Christmas Charcuterie Board Ideas for a Holiday Party
This festive Christmas Charcuterie Board makes for the perfect holiday appetizer. This easy-to-make, delicious, and festive charcuterie board is perfect for family gatherings and holiday parties this holiday season.
The great thing about a charcuterie board is that the ingredient possibilities are endless, and it’s a crowd-pleaser at holiday gatherings for sure! The best part about these Christmas charcuterie boards? They can be made in minutes, all you need to do is set out your favorite meats and cheeses and add some crackers and festive garnishes.
Table of Contents
What Is A Charcuterie Board?
A charcuterie board is an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, artisan breads, olives, fruit, and other finger foods that are arranged creatively on a platter. The term “charcuterie” itself hails from the French word for ‘cooked meat’ and traditionally refers to pork-based products like bacon, ham, sausages, and pâtés. Today, a charcuterie board is a delightful and stylish way to present a variety of flavors and textures to your guests.
When designing a gorgeous charcuterie board, consider incorporating holiday-themed elements. You can use star-shaped cheese, red and green olives, cranberry-flavored cheeses, or meats and decorate the board with sprigs of rosemary to emulate a Christmas tree look. Additionally, festive fruits like pomegranate seeds or figs can add a pop of color and sweet contrast to the savory items.
Why You Should Make This Charcuterie Board
- Easy To Make – The best part about these Christmas charcuterie boards? You can make them in minutes.
- Add Some Fun To The Holiday – Spice up the traditional cheese platter with a spin on classic holiday flavors.
- Perfect For Entertaining – This charcuterie board is the perfect appetizer for your next holiday party.
If you love appetizer recipes like this, you may also enjoy this Sweet and Spicy Bang Bang Meatballs recipe.
Ingredients For A Christmas Charcuterie Board
- Small pretzel sticks, braided: These add a delightful crunch to the charcuterie board, and their unique shape offers an unexpected visual element.
- Crackers: A must-have on any charcuterie board, crackers provide a crisp vessel for the various cheeses and meats.
- Jelly, fruit flavor: A dollop of fruit jelly is a great addition and can add a sweet contrast to the savory meats and cheeses.
- Cashews or your favorite nut: Nuts bring a satisfying crunch and a touch of earthy flavor to the board.
- Grapes, variety: Offering a refreshing and sweet bite, grapes are a perfect palate cleanser between the richer elements.
- Cherry tomatoes: Their bright color and tangy flavor add balance and visual interest to the board.
- Mini cucumbers, sliced: A great option for providing a refreshing crunch of cucumbers as a cool contrast to the heavier flavors on the board.
- Olives: With their briny, salty flavor, olives are a classic component of charcuterie boards.
- Brie sliced into triangles: Its creamy texture and mild, earthy flavor make Brie a crowd-pleasing choice.
- Variety of your favorite cheeses, cut to preferred size: Choose a selection of hard, soft, mild, and strong cheeses to cater to a range of tastes.
- Dry salami, spicy and regular sliced: These cured meats add a robust and savory element to the board.
- Prosciutto: This Italian cured ham adds a decadent, salty element to the charcuterie assortment.
- Bite-size meringue cookies (or cookie of your choice): A sweet endnote to the board, these light cookies complement the savory elements beautifully.
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs for garnish: Not only for garnish, rosemary sprigs can also add a subtle, herbaceous aroma, enhancing the overall appeal of this festive board.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
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Substitutions and Variations
- Try different kinds of mustards or jellies in various flavors.
- To make this beautiful board more festive, add peppermint sticks, candy canes, or soft peppermint candies to give some holiday flare.
- Include a variety of crackers or even add in some gluten-free crackers for gluten-sensitive guests.
- Change up the cheeses or meats to your favorite flavors based on availability or price. Use a mix of hard and soft cheeses.
- Switch out any items that are not available with something similar that fits the holiday theme of Christmas.
- If you want this board to be vegetarian-friendly, simply omit all meats and use tofu in place of meat.
- Arrange everything into a festive Christmas tree charcuterie board or maybe into a Christmas charcuterie wreath.
- Add fresh fruit, such as red or green grapes, sliced apples, pears, berries, and figs.
How To Make A Christmas Charcuterie Board
- Begin by positioning your small bowls or ramekins on a round board or any slate or wooden board shape you have. These will hold your nuts, olives, and jelly.
- Next, spread the cheeses across the board and ensure to place crackers in their vicinity. Reference (Photos 1 & 2) for guidance.
- Once done, lay out the meats across the board.
- Follow this with an arrangement of fruits and vegetables, as seen in (Photos 3 & 4).
- For the final touch, cover any remaining empty spaces on the board with nuts and bite-size cookies. Decorate with sprigs of rosemary for a festive feel.
Expert Tips
- Add your favorite nuts, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats to make this holiday board your own. Use this recipe as a base for your Christmas Charcuterie Board ideas. The options are limitless.
