New Years Clock Countdown (Printable Version)

A festive platter with crackers, cheeses, and olives arranged like a clock for holiday celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crackers and Breadsticks

01 - 24 round crackers
02 - 8 breadsticks (optional)

→ Cheeses

03 - 7 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
04 - 7 oz Swiss cheese, cubed

→ 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

09 - 1 small round wooden or ceramic serving board (approximately 12 inches diameter)

# How To Make It:

01 - Place the round crackers evenly in a circle along the edge of the serving board to represent clock numbers, positioning 12 at the top and 6 at the bottom.
02 - Alternately position one black olive and one green olive atop each cracker to simulate clock numerals.
03 - Place the cherry tomatoes in the center of the board to form the clock’s center point.
04 - Skewer cubes of cheddar and Swiss cheese with toothpicks and arrange them as clock hands set to midnight, with one hand pointing straight up and the other overlapping or aligned at 12.
05 - Decorate with breadsticks and scatter parsley or rosemary sprigs as desired to enhance presentation.
06 - Present immediately and invite guests to enjoy while counting down to midnight.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's so easy anyone can make it, yet looks like you spent hours planning—the perfect confidence boost when hosting
  • Guests genuinely love the conversation piece aspect; I've watched people take pictures of this platter more than any dish I've made
  • It requires zero cooking skills, just 20 minutes of playful assembly, which means even stressed hosts can pull it off
02 -
  • Always pit your olives yourself or buy pre-pitted ones—a guest biting into a pit during the countdown is not the memory you want to create. I learned this the painful way.
  • Cut your cheese cubes the night before and store them in an airtight container. This keeps them fresh and saves you 10 minutes on party day when you're already stressed.
03 -
  • Use longer toothpicks that are sturdy and thick enough to hold the weight of cheese without bending—it makes the whole presentation feel intentional and elegant rather than precarious
  • Assign different family members or friends to make 'mini clocks' on smaller boards—turn it into a party game where everyone creates their own version and you display them all together
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