Impress your guests this holiday season with this eye-catchingly festive charcuterie board. This Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board is simple to make, delicious and the ideal addition to any snack table. Add homemade items and local holiday favorites to give it a cozy and personal touch!
I LOVE making themed charcuterie boards for every occasion. It's a great opportunity to get creative. These boards are fun to make, easy and the perfect conversation starter!
This Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board will get you in the holiday spirit. Make it for a party or a Christmas celebration at home. It is sure to be a hit with anyone you choose to share it with.
What is a charcuterie board?
Charcuterie was originated in France as a method to preserve meats and is translated to mean 'cold cooked meat'.
Today, it has become a very popular way of serving smoked or cured meats alongside a variety of fruits, pickled vegetables, cheese and nuts. Usually, the ingredients are plated in an attractive manner on a serving board and are commonly served at parties and events because they can be eaten with hands.
Ingredient Ideas
The beautiful thing about charcuterie is that you can cater the ingredients to personal tastes and dietary needs. Boards can easily be made gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, or even vegan. Or, you can focus on seasonal favorites and ingredients that are significant to your family or friend group making the board feel ultra-personal. Here are some suggestions of ingredients you can use or select your own personal faves.
Meats – (Choose 2-3 items)
- Salami
- Prosciutto
- Calabrese
- Chorizo
- Capocollo
- Soppressata
- Summer Sausage
- Pate
- Jamon Iberico
Cheeses – (Choose 2-3 items)
- Soft cheese - Like brie, blue cheese or goat cheese
- Semi-soft cheeses - Like gouda, Havarti, or muenster
- Hard cheese - Like Manchego, parmesan, asiago or cheddar
- Baby mozzarella balls
Fruit – (Choose 1-4)
- Berries - Blackberries, raspberries or blueberries.
- Apple slices
- Cherries
- Pear slices - Slice these last as they will brown.
- Figs
- Dried cranberries
- Grapes - Any color!
Dips – (Choose 1-2)
- Honey - I love raw local honey!
- Infused olive oil
- Bruschetta
- Preserves - Unique, high-quality or locally produced preserves are best!
- Pesto
Crunch – (Choose 1-3)
- Crackers
- Shelled pistachios
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Candied nuts
- Macadamia nuts
Other – (Choose 1-4)
- Pickles
- Baby cucumbers
- Olives - Any variety! I.e., stuffed green, kalamata or mixed Greek.
- Chocolate squares or wrapped chocolates
- Holiday shaped cookies
- Dates
Here’s exactly what I used: black seedless table grapes, green grapes, dry coppa, Italian dry salami, peppered salami, strawberry preserves, walnuts, pecans, baby mozzarella balls, foil-wrapped chocolates, blackberries, cranberry and seed crackers, cranberry goat cheese, garlic-stuffed green olives, white cheddar, baby cucumbers, rosemary, white chocolate chips and a star-shaped cookie cutter.
What You Will Need
In order to build this board you will need a few items other than the ingredients listed above, including:
- A cutting board and a nice sharp knife to slice fruit and cheese.
- A large board or even a table lined with butcher or craft paper that you can build your board on.
- Rosemary to make the tree branches. You can also use greenery (real or fake!).
- Small dishes to contain any dips or loose ingredients.
- Parchment paper and scissors to create a triangle.
- A star! I used a star-shaped cookie cutter, but you could cut a star out of yellow cheese or a star-shaped cookie.
How to Build Your Board
- Start by cutting a triangle out of parchment paper. This will act as a stencil for you tree. Ideally, this triangle should be taller than it is wide and slightly smaller than your board.
- Place the star at the top of the tree. If using a cookie cutter, fill the cookie cutter with small white or yellow items (I used white chocolate chips).
- Create the tree trunk by placing several thick-cut slices of salami or a pile of cubed cheese shaped as a rectangle at the base of the parchment paper triangle.
- Place any large items and anything in dishes first, so that you can build around these items.
