Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
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The holiday season is upon us, and it’s time to make a Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board. This fun appetizer combines a variety of meats, cheese, fruits, veggies, crackers, nuts, and olives – and can be tailored to what you prefer!
If you want to add a few dips to go with this charcuterie board, try my Southern Pimento Cheese Recipe, some Baked Artichoke Dip, or some healthy Creamy Hummus!
Holiday Charcuterie Board
If you follow me on Insta Stories, you’ll already know that we are big on Friday night charcuterie boards. My hubby and I are empty nesters now, and there is nothing better than ending our work week with a board of some kind, along with a bottle of red wine.
It’s also fun to make it a themed board. For example, I recently did a “Mexican charcuterie” with chips and the best chunky guacamole, some easy refried beans that I make into a dip by adding cheese, and some cowboy caviar (that we often eat as a salad). Pair it with a couple of Swirl Margaritas and we’ve got a meal!
A charcuterie board meal. Count me in!
How to make a Christmas Tree Charcuterie
Step 1
Make the star. Use a cookie cutter (linked below) and fill it with sliced cheese. You can use additional cheese for the “branches” of your tree.
Step 2
Prep olives and rosemary. I bought some jumbo Spanish olives for this board. You could use any type of olives, even marinated ones. Make sure you buy fresh rosemary!
Step 3
Prep nuts and sugared cranberries. I used my Honey Roasted Nuts recipe that is a must for the holidays. They store so nicely in the freezer and have a nice sweet and spicy flavor! I’ve also got a post explaining how to make sugared cranberries. These store well in the freezer too!
Step 4
Clean fruit. Rinse the grapes and raspberries in cold water. Dry them off on some paper towel. This fruit adds some nice color to the board, but others could be used as well.
Step 5
Slice veggies. Slice the carrots and cucumbers. Rinse the tomatoes. Again, other veggies can be substituted. Choose what you enjoy snacking on!
Step 6
Prep meats and cheese. I rolled up some salami and cheese, as pictured below. I also included a variety of other cured meats. Any will work just fine!
Sharp cheddar cheese is a safe bet for most party-goers. I also used a smoky gruyere cheese on this board, but I’m also a fan of white cheddar, havarti, gouda, and really any nice quality cheese.
Step 7
Choose crackers and pretzels. Choose your favorite crackers. I used Ritz and some cracked pepper Triscuit triangles. I recommend using pretzel sticks for the tree base!
Step 8
Assemble board. Place the star at the top of the board. Continue adding items, using the lower quantity ones at the top, forming a triangular tree. I like to plan out the color scheme before I assemble so there are some bright pops of color throughout. The grapes are a nice touch to the bottom of the tree, because they resemble branches hanging down.
Add the pretzels to the bottom of the tree, for the “trunk”. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary and sugared cranberries.
Possible Variations
- Use other types of cheese.
- Use other types of meat.
- Try different fruits and veggies.
- Add other types of nuts.
- Add dips.
Expert Tips
- Choose the correct size board. Having a big group? Use the largest board you can find! Or use a large sheet pan and cover it with some parchment paper. Having a small party of two? Then you might want to use a small’ish board.
- Prep ingredients in advance. You won’t want this board to be assembled right before guests arrive. So have everything prepped and stored in separate containers in your refrigerator. You can even have the star ready to go!
- Add dips. Even if the dip isn’t part of the Christmas Tree display, you can have some small bowls of dips off to the side of the charcuterie board.
- Make some fun drinks! Wine is always nice, but making a party cocktail is nice for a change! Try my Cranberry Sangria Recipe, some Apple Cider Martinis, or my newest holiday cocktail – some Mistletoe Margaritas!
Some other Appetizers to try next
One can never have too many appetizer recipes this time of year, right? It’s nice to use the ones that we’ve made for years, but also fun to try something new!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 oz. gruyere cheese – or white cheddar cheese
- 6 oz. salami and other cured meats
- 6-8 large Spanish olives
- 1/2 English cucumber – sliced
- 1 large carrot – sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup raspberries
- 2 cups grapes – green and red combo
- 1 cup pretzel sticks
- 8 oz. miscellaneous crackers
- 1 cup honey roasted nuts
- sugared cranberries – to garnish
- fresh rosemary – to garnish
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients. Slice cheese, clean fruit, slice veggies, remove items from packaging.
- Make my honey roasted nuts or my candied pecans. Or buy some nuts at your grocery store.
- Prep sugared cranberries, or use regular cranberries for garnish.
- Prep star. Use a cookie cutter and fill it in with sliced cheese.
- Assemble board. Use a large board for this quantity of food. Place the star on top and continue adding items, using the lower quantity ones at the top, forming a triangular tree. I like to plan out the color scheme before I assemble so there are some bright pops of color throughout. The grapes are a nice touch to the bottom of the tree, because they resemble branches hanging down.Add the pretzels to the bottom of the tree, or the trunk.
- Garnish tree with sprigs of rosemary and the sugared cranberries. Make it your own!
Notes
Possible Variations
- Use other types of cheese.
- Use other types of meat.
- Try different fruits and veggies.
- Add other types of nuts.
- Add dips. (Try my Southern Pimento Cheese, Baked Artichoke Dip, or Cowboy Caviar!)
Such a cute display! I love how all the colors POP against the beautiful dark board! Perfect combo with the Whipped Feta & Honey dip!
Thanks so much Cathy! 🙂