Celtic Cross Cheese Platter (Printable Version)

An elegant cheese selection arranged in four quadrants around a creamy central dip with fruit and nuts.

# 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 Steps:

01 - Combine sour cream or Greek yogurt with finely chopped chives, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a small round bowl.
02 - Place the bowl centrally on a large, round serving platter.
03 - Divide the platter into four quadrants visually, placing each cheese variety attractively in its own quadrant around the dip.
04 - Fill spaces between cheese quadrants with seedless grapes, dried apricots, and walnuts to create contrast and texture variety.
05 - Lightly drizzle honey over the blue cheese quadrant to enhance flavor.
06 - Place rustic crackers and baguette slices along the outer edge of the platter.
07 - Ensure cheeses are at room temperature before serving for optimal taste.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks impressive enough for serious entertaining but takes only 20 minutes to pull together.
  • Each quadrant offers a completely different cheese experience, so there's something for every palate without feeling overwhelming.
  • The visual symmetry makes people slow down and actually taste instead of just grabbing and eating.
02 -
  • Room temperature is non-negotiable—pull the platter from the fridge early enough that the cheeses become pliable and actually taste like something.
  • The blue cheese and honey combination seems wrong until you taste it, then you'll understand why ancient flavor pairings exist for a reason.
  • Arrange everything no more than 15 minutes before serving so nothing starts weeping or drying out under the air.
03 -
  • Use lines of nuts or dried fruit to visually separate the quadrants—this makes the Celtic cross pattern jump out at people and become the talking point.
  • If any guest has allergies, create a small separate board so they feel included rather than excluded by the main event.
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