Checkerboard Chalet Cheese Meats (Printable)

Striking checkerboard of cheese and meats with a playful 3D chalet, perfect for stylish entertaining.

# 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)

# Directions:

01 - Slice all cheeses and meats into uniform cubes and slices approximately 0.6 inches to achieve a precise checkerboard pattern.
02 - On a large serving platter, alternate cheddar and Swiss cheese slices with ham and salami slices in a tight 4x4 grid to form the checkerboard base.
03 - On one side of the base, stack alternating cheese and meat cubes in layers of four per level for three to four levels, securing with toothpicks or short skewers as needed.
04 - Position cheese slices or cubes at an angle atop the chalet to form the roof, securing with chives as decorative beams.
05 - Surround the chalet with halved cherry tomatoes and parsley to simulate a garden or pathway.
06 - Present immediately, providing small forks or cocktail picks for convenient self-service.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a showstopper that looks like it took hours but comes together in 30 minutes flat.
  • No cooking required means you can prep it while handling everything else on your stove.
  • Guests get to graze, play, and Instagram it all at once.
02 -
  • Keep everything refrigerated until the last possible moment—cheese softens faster than you'd think under warm kitchen lights, and that compromises your structure.
  • Cut your pieces first, then arrange; trying to cut while building leads to crushed cubes and frustrated muttering.
03 -
  • Let your knife stay sharp and your cutting board stay cold—both make cleaner cuts and happier stacking.
  • If something shifts during transport, you have about 30 seconds to fix it before the cheese sets into its new position, so work quickly and don't panic.
Return