The Urban Grid Platter (Print)

A vibrant platter with pretzel rods, cheeses, veggies, and dips arranged in a striking urban grid design.

# Components:

→ Streets

01 - 20 long pretzel rods

→ Cheeses

02 - 3.5 oz mild cheddar, cubed
03 - 3.5 oz gouda, cubed
04 - 3.5 oz mozzarella, cubed

→ Meats (optional)

05 - 3.5 oz salami, sliced
06 - 3.5 oz smoked turkey, cubed

→ Vegetables

07 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - 1 cucumber, sliced
09 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
10 - ½ cup baby carrots

→ Dips & Spreads

11 - ½ cup hummus
12 - ½ cup ranch dip

→ Extras

13 - ½ cup mixed olives
14 - ½ cup roasted nuts (almonds or cashews)

# Directions:

01 - Arrange pretzel rods on a large rectangular board in a grid pattern, forming streets and blocks to resemble a city map.
02 - Distribute cheeses, optional meats, vegetables, dips, olives, and nuts into the individual grid blocks for clear separation and aesthetic appeal.
03 - Place hummus and ranch dip into small bowls positioned within or beside the grid for easy access.
04 - Present the platter immediately, inviting guests to mix and match ingredients within the grid sections.

# Chef Secrets:

01 -
  • It looks stunning on the table without requiring any actual cooking skills or fancy plating technique.
  • Everyone gets to customize their own snack journey, picking and mixing as they please.
  • You can prep it in under 30 minutes and honestly most people will think you spent hours planning it.
02 -
  • Cut everything roughly the same size so the grid feels balanced visually and people's bites feel intentional rather than accidental.
  • Prepare this no more than 2 hours ahead; any longer and the vegetables start to weep and the pretzels absorb ambient moisture from the air.
03 -
  • Arrange heavier items like cheese and meats first, then tuck vegetables and smaller pieces around them for visual balance that feels organic rather than stiff.
  • If you're worried about presentation, use odd numbers in each block: 3 olives, 5 cheese cubes, 7 carrot slices—it looks intentional and visually interesting without overthinking it.
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