Christmas Charcuterie Board
Christmas is approaching, and as you start planning your holiday parties, consider this great way to celebrate the season with a festive Christmas charcuterie board! Layer your charcuterie board with fruits, nuts, jams, meats, and cheese to celebrate the most cherished season!
The fun part about this perfect appetizer is that you can decorate with a festive touch using a Christmas theme and displaying Christmas colors on your charcuterie board.
All of the ingredients are literally finger foods and are easily found at your local grocery store.
‘Tis the season for Christmas parties!
If you are looking for other delicious foods perfect for your Christmas celebration, be sure to check out my simple Chocolate Chip Pie, creamy Cheeseburger Soup, or my easy Breakfast Quiche that tastes great no matter what time of day!
What is a Christmas Charcuterie Board
A Christmas charcuterie board is like a traditional charcuterie board, but with a festive Christmas color scheme and yummy holiday favorites!
You can use a variety of meat products, slices of cheese, fresh fruits, dried fruits, vegetables, nuts, crackers, dips, candies, and cookies.
This holiday season you can use a large wooden board, or you can purchase a holiday board with a different shape, such as the shape of a Christmas tree.
You can also use a round cake stand or round wooden board and display the food items in the shape of a Christmas charcuterie wreath!
A gorgeous charcuterie board is a perfect way to bring guests and family together as they share delicious food at your holiday party.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A charcuterie board is easily put together and only requires a little creativity.
- It can be served on Christmas Eve, at a Christmas party in your home, holiday family gatherings, and even on Christmas Day!
- You can easily transport it to someone else’s home for their holiday party by covering it with plastic wrap!
Tell Me About This Christmas Charcuterie Board
- Taste– There will be an abundance of flavor with all the savory holiday meat, sweet treats and fruits, salty crackers and nuts, and creamy cheeses.
- Texture– The best part of a charcuterie board is the variety of tastes, flavors, and crunchy, smooth, and creamy textures from all the different types of foods.
- Ease– There is no cooking required for this recipe. You only need to display the food in a creative way to make a beautiful board.
- Time– Most likely, you will be able to prepare the charcuterie board in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients for Christmas Charcuterie Board
- Cubed Sharp Cheddar Cheese– Sharp cheddar has a strong and tangy flavor as compared to mild cheddar. The cubed shape is easy to pop in the mouth!
- Brie Cheese– Brie is great for a charcuterie board because it goes well with bread and fruit.
- Cranberry Specialty Cheese– This cheese has a sweet and fruity taste due to the cranberries.
- Fig Jam– Sweet and delicious, this tastes great with crackers and breads!
- Honey– Honey is delicious to drizzle or dip ingredients into.
- Toasted Almonds– Nuts are always a good choice for an appetizer.
- Candied Pecans– Crunchy and sweet candied pecans hit the spot!
- Pomegranate Seeds– The beautiful rich red color of these seeds adds beauty and flavor to your board.
- Green Grapes– Green grapes are sweet and provide a pop of flavor against the savory flavor of other items. Plus, the green adds Christmas color.
- Red Grapes– Again, these grapes are sweet and fresh, providing color to the board.
- Honey Crisp Apple– The red skin adds a Christmasy color and delightfully sweet crunch.
- Sweetened Dried Orange Slices or Fresh Oranges– Oranges are so good for you, with a juicy and sweet flavor!
- Fresh Fig– This is a great addition to the perfect charcuterie board.
- Dried Cherries– Full of anti-oxidants and other health benefits, this dried fruit also adds red color to your board.
- Black Olives– No charcuterie board would be complete without salty black olives!
- Cherry Tomatoes– Cherry tomatoes add color and a burst of flavor.
- Pickled Green Beans– These beans are garlicky and crunchy. They also provide green color to your Christmas board.
- Salami– Salami is an Italian meat and only mildly spicy.
- Prosciutto– This meat is actually from pork and has a slightly sweet and salty flavor.
- Pepperoni– Pepperoni is spicier than salami.
- Stone Ground Wheat Crackers– Crackers are a good choice to eat with the meats and cheeses
- Peppered Crackers– Yummy and spicy crackers are wonderful with delicious meats.
- Flat Pretzels– Salty and crunchy pretzels are fun just on their own!
- Na’an Bread Slices (Pita bread works well, also)– Na’an and pita bread are soft breads and taste great with the dips and jams.
- Shortbread Cookies– Buttery shortbread cookies are a traditional Christmas cookie!
- Chocolates– Chocolates are perfect for any occasion!
