How to Make a Festive Christmas Charcuterie Board
Learn how to make a festive Christmas charcuterie board filled with beautifully arranged savory meats, cheeses, and other snacks in just minutes!
During the holiday season, what better way to celebrate than with a festive charcuterie board? Serve it alongside a bowl of this Christmas Punch for a fun evening!
Loaded with a selection of meat, cheeses, and other small bites, it becomes the centerpiece of any party that brings everyone together.
The best part is that you don’t have to overthink what appetizers you’re going to serve.
It takes only a few minutes to assemble with a few select items you pick up from the grocery store. No cooking is involved!
You can create this snack board just as we have it or add one of these tasty charcuterie condiments.
If you’d like to swap out the cheese that I used, you may want to take a look at these tips for how to choose and cut cheese for a charcuterie board.
While you’re in the charcuterie mood, you should also check out this breakfast charcuterie board! Talk about a fun way to start your day!
Why We Love This Holiday Charcuterie Board
The beautiful way this charcuterie board is arranged makes it a showstopping appetizer that will catch everyone’s eye.
With its vibrant colors, different flavors, and assorted textures, it keeps people wanting to come back for another bite.
It’s so easy to customize, too! Whether you’re a meat and cheese lover or like extra fruit or veggies, you can adapt this board to suit your taste.
We created this one specifically for holiday parties and festive get-togethers. But you can make it any time of the year with items that are in season and readily available.
What You Need to Make It
- Fresh sprigs of rosemary.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Small round of Brie cheese.
- Another cheese of your choosing. We used Gouda.
- Large green olives.
- Caperberries.
- Prosciutto.
- Marcona almonds, regular almonds, or pistachios.
- Bocconcini (small mozzarella balls).
- Sliced baguette.
Festive Charcuterie Board Variations
- Cheeses: brie, gouda, blue cheese, manchego, camembert, and any type of cheddar all make a great addition.
- Savory meats: Swap out or add a variety of meats, like prosciutto, pepperoni, chorizo, or coppa. If you’re feeling extra creative, a salami rose adds the perfect festive touch.
- Fresh fruit: Green grapes, figs, red or green apples, pears, red berries, and pomegranate seeds will all work great on a meat and cheese board.
- Veggies: Feel free to add fresh veggies, such as green or red bell peppers, pickles, radishes, and cucumber slices.
- Fresh herbs: If you’re not a fan of rosemary, fresh basil leaves or fresh thyme are great options.
- Sweet treats: To add a bit of sweetness, scatter a few peppermint candies or mini candy canes around in an empty spot on the board. You can also add wrapped chocolate in Christmas colors.
How to Make a Festive Christmas Charcuterie Board
Step 1. Place the fresh rosemary sprigs in a circle around the outer edges of the board. You can use a round wooden board, as we did, or any big board of your choosing.
Step 2. Set a grouping of 3 cherry tomatoes in a few places next to the rosemary. Next, add small wedges of brie, small bowls of caperberries, and almonds.
Step 3. Begin to fill in the spot with cubes of cheddar cheese and folded prosciutto. It will start to look like the shape of a wreath.
Step 4. Drop in the pistachios and the bocconcini. Place slices of baguette in the center.
Step 5. Fill in any empty spaces with nuts or other small items.
Recommended Tools to Have on Hand
Large cutting board or platter: You can use a large wooden cutting board, a slab of marble, a slate board, or any serving platter. Make sure it’s large enough to hold all the different ingredients.
We love this Wood 12″ Pizza Board as it’s round and perfect for the wreath.
Small bowls or ramekins: You’ll need a few of these small bowls to hold condiments or dips. They’re also a great way to hold small pickles, olives, or other wet ingredients.
Cheese knives: These are great for slicing hard cheeses and spreading soft cheeses.
Small forks: These are great ideas to have handy for picking up cheeses and meats without your guests having to use their fingers.
Small spoons: These are needed if you’re including spreads, dips, or jams on your board.
Cocktail picks or frill picks: These are great for grabbing olives, cherry tomatoes, or other small finger foods. We like the disposable forks!
Cookie cutter: A mini star or Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter is a fun way to cut delicious cheeses into different shapes.
Top Tips for Cheese Storage
Do you store your cheese in plastic bags or containers? If the answer is yes, you’ve been storing it wrong if you want to keep it fresh.
Cheese needs air to breathe, and plastic wrap is a full barrier, leaving no room for air. In addition, the cheese is somewhat of a sponge and can absorb the plasticizers from the wrap. Blech!
Pick up some cheese storage bags instead, and your cheese will last longer and taste better.
Festive Charcuterie Board FAQS
Pair wines with cheeses and meats that have complementary flavors. As a general rule, red wines go well with bold cheeses and meats, while white wines complement lighter options. Sparkling wine is versatile and goes with anything.
You can chop the vegetables and arrange any non-perishable items on the board. But for best results, you want to assemble the board right before serving to make sure the items are fresh.
You don’t want to put the whole board in the fridge. But you can remove the cheeses, meats, and other items separately in an airtight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator.
More Christmas Recipes
Christmas Desserts Around the World
How to Make a Festive Christmas Charcuterie Board
Equipment
- Round charcuterie board
- Small bowls or ramekins
Ingredients
- 1 package Fresh sprigs of rosemary Or enough to go around the board
- 12 ounces Cherry or grape tomatoes We like Sugar Bombs
- 4 ounces Gouda
- 4 ounces Brie cheese
- 12 Large green olives
- 12 Caperberries
- 8 ounces Prosciutto
- 8 ounces Marcona almonds
- 1 package Bocconcini
- ½ Sliced baguette
Instructions
- Place the fresh rosemary sprigs in a circle around the outer edges of the board.
- Set a grouping of 3 cherry tomatoes in a few places next to the rosemary. Next, add small wedges of brie, small bowls of caperberries, and almonds.
- Begin to fill in the empty spots with cubes of cheddar cheese and folded prosciutto. It will start to look like the shape of a wreath.
- Drop in the pistachios and the bocconcini. Place slices of baguette in the center.
- Fill in any empty spaces with nuts or other small items like dried fruit.
Notes
- Cheeses: brie, gouda, blue cheese, manchego, camembert, and any type of cheddar all make a great addition.
- Savory meats: Swap out or add a variety of meats, like prosciutto, pepperoni, chorizo, or coppa. If you’re feeling extra creative, a salami rose adds the perfect festive touch.
- Fresh fruit: Green grapes, figs, red or green apples, pears, red berries, and pomegranate seeds will all work great on a meat and cheese board.
- Veggies: Feel free to add fresh veggies, such as green or red bell peppers, pickles, radishes, and cucumber slices.
- Fresh herbs: If you’re not a fan of rosemary, fresh basil leaves or fresh thyme are great options.
- Sweet treats: To add a bit of sweetness, scatter a few peppermint candies or mini candy canes around in an empty spot on the board. You can also add wrapped chocolate in Christmas colors.
