Safari Stripes Cheese Meat (Printable)

Creamy mozzarella and feta alternate with seared meats topped with balsamic glaze for elegant bites.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese

01 - 8.8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into 0.4 inch thick strips
02 - 7 oz feta cheese, sliced into 0.4 inch thick strips

→ Meats

03 - 7 oz beef tenderloin, cut into 0.4 inch thick strips
04 - 7 oz chicken breast, cut into 0.4 inch thick strips
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Balsamic Glaze

07 - 4 fl oz balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon honey

→ Garnish

09 - Fresh basil leaves
10 - Cracked black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Combine balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until thickened into a syrup. Allow to cool.
02 - Season beef and chicken strips with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef strips 1 to 2 minutes per side until just cooked through; remove and set aside. Repeat with chicken strips.
03 - Arrange cheese and cooked meat strips in alternating rows on serving platter, creating a striped pattern.
04 - Drizzle balsamic glaze generously over the meat strips.
05 - Decorate with fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of cracked black pepper. Serve immediately at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours planning when you really spent 40 minutes total, which is the best kind of kitchen magic.
  • The balsamic glaze transforms simple meat into something glossy and restaurant-worthy without any fussy techniques.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and works for almost any crowd because you can swap proteins around.
02 -
  • The balsamic must cool completely or it will make the mozzarella weep and turn your beautiful platter into a wet mess within minutes.
  • Thickness matters more than you'd think—if your strips are too thin, they'll fall apart when you handle them, so take time with the knife.
03 -
  • Slice everything just before you start assembling so nothing has time to dry out or lose its texture and visual appeal.
  • The secret that changed everything for me was realizing the glaze should be cool but the components should be room temperature, which makes every flavor more distinct and memorable.
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