Holly Berry Cluster Platter (Printable version)

Colorful arrangement of red berries, fresh herbs, cheeses, and crackers for holiday entertaining.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Berries

01 - 1 cup fresh red currants or cranberries
02 - 1 cup pomegranate arils
03 - 1/2 cup red grapes, halved

→ Cheese & Accompaniments

04 - 7 oz goat cheese, shaped into small rounds
05 - 3.5 oz brie, cut into cubes
06 - 3.5 oz aged cheddar, cut into cubes

→ Crackers & Bread

07 - 1 cup assorted crackers
08 - 1/2 baguette, sliced into rounds (optional)

→ Fresh Herbs

09 - 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 - 1 small bunch fresh mint
11 - 1 small bunch fresh rosemary

→ Garnishes

12 - 1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
13 - 2 tbsp honey for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - Wash and thoroughly dry all berries and fresh herbs.
02 - Place clusters of red berries tightly on a large serving platter to mimic holly berries.
03 - Nestle goat cheese rounds and brie and cheddar cubes among the berry clusters.
04 - Tuck sprigs of parsley, mint, and rosemary around the berries and cheeses to create holly-like greenery.
05 - Fill open spaces with assorted crackers and optional baguette slices.
06 - Sprinkle toasted nuts over the platter and drizzle honey lightly over the cheeses as desired.
07 - Present immediately, allowing guests to serve themselves from the festive arrangement.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's practically a cheat code for elegant entertaining—your guests will think you spent hours when you really spent twenty minutes
  • No cooking required means zero stress and maximum time to actually enjoy your guests
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free friendly, so you can welcome everyone to the table
02 -
  • Assemble this no more than 2 hours ahead—the herbs will start to wilt and lose their perky appeal if left too long. Prep everything separately and arrange just before serving for maximum freshness and visual impact.
  • The arrangement itself is forgiving—there's no wrong way to create beauty here. I used to overthink it until I realized that slightly imperfect, organic arrangements actually look more elegant and inviting than anything too precise.
03 -
  • If you want to prep ahead, wash and dry everything separately, keep herbs in slightly damp paper towels in the fridge, and arrange only in the final hour—this is when you'll feel the joy of creation rather than the stress of timing
  • The secret that changed everything for me was using odd numbers and asymmetrical groupings—three parsley sprigs, five berry clusters, seven nut scattered pieces—it just looks more sophisticated and less formal than even numbers
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