As we gear up for the festive season, I can barely contain my excitement for all the fun gatherings ahead! One of my absolute favorite ways to up my party game is with a delightful Christmas tree charcuterie board!
A stunning board that not only serves up a feast for the eyes but also offers a merry medley of meats, cheeses, fruits, and nuts. And just wait until you sprinkle on some fresh rosemary—it adds that perfect touch that makes it feel like a little slice of the holiday spirit!
Honestly, it’s almost too pretty to eat… but trust me, you’ll want to dive right in! Now, we all know that preparing appetizers can sometimes feel overwhelming, but that’s where the charcuterie board comes to the rescue!
They’re an absolute crowd-pleaser, so there’s something for everyone. From a festive Christmas wreath board to a cozy breakfast-themed platter for Christmas morning, these boards have truly become my go-to for any celebration!
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Snack Board
Creating a Christmas tree-shaped charcuterie board is not just a feast for the tummy but also a treat for the eyes! Here’s why this festive board is a must-have:
- Visual Delight – this isn’t just a snack board, it’s edible art! Arrange an array of meats, cheeses, and fruits to create a gorgeous Christmas tree that’s sure to bring smiles and festive cheer to your celebration.
- Flavor Fiesta – get ready for a party on your plate! With a tasty blend of sweet cranberries, crunchy pecans, and zesty olives, there’s something to tickle everyone’s taste buds. Your guests will be saying “yum” with every bite!
- Make It Yours – you can customize it however you like! Throw in some fun-shaped cheeses, colorful berries, or your favorite crackers. It’s all about what makes YOUR guests happy!
- Social Snackin’ – watching your friends and family dive into the board is an unforgettable experience! It’s not just about the food; it’s a fun activity that sparks conversations and laughter.
Ingredients
- Deli Meats – a mix of assorted salami and Prosciutto ham
- Cheese – a mix of Brie, Mozzarella balls, Boursin, Pepper Jack, Colby Jack
- Olives – black olives, stuffed manzanilla olives
- Fresh Fruits – apples, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, red & black grapes
- Dried Apricots
- Crackers – I used round crackers (Toasteds Variety Pack, 12 ounce box)
- Pretzel Mini Twists and Rods
- Assorted Sweet Nuts
- Chocolate Covered Nuts
- Mixed Berry Jam – for filling the brie cheese round star cutout or use cranberry sauce
- Honey – for drizzling over the cheese
- Fresh Rosemary – for decorating
Equipment:
- Large serving board or grazing table paper
- Star cookie cutter, to make a cutout in the brie to fill with jam (or cranberry sauce)
How To Put Together Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
I recommend drawing a sketch or having an idea in mind before starting, especially when making these larger spreads!
Prepare the Cheese
- Cut the pepper jack and colby jack cheese blocks into 1-inch cubes.
- Use a star-shaped cookie cutter on the brie to make a star. Remove the center of the star, then fill it with cranberry sauce, jam, or honey.
Prepare the Pretzels
- Use a sharp knife to cut the pretzel rods in half. These will be used for the tree trunk.
Make the Salami Roses
- Layer slices of salami in a curved line, fanning them out.
- Roll the layered salami into a rose shape and secure it with a toothpick. Adjust the size by using different amounts of slices.
- Repeat with the remaining salami slices.
Create the Base of the Tree
- Lay a large sheet of grazing table paper on your surface.
- Outline the bottom of the tree with fresh rosemary.
- Stack the pretzel rods underneath to form the trunk. Use food-safe twine if needed to secure them.
- Place the brie round with the star cutout at the top to mark the tree’s height.
Add Cheese Spread and Sliced Meats
- Place the Boursin cheese spread and sliced meats on the board in a zigzag pattern down the tree, spacing them out.
Add Crackers and Pretzels
- Arrange crackers and additional pretzels around the board, filling various spots.
Fill with Cubed Cheese and Sliced Brie
- Add the cubed cheese and sliced brie to fill open spaces around the tree outline.
Add Mozzarella Balls and Olives
- Place mozzarella balls and olives along the edges of the tree outline.
Add Fresh and Dried Fruit
- Add fresh fruit to remaining open areas, then fill gaps with nuts and dried fruit.
Adjust and Top Off
- Adjust ingredients, adding more as needed to create a full and even tree shape.
Add Extra Herbs
- Place additional fresh herbs around the bottom and sides of the tree for a finishing touch.Serve
- Serve with extra jam and honey on the side. Enjoy your festive creation!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Large Paper Sheets for Grazing Tables?
Large paper sheets for grazing tables are special sheets used to cover a table when setting up a spread of various snacks and treats. These sheets often have a simple design and serve as a clean, decorative surface where I can arrange food items like meats, cheeses, fruits, and crackers. They’re handy for protecting the table and enhancing the display.
Can I Prepare This Festive Snack Board in Advance?
I can definitely prepare a festive snack board a bit ahead of time. It’s helpful to cut and arrange cheeses, meats, and other ingredients on the board, then cover and refrigerate it until it’s time to serve. Adding fresh elements like fruits or herbs just before serving ensures they stay crisp and lively.
What Are Some Fun Ways to Decorate a Holiday Snack Board?
Decorating a holiday snack board can be both fun and creative. I like to use rosemary sprigs to mimic pine needles, scatter cranberries for pops of color, and maybe even include small ornaments or festive toothpicks. Placing small decorative elements like star-shaped cheese will also add a festive touch.
Which Cheeses and Meats Are Ideal for a Festive Snack Display?
Selecting the right cheeses and meats is important for my festive snack display. Cheeses like brie, cheddar, and blue cheese pair well with meats like salami, prosciutto, and smoked turkey. I aim to offer a mix of flavors, from mild to strong, to satisfy different tastes.
