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Pickle and cheddar skewers with cherry tomatoes
Small cold skewers of cheddar, firm dill pickle and cherry tomato, with practical cutting and assembly instructions.
In this guide5 sections
Build a bite that stays on its stick
A snack skewer looks simple until the cheese splits or a slippery pickle slides into somebody's lap. Use firm cheddar cubes and thick pieces of pickle, then push the stick through slowly. We would make each skewer small enough to eat in a couple of bites rather than turning it into a miniature kebab.
Yield: 12 small skewers. Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 0 minutes. You will need twelve short food-safe skewers or cocktail sticks. They are serving tools, not an ingredient; remove them before eating, and serve the pieces without sharp sticks where that suits your guests better.
Ingredients
- 180 g (6 oz) firm mature cheddar
- 180 g (6 oz) drained dill pickles
- 12 small cherry tomatoes, about 150 g
- 10 ml (2 teaspoons) olive oil
- 5 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
- Cut the cheddar into twelve firm cubes of similar size. If the cheese is crumbly, choose a less aged block for this job; a cheese that breaks while cutting will be harder to thread neatly.
Cut firm cheddar into even cubes that will hold on a stick. - Cut the pickles into twelve thick pieces, trimming very narrow ends for another use. Blot the pieces well. Wash the cherry tomatoes and dry them so water does not run onto the cheese.
- Mix the olive oil, chopped dill and black pepper in a small bowl. Turn the pickle pieces through this light coating, then let any excess fall back into the bowl rather than soaking the plate.
Coat the pickle pieces lightly and let excess oil drain back into the bowl. - Thread one tomato, one pickle piece and one cheese cube onto each stick, pushing carefully through the centre. Leave a short clean end to hold, and stop if the cheese begins to split rather than forcing the stick through.
Thread through the centre and leave a clean end to hold. - Arrange on a covered tray and refrigerate until serving. Use a clean plate for the table and bring out only the amount needed; the remaining skewers can stay chilled.
The cheese does not need to be expensive
A very mature, crystalline cheddar is lovely for eating by itself but can fracture around a skewer. A firm block that cuts cleanly is the better choice here. The pickle already brings plenty of sharpness, so extreme cheese strength is not the main goal.
Tomato size also matters. A large cherry tomato can turn the skewer into an awkward bite and hide the pickle behind it. Choose small tomatoes, or serve larger ones halved on a plate alongside the cheese and pickles instead of forcing them onto sticks. That changes the presentation, not the basic snack.
Try filled cucumber bites without sticks for a different way to serve the creamier ingredients. Pickle deviled eggs work well beside either snack.
At the table
Assemble on the day you plan to serve them. Keep covered and refrigerated so the cut cheese does not dry out, and use chilled transport for an outdoor meal.
Keep cold during storage and serving; see the recipe library’s storage guidance.
Keep the jar open
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