- Start building 'garlands' of ingredients using rows of sliced cheeses, rolled salami (I used a bamboo skewer to keep these organized), baby cucumbers, chocolate squares or crackers. Build these 'garlands' at an angle going up the tree. They should all be parallel.
- Fill the spaces with loose items like grapes, crackers, berries or bunched prosciutto.
- Once the tree is full and filled, begin framing the tree with rosemary.
- Decorate the tree by placing single items like berries and foil-wrapped chocolates scattered around on the tree.
Can I prepare this board ahead of time?
You can prepare this Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board up to 24 hours ahead of time. After it is finished, you will want to carefully wrap in it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. Save anything that will not hold up well (like sliced fruit or crackers) to be added right before serving.
How do I decide how much food I need for my board?
Aim for about 2 ounces of cheese and meat per person. If you are offering a full meal or have many of other options on the snack table, this should be plenty.
How do I know how big of a board to use?
This will depend on how many people you plan to serve. The board I used is just under 2 feet long and will serve approximately 6-8 people. If you need to serve a larger crowd, you can line a table with butcher paper and build the board directly on to the table.
Charcuterie Tips
- If you have small holiday dishes or dip bowls, you can use these to contain loose items or dips.
- While some of the 'garlands' go across the entire length of the tree, not all of them have to. You can fill the remaining portion with bunches of grapes, bunched or rolled meats, or loose crackers.
- Always place your larger items first because they will dominate the space and can be hard to fit in after you start building your board.
- Consider how you board will go together as a whole. Each item should have at least one complimentary item. Offer a variety of flavors and textures to achieve a tasty and balanced board.
RELATED RECIPES
Did you tmake this Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board? I would love to see your creations! Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or leave a photo comment on Pinterest.
Feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. Feedback is always appreciated! 😊
📖 Recipe
Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
Equipment
- Large board
- Parchment paper
- Scissors
- Cutting board
- Star-shaped cookie cutter Optional
Ingredients
For the Tree
- 1 Parchment paper triangle
- ¼ cup White chocolate chips Used to fill the star
- 4 slices Thick-cut dry salami Used to make the 'trunk'
- 2 ounces Fresh rosemary To frame the tree
For the 'Garlands'
- 2 oz Dry Italian salami
- 2 Peppered salami
- 4 oz Cranberry goat cheese Sliced
- 4 oz White cheddar Sliced
- 6 Baby cucumber
For Fill
- 1 oz Dry coppa
- ½ lb Green grapes
- ½ lb Black seedless table grapes
- 10-15 Crackers
- ⅓ cup Garlic-stuffed green olives
- 2 tbsp Strawberry preserves
- ¼ Pecans and walnuts
For the 'Ornaments'
- 5 Baby mozerella balls
- 4 Foil-wrapped chocolate
- ¼ cup Blackberries
Instructions
- Start by cutting a triangle out of parchment paper. This will act as a stencil for your tree. Ideally, this triangle should be taller than it is wide and slightly smaller than your board. Place the triangle centered on the board.
- Place the star at the top of the tree. You can use anything star-shaped that is an appropriate size, like a star-shaped cookie, a cookie cutter, or a star cut out of cheese. If using a cookie cutter, fill the cookie cutter with small white or yellow items (I used white chocolate chips).
- Create the tree trunk by placing several thick-cut slices of salami or a pile of cubed cheese shaped as a rectangle at the base of the parchment paper triangle.
- To begin your board, you want to place any large items first. This will allow you to build around them with the other ingredients. If you have more than one dish, be sure to not place them next to each other.
- Start building 'garlands' of ingredients using rows of sliced cheeses, rolled salami (I used a bamboo skewer to keep these organized), baby cucumbers, chocolate squares, or crackers. Build these 'garlands' parallel to one another and at an angle going up the tree. Make sure all ingredients are within the triangle.
- Fill the spaces and gaps with loose items like grapes, nuts, crackers, berries, or bunched prosciutto. You want the board to look full but you don't want it to be so overwhelming that you loose the tree-shape.
- Frame the tree with rosemary or greenery.
- Serve immediately or wrap with plastic and store in the fridge.
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