- Be sure to slice your cheeses and meats into the sizes that best fit your crackers.
- If you’re not serving this amazing Christmas charcuterie board right away, store any perishable items in the fridge until ready to serve.
Storing Tips
This holiday charcuterie board is best served right after it’s been assembled. However, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
What To Serve With A Christmas Charcuterie Board
This easy Christmas Charcuterie Board pairs well with a variety of accompaniments. Consider serving it with a bottle of your favorite red or white wine – the contrast between the savoriness of the meats and cheeses and the wine’s sweetness or acidity can truly enhance the flavors.
Artisan slices of bread or toasted baguette slices also make a delightful addition, providing an alternate texture and a canvas for the various cheese and meat combinations. Dips and spreads such as hummus, pesto, or fig jam could offer an added layer of complexity to the flavor profile of your board.
Finally, don’t forget a selection of seasonal fruits that can provide a refreshing counterpoint to the rich and savory ingredients on your board.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can assemble most of the board ahead of time. However, it’s best to add any perishable items, like meats and cheeses, just before serving to ensure they stay fresh and safe to eat.
Absolutely! You can substitute the meats with vegan alternatives and choose vegan cheeses. Add more fruits, veggies, and vegan dips to keep it varied and exciting.
The beauty of a charcuterie board is its versatility. If you can’t find a specific ingredient, feel free to substitute it with something similar. For instance, if you can’t find Brie, you could use Camembert or another soft cheese that you enjoy.
If you have leftover meats and cheeses, they can be stored in the refrigerator and used within a few days. Crackers, nuts, and similar items should be stored in airtight containers to maintain freshness.
The size of your board will depend on the number of guests you’re serving. For a small gathering of 2-3 people, a board of around 10 inches should suffice. For larger parties, consider multiple boards or a large cutting board of about 20 inches.
Absolutely! Any flat surface can work. Just make sure it’s clean and safe for food preparation. You might also want to consider the aesthetics as part of the appeal of a charcuterie board in its presentation.
Need More Christmas Recipes? Try These:
- Andes Muddy Buddies
- Oreo Reindeer Pops
- Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bombs
- Winter Wonderland Cake Pops
- Easy Christmas Cracker Candy
- DIY Hot Chocolate Spoons
- Festive Gingerbread Hot Cocoa Bombs
- Sugar Cookie Fudge
- Easy Elf Hat Cupcakes
- Reindeer Donuts
- See all our festive Christmas recipes!
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Charcuterie Board with Handles
Elevate your presentation with this exquisite serving board.
Christmas Charcuterie Board Ideas for a Holiday Party
Equipment
- Vegetable Cutter Shapes (optional)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 ⅕ g) Small pretzel sticks braided
- 12 ounces (340 ⅕ g) Crackers variety flavors and colors
- 8 ounces (226 ⅘ g) Jelly fruit flavor (optional for spreading on crackers)
- 8 ounces (226 ⅘ g) Cashews or your favorite nut
- 1 pound (453 ⅗ g) Grapes variety
- 1 pound (453 ⅗ g) Cherry tomatoes
- 1 pound (453 ⅗ g) Mini cucumbers sliced
- 10 ounces (283 ½ g) Olives marinated plus kalamata
- 8 ounces (226 ⅘ g) Brie sliced into triangles
- 4 ounces (113 ⅖ g) Variety of cheeses cut to preferred size
- 8 ounces (226 ⅘ g) Dry salami spicy and regular sliced
- 8 ounces (226 ⅘ g) Prosciutto
- 10 ounces (283 ½ g) Bite size meringue cookies or cookies of your choice
- Rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Begin by positioning your small bowls or ramekins on a round board or any slate or wooden board shape you have. These will hold your nuts, olives, and jelly.8 ounces Jelly,8 ounces Cashews or your favorite nut,10 ounces Olives
- Next, spread the cheeses across the board and ensure to place crackers in their vicinity.12 ounces Small pretzel sticks,12 ounces Crackers,8 ounces Brie,4 ounces Variety of cheeses
- Once done, lay out the meats across the board.8 ounces Dry salami,8 ounces Prosciutto
- Follow this with an arrangement of fruits and vegetables1 pound Grapes,1 pound Cherry tomatoes,1 pound Mini cucumbers
- For the final touch, cover any remaining empty spaces on the board with nuts and bite-size cookies. Decorate with sprigs of rosemary for a festive feel.8 ounces Cashews or your favorite nut,Rosemary for garnish,10 ounces Bite size meringue cookies
Notes
- Add your favorite nuts, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats to make this holiday board your own. Use this recipe as a base for your Christmas Charcuterie Board ideas. The options are limitless.
- Be sure to slice your cheeses and meats into the sizes that best fit your crackers.
- If you’re not serving this amazing Christmas charcuterie board right away, store any perishable items in the fridge until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
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