New Years Clock Countdown (Print View)

A festive party platter with crackers, olives, and cheese cubes styled as a clock for year-end celebrations.

# Components:

→ Crackers and Breadsticks

01 - 24 round crackers
02 - 8 breadsticks (optional, for decoration)

→ Cheeses

03 - 7 oz cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
04 - 7 oz Swiss cheese, cut into small cubes

→ Olives and Garnishes

05 - 24 pitted black olives
06 - 24 pitted green olives
07 - 2 cherry tomatoes
08 - Fresh parsley or rosemary sprigs (optional)

→ Extras (optional)

09 - 1 small round wooden or ceramic serving board, approximately 12 inches in diameter

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Arrange the round crackers evenly in a circle along the edge of the serving board to represent clock numbers with 12 at the top and 6 at the bottom.
02 - Position one black olive and one green olive alternately atop each cracker to mimic the clock numbers.
03 - Place the cherry tomatoes at the center of the board to symbolize the clock's midpoint.
04 - Skewer cubes of cheddar and Swiss cheese using toothpicks and arrange them in the center as the clock hands set to midnight, with one hand pointing upward and the other overlapping or also at 12.
05 - Place breadsticks or additional garnishes as desired for aesthetic flair and fill any empty spaces with parsley or rosemary sprigs.
06 - Present the platter promptly to guests for snacking during the countdown to midnight.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a conversation starter that sits on your table looking absolutely magical, and yes, it actually tastes as good as it looks
  • Takes just twenty minutes but feels like you spent hours creating something special—your guests will never know how easy it was
  • Works for any crowd because there's cheese, crackers, olives—something for everyone without anyone feeling left out
02 -
  • If your olives are wet, they'll slide right off the crackers and ruin the visual impact—pat them dry with paper towels before you start. This one small step changed everything for me.
  • Don't cut your cheese too far in advance. If the cubes sit uncovered for more than thirty minutes, they start looking tired. Cut them maybe thirty minutes before serving, and keep them covered until the last moment.
03 -
  • Make this platter the last thing you prepare before guests arrive—the olives stay glossy, the cheese stays cold, and the whole thing looks pristine when it matters most
  • If you want to get fancy, slice some of your cheese into thin rectangles instead of cubes and stand them up around the outside edge like little buildings around a clock tower—it looks elegant and tastes exactly the same
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