How Should I Arrange a Large Snack Board for a Christmas Party?
When putting together a large snack board, I like to start with arranging items in a triangular shape to resemble a Christmas tree. I use a base of crackers or salami and layer on various cheeses, fruits, and olives. A small star made of cheese or fruit can go at the top for that tree-like appearance.
Alternative Options and Tweaks
When crafting a Christmas tree charcuterie board, there are many ways to tailor it to different tastes and needs.
Gluten-Free Adjustments:
- Crackers and Pretzels: Choose versions without gluten for those who need them.
- Cheeses: Most whole milk cheeses don’t contain gluten, but check low-fat ones just in case.
Cheese Choices:
There’s flexibility for picking cheeses. Pre-sliced or pre-cubed options can make things quicker. I like using soft goat cheese as an option because it adds creamy texture.
How to Keep a Charcuterie Board Fresh
To keep my charcuterie board looking and tasting great, refrigeration is key. I always make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or place it in a large, airtight container. This helps prevent the meats and cheeses from drying out.
For short term storage, I refrigerate the board until I’m ready to serve, covered with a tight seal using plastic wrap or a container lid keeps flavors fresh.
If I need to store the board for more than a few hours:
- Separate Items: I keep cheeses in airtight containers or wrap them individually (Meats and cheeses generally last up to 5 days when stored properly)
- Handle Meats Carefully: Meat slices are layered between parchment paper to avoid sticking.
- Fresh Produce: Fruits and veggies are best stored separately and added just before serving.
16
servings30
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 pack 1 Sliced salami (Gallo Salame thin sliced light Italian dry salami, 7 ounce package)
1 pack 1 Sliced salami (Gallo Salame thin sliced peppered salami, 6 ounce package)
1 1 tray Sliced prosciutto (Del Duca cured prosciutto, 6 ounce tray)
Salami wrapped mozzarella (Fiorucci Hard Salami and Mozzarella Panino, 6 count)
Prosciutto wrapped mozzarella (Formaggio Cheese Prosciutto and Mozzarella Wrap, 7 count)
Brie cheese round (President Brie soft-ripened cheese, 8 ounce round)
Brie cheese wedge (President Brie cheese, 7 ounce triangle wedge)
Boursin spreadable cheese (Boursin garlic & herb cheese puck, 5.2 ounce)
Marinated fresh mozzarella balls (Great Value, 12 ounce tub)
Fresh mozzarella pearls (Belgioso mini snacking cheese pearls, 8 ounce tub)
8 ounce 8 block Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounce 8 block Colby Jack cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
10 ounce 10 jar stuffed manzanilla olives
6 ounce 6 can pitted medium black olives
1 1 -2 apples, cored and sliced
Fresh raspberries
Fresh blackberries
Dried apricots
Red and black grapes
Assorted round crackers (Toasteds Variety Pack, 12 ounce box)
Assorted tray of sweet nuts and chocolate covered nuts
3 cups 3 pretzel mini twists
12 12 pretzel rods, cut in half, for the tree trunk
1 cup 1 mixed berry jam, for filling the brie cheese round
1 cup 1 honey, for drizzling over cheese
Directions
- When making the board, make sure that the chopping board or tray used is large enough for the crowd you’re feeding. You can also opt to cover the table with large grazing table paper sheets or runners so you have more room to work with. It comes in brown, white, or designs and also comes in a variety of sizes.
- I recommend drawing a sketch or having an idea in mind before starting, especially when making these larger spreads.
- Prepare the cheese. Cut the pepper jack and colby jack blocks into 1-inch cubes. Use a star cookie cutter to make a star shape in the brie cheese. Remove the center of the star and then fill with cranberry sauce, jam, or honey.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the pretzel rods in half. These will be used for the tree trunk.
- Prepare the salami roses. Layer the salami into a curved line and fan it out. Roll it and then use a toothpick to keep it together. Make the roses big or small by rolling different amounts of slices. Repeat with the remaining salami.
- Once the cheese, pretzel, and salami roses are prepared, lay down a large sheet of grazing table paper. Then make an outline of the bottom of the tree with the fresh rosemary. You can continue to adjust the tree as you go along. Stack the pretzels underneath to make the trunk. You can use a food safe twine to hold it together if desired or just carefully stack them. Place the brie round at the very top where the star would go. This will give you an idea of how big you want the tree to be.
- Add the Boursin cheese spread and sliced meats to the board. I like to space them all out and put them on opposite ends, just zigzagging them down the tree.
- Add the crackers and pretzels around the board in different places.
- Add the cubed cheese and sliced brie, just slowly starting to fill up the open spaces.
- Add some mozzarella balls and olives around the edges.
- Start adding fresh fruit to the remaining open areas and then fill the gaps with nuts and dried fruit.
- Adjust and top the sections off with more ingredients if needed to make it look fuller and to even out the tree.
- Add more herbs on the bottom and insert some off to the sides. Continue to adjust until it looks just right!
- Serve with some extra jam and honey. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use any assortment of sliced meats you like. Many of them can be purchased as an assorted tray or wrapped over cheese. Pepperoni, salami, and prosciutto are popular options.
- Use any combination of different cheese and spreads you like! Sharp cheddar, monterey, or gouda are some other great options. Instead of boursin cheese, you can make your own cheese ball.
- Other fresh fruit options can be pears, strawberries, cherries, and pomegranates
- You can even add some fresh vegetables such as carrot sticks, cucumber, celery, or bell peppers.
- If you will have fresh fruit or vegetables on the board, then add them to the board right before serving so they stay fresh as long as possible.