3.5 oz Irish cheddar, cubed
02 - 3.5 oz Brie, sliced
03 - 3.5 oz Blue cheese, crumbled
04 - 3.5 oz Manchego, sliced

→ Central Dip

05 - 5.3 oz sour cream or Greek yogurt
06 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
07 - 1 tsp lemon juice
08 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Accompaniments

09 - 2.8 oz seedless red grapes
10 - 2.8 oz dried apricots
11 - 1.8 oz walnuts
12 - 1.8 oz honey

→ Crackers & Bread

13 - 3.5 oz rustic crackers
14 - 1 small baguette, sliced

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine sour cream or Greek yogurt with chopped chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture into a small round bowl.
02 - Place the bowl of dip at the center of a large, round serving platter.
03 - Visually divide the platter into four quadrants and arrange each type of cheese attractively within its own section around the dip.
04 - Fill the spaces between the cheese quadrants with grapes, dried apricots, and walnuts to introduce varied colors and textures.
05 - Lightly drizzle honey over the blue cheese quadrant to enhance flavor contrast.
06 - Arrange rustic crackers and baguette slices evenly around the outer edge of the platter.
07 - Serve immediately, ensuring all cheeses have reached room temperature for optimal taste.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks impressive enough to make you seem like you spent hours planning, when really you spent twenty minutes and created pure magic.
  • Every guest finds their own cheese personality within the four quadrants, so there's something for the adventurous and something for the cautious.
  • The geometric cross design becomes a conversation starter before anyone even tastes anything.
02 -
  • Room temperature is everything here—cold cheese tastes flat and mean, while room temperature cheese tastes like it has something to say.
  • If your dip sits for more than an hour without being covered, it develops a thin skin on top that tastes stale; cover it with plastic wrap until the moment you serve.
03 -
  • If you can't find true Irish cheddar or Manchego, swap in any aged cheese that has character and a little bite—the personality matters more than the passport.
  • The honey drizzle should be generous enough to taste, not so modest that it disappears into the blue cheese like it was apologizing for being there.
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