Make a Christmas Charcuterie Board in 3 Easy Steps
- Create the base– Add the bowls with dips and cheeses first.
- Add all the ingredients– Add the nuts and meats in a diagonal. Then add crackers, cookies, vegetables, and fresh fruit to fill in the empty spaces.
- Finish off the charcuterie board– Add serving spoons, knives, toothpicks, and tongs to the dips and cheeses.
Tips for Christmas Charcuterie Board
- While assembling your own charcuterie board, keep in mind that you can be as creative as you like, and literally make it look like a piece of art with the colors, textures, and the way you display the food items. There is no wrong way to do it!
- You can purchase charcuterie boards of all different shapes and sizes! I love the Christmas tree shape.
- You can even use cookie cutters to cut slices of cheese into different shapes such as bells, Christmas trees, angels, and snowmen.
- Think about adding pops of color to your board with different festive foods and Christmas food items.
- Make sure you use small bowls to contain messy food items. An organized and well-laid out charcuterie board is appealing and appetizing! You can also use parchment paper or foil on the top of the charcuterie board to avoid messy clean-up.
- Another fun idea is to make a separate dessert board with all your favorite Christmas cookies and other sweet goodies.
Variations for Christmas Board
- Green Olives– These are salty and green to make the board fit the Christmas theme.
- Pepper Jack Cheese– This cheese adds some spice and variety to your board.
- Red and Green Sweet Peppers– Again, not only are they healthy, sweet, and crunchy, they add Christmasy color to your appetizer.
- Goat Cheese Log– This would be delicious to use with the Na’an bread slices and crackers.
- Candy Canes and Peppermints– Peppermint and deliciously sweet flavors combined with the festive red and white colors are fun tasty options.
How to Store Leftover Christmas Charcuterie Board
Be sure to store your perishable leftovers from your charcuterie board in either airtight containers, ziplock bags, or cover them with plastic wrap.
Make sure that the non-perishable items are also stored in air-tight containers or ziplock bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
That’s ok! You can use other tray-like surfaces such as cake stands and various serving platters! Remember, it doesn’t have to be a wooden board designed for charcuterie. Shop your kitchen cabinets and counters and use your imagination!
It’s safe to keep it out for about 2 hours. Don’t take it out of the refrigerator until the party starts and then make sure you refrigerate it again as soon as 2 hours are over.
You can assemble it a few hours before the party!
My Favorite Kitchen Things
Christmas Charcuterie Board Recipe
Christmas Charcuterie Board
Equipment
- 1 charcuterie board
- serving spoons and knives
- small serving bowls
Ingredients
- 1 block sharp cheddar cheese cubed
- 1 pkg Brie cheese
- 1 cranberry specialty cheese
Dips
- fig jam
- honey
Nuts
- 1 pkg toasted almonds
- 1 cup candied pecans
Fruit
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- green grapes
- red grapes
- 1 honeycrisp apple sliced
- sweetened dried orange slices or fresh orange slices
- 1 fresh fig halved
- dried cherries
Vegetables
- black olives
- cherry tomatoes
- pickled green beans
Meats
- 1 pkg salami
- 1 pkg prosciutto
- 1 pkg pepperoni
Crackers
- stone ground wheat crackers
- peppered crackers
- flat pretzels
- Na'an bread slices (or pita bread)
Cookies
- shortbread cookies
- chocolates
Instructions
- Start by creating the base and structure of your board with the dips in bowls and the cheeses.
- Next, add in your nuts and meats, working in a diagonal to create visual beauty with your board.
- Lastly, fill in space with your crackers, cookies, vegetables, and fruit. Lay your crackers and cookies so they can be easily grabbed one-by-one.
- To finish off the charcuterie board, place the serving spoons and knives with the dips and cheeses. Have toothpicks or tongs for people to use to grab their items.
Notes
- While assembling your own charcuterie board, keep in mind that you can be as creative as you like, and literally make it look like a piece of art with the colors, textures, and the way you display the food items. There is no wrong way to do it!
- You can purchase charcuterie boards of all different shapes and sizes! I love the Christmas tree shape.
- You can even use cookie cutters to cut slices of cheese into different shapes such as bells, Christmas trees, angels, and snowmen.
- Think about adding pops of color to your board with different festive foods and Christmas food items.
- Make sure you use small bowls to contain messy food items. An organized and well-laid out charcuterie board is appealing and appetizing! You can also use parchment paper or foil on the top of the charcuterie board to avoid messy clean-up.
- Another fun idea is to make a separate dessert board with all your favorite Christmas cookies and other sweet goodies.
