Cobblestone Courtyard Appetizer (Printable)

A visually appealing platter of round crackers and assorted olives arranged to mimic cobblestones.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crackers

01 - 36 to 40 round crackers (water crackers, multigrain, or rice crackers)

→ Olives

02 - 1 cup assorted pitted olives (Castelvetrano green, Kalamata, and black)

→ Garnishes (optional)

03 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, or rosemary)
04 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
05 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Select a large serving platter or charcuterie board to serve as the base.
02 - Place the round crackers closely together in a random, overlapping pattern to simulate cobblestones.
03 - Nestle assorted olives into the spaces between crackers to create a mortar-like visual effect.
04 - Optionally, sprinkle chopped fresh herbs and crumbled cheese over the arrangement.
05 - Drizzle extra virgin olive oil lightly across the top to enhance flavor and sheen.
06 - Present immediately as an interactive and visually appealing appetizer centerpiece.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks impressive enough to make guests pause and actually admire your platter before eating.
  • No cooking required means you can pull it together in the time it takes to chill a bottle.
  • Everyone eats with their hands and actually talks instead of disappearing into their phones.
02 -
  • Pit your olives ahead of time—biting into an unpitted olive mid-conversation is a mood killer.
  • Arrange this no more than 30 minutes before serving; crackers start absorbing olive oil and losing their snap after that.
03 -
  • Arrange everything on a slightly chilled platter—crackers stay crisper longer and olives taste fresher.
  • If you're making this hours ahead, keep crackers and olives separate, then assemble just before guests arrive so nothing gets soggy.
Go Back