Urban Grid Snack Platter (Printable)

A city-inspired snack arrangement with pretzels, cheeses, veggies, and dips for interactive sharing and easy snacking.

# What you need:

→ Streets

01 - 20 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 sliced salami
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 - 1/2 cup baby carrots

→ Dips & Spreads

11 - 1/2 cup hummus
12 - 1/2 cup ranch dip

→ Extras

13 - 1/2 cup mixed olives
14 - 1/2 cup roasted nuts (almonds or cashews)

# How to make it:

01 - Place pretzel rods on a large rectangular board in a grid pattern to mimic city streets and blocks.
02 - Distribute cubed cheeses, optional meats, vegetables, dips, olives, and nuts into the grid blocks, keeping ingredients separated for visual impact and easy selection.
03 - Place dips into small bowls positioned within or near the grid for convenient access.
04 - Present immediately, inviting guests to mix and match ingredients for personalized bites.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a conversation starter that looks intentional and impressive but takes almost no cooking skill, just a little thoughtful arrangement.
  • Everyone at your gathering becomes part of the experience, picking their own adventure through the grid instead of waiting for someone to pass them a plate.
  • You can throw it together in 25 minutes with whatever cheeses and vegetables you already have, making it perfect for last-minute entertaining.
02 -
  • Don't prep this too far ahead or your vegetables will start sweating and the fresh crunch disappears—15 minutes before serving is your sweet spot, which is why this is perfect for when you're already hosting.
  • Those pretzel rods are fragile when they're just sitting there; they start breaking down the second moisture from vegetables or dips touches them, so keep them slightly separated and consider adding them last if your guests are staying for hours.
03 -
  • Cut everything roughly the same size so your grid doesn't look chaotic—uniform pieces make the whole composition read as intentional, which is 90% of why this works as a presentation.
  • Keep a small damp cloth nearby during serving so you can quickly wipe pretzel rod fragments off the board; they get dusty as people handle them and a quick cleanup keeps everything looking fresh.
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