Stepping stones with cheese (Printable Version)

Cheese rounds arranged over blue corn chips create a colorful, flavorful party platter centerpiece.

# What You Need:

→ Cheeses

01 - 5.3 oz goat cheese log
02 - 5.3 oz well-chilled brie cheese
03 - 5.3 oz smoked gouda

→ River Base

04 - 5.3 oz blue corn tortilla chips

→ Garnishes (optional)

05 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
06 - 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
07 - 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
08 - 2 tablespoons honey

# How To Make:

01 - Cut each cheese into 0.4-inch thick rounds resembling stepping stones. Chill the slices for 10 minutes if needed for easier handling.
02 - Spread blue corn tortilla chips in a winding river pattern on a large serving platter or board.
03 - Position the cheese rounds across the chips in a stepping-stone path, alternating cheese types to enhance visual appeal.
04 - Sprinkle finely chopped chives and cracked black pepper over the cheese. Distribute pomegranate seeds along the chip river for color contrast.
05 - Lightly drizzle honey over the cheese rounds if desired. Serve immediately.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • It takes 15 minutes but looks like you spent an hour on it, which is the secret dream of every home entertainer.
  • You can make it entirely ahead of time, which means you're actually enjoying your guests instead of sweating in the kitchen.
  • Kids and adults both get weirdly excited about the stepping stone concept—it makes eating cheese feel like an adventure.
02 -
  • The brie must be genuinely cold or it'll collapse when you slice it, and no amount of rearranging will fix that—trust me, I learned this during a brunch that didn't go as planned.
  • Don't assemble this more than 2 hours ahead or the chips will absorb moisture from the cheese and turn soft, which ruins the whole textural magic of the dish.
03 -
  • Arrange everything on a cold platter pulled from the fridge right before serving—cold surfaces keep your cheeses firm and looking pristine longer.
  • Cut your cheese rounds with dental floss instead of a knife if you want cleaner edges and less cheese waste; it's the weird trick that actually works.
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