Stepping Stones Cheese Appetizer (Printable)

Cheese rounds artfully placed over blue corn chips for a colorful gluten-free appetizer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheeses

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

→ River Base

04 - 5.3 oz blue corn tortilla chips

→ Garnishes (optional)

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

# Directions:

01 - Slice each cheese into 0.4-inch thick rounds resembling stepping stones. Chill slices for 10 minutes to facilitate handling if needed.
02 - Arrange blue corn tortilla chips in a winding river pattern on a large serving platter or board.
03 - Lay the cheese rounds across the blue corn chips, alternating cheese types to create a visually appealing stepping-stone path.
04 - Sprinkle chopped chives and cracked black pepper evenly over the cheese rounds. Scatter pomegranate seeds along the river for added color.
05 - Lightly drizzle honey over the cheese if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It requires zero cooking, so you can put it together while guests are arriving and you're actually enjoying their company.
  • The visual storytelling of cheese crossing chips like a river actually gets people talking and smiling before they even taste anything.
02 -
  • Room temperature cheese will never give you those clean rounds, and everything will taste flat and oily instead of bright and complex.
  • The chip river needs to be loose and flowing, not cramped; it's the negative space that makes the cheese look like intentional stepping stones rather than just cheese piled on chips.
03 -
  • If pomegranate seeds aren't in season or feel too fussy, try dried cranberries or candied beets for color and tartness without the staining.
  • Drizzle honey just before serving rather than earlier—it won't soak into the chips that way, and it stays glossy and beautiful on the cheese.
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