Celebrate the holidays with the BEST Christmas Charcuterie Board! It’s easy, delicious, and perfect for impressing your guests. This step-by-step guide will show you exactly how to make a Christmas Charcuterie Board in just a few minutes!
Easy Christmas Charcuterie Board
There’s nothing like a beautiful, delicious, well-made charcuterie board during the Christmas season. Whether you’re needing an appetizer for large holiday parties, a small gathering, or just want one for the holiday itself, it’s the perfect way to celebrate Christmas!
This recipe will guide you through every step and ingredient, making it SUPER easy to plan your Christmas Charcuterie Board and put it together beautifully in no time at all. Cheers to taking this holiday season to a new level!
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Charcuterie Board 101 (General Tips)
In general, here are a few tips that will help you get started on your charcuterie board:
- Always try to balance the types of cheese on your cheese board! 1 hard cheese, 1 soft, and 1 semi-soft are a great starting point.
- Slice the cheese in different ways! Some can be cubed, some can be sliced, etc.
- You can slice/cube the cheese completely, but we like to just start them out and then let our guests do the rest. This creates for fun moments around the charcuterie board together!
- Be sure you have plenty of charcuterie board tools available, like these.
- Keep small plates next the charcuterie board and make sure it’s in a good, spacious location, where people can still get by if needed.
- If desired, keep fresh grapes on the vine! It adds such a beautiful look.
- We like to just put a few crackers on the board and then have tons of extra crackers in bowls right next to the it!
- New to charcuterie boards? Head to the cheese section of your local grocery store and you’ll find everything you need!
What to Put on Christmas Charcuterie Boards (Exactly What You Need)
If you’re asking yourself what to put on your Christmas Charcuterie Board, there’s good news: you almost can’t go wrong. Feel free to trust your cravings and really make this board your own! However, if the thought of figuring it out is too much, this guide can help you create the perfect holiday charcuterie board.
Here’s what you’ll need for a board that serves 15-20:
3-4 Cheeses – Aged Gouda, Toscano Cheese (from Trader Joe’s, but a wedge of parmesan or asiago are great alternatives), Fontina Cheese, and a Creamy Cranberry Goat Cheese are what’s on this Christmas Charcuterie Board!
2-3 Meats – In this case we used two different types of salami: a Red Wine Artisan Salami, and a Truffle Salami (both can be found at Trader Joe’s). However there are tons of options for charcuterie: prosciutto, Spanish chorizo, or pâté are also wonderful meat pairings.
Pomegranate Arils (Seeds) – These add a nice holiday touch to the board!
Jam – We went with a Cranberry Jam, but almost any type of jam or spread works great. Even just a little bit of honey is perfect! Jelly can also work, but it doesn’t spread as easily as jam or honey.
Red Grapes – Red grapes on the vine add the perfect fresh touch to charcuterie boards! Green grapes work too, but there’s something about the sweet flavor of red grapes with the cheeses.
2-3 Types of Crackers – Our rule of thumb is to have at least 1 type of plain cracker, then 1-2 flavorful options. In this case, we used Pita Crackers as our plain cracker base, then added Rosemary & Olive Crackers as well as Fig & Olive Crackers.
Arugula – Fresh arugula adds balance to the savory meats and compliments them with a warm, peppery flavor! It also adds a beautiful touch of green to your Christmas Charcuterie Board. Drizzle a little olive oil and dash of sea salt over the arugula before adding to the board for the perfect touch!
Fresh Rosemary – The fresh rosemary adds a beautiful holiday look to the board. While it’s mostly for looks, it’s also used a beautiful garnish to compliment the flavors in this board!
Almonds/Nuts – Sliced Almonds and Truffle Marcona Almonds (from Trader Joe’s – they’re SO good) are what’s on this board. However, roasted walnuts or pecans are another great idea!
Dried Cranberries – You can’t go wrong with simple dried cranberries on a charcuterie board. Those are always a delicious staple!
Note: The serving size is a pretty loose estimate! It depends on a lot of factors, like if this board is the only appetizer (or if there are others available).
How to Make a Christmas Charcuterie Board
Now for the fun part: putting your Christmas Charcuterie Board together!
1. Pick Your Board (& Location)
Pick a board depending on the number of party/guests you expect. You can also choose between a round or rectangle board. You could even use a tree shape board!
Place the board in a spacious area where people can easily gather, preferably near the drinks and in front of any main dishes!
2. Place Your Cheeses
Place your cheeses on the charcuterie board first. Slice them how you want!
3. Place Your Meats
Next, slice and add your meats, keeping them on opposite ends of each other.
4. Add Bowls of Jam/Honey/Sauces
Fill in space with bowls of jam, honey, or sauces, and/or pomegranate seeds.
5. Add Fresh Grapes
Add fresh grapes, preferably to the edges of the board and a few spots near the center.
6. Add Crackers (But Not Too Many!)
Add a few of your cracker options on opposite ends of the board, but don’t worry about adding too many. It’s best to have the majority of your crackers in bowls or on plates beside the charcuterie board!
7. Fill In With Greens, Herbs, Nuts, & Dried Fruit
Fill in an empty spaces with arugula, fresh rosemary sprigs, almonds, and dried cranberries!
Other Christmas Charcuterie Board Ideas
- Pepperoni
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Mozzarella Balls
- Dark Chocolate
- Cheddar Cubes
- Blackberries
- Green Olives
- Colby Jack Cheese
- Praline Pecans
- Raspberries
- Brie Cheese
- Christmas candy
You could even add cookies for extra-festive charcuterie boards!
RELATED: How To Create A Fall-Inspired Cheese Board
Drink Pairings
- Red Wine
- Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail
- Ginger Ale
- Spiced Cranberry Gin Fizz
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Christmas Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
3-4 Cheeses
- 1 wedge aged gouda cheese
- 1 wedge toscano cheese or parmesan/asiago wedge
- 1 wedge semi-soft fontina cheese
- 1 log cranberry goat cheese 4-6 ounces
2-3 Meats
- 8 ounce red wine artisan salami
- 5 ounce truffle salami
Fresh Produce/Herbs
- 2-3 cups fresh red grapes
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 cup arugula drizzled with olive oil & sea salt
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Jam
- 1/3 cup cranberry jam
Crackers
- 1 cup plain pita crackers
- 1 cup rosemary olive oil crisps
- 1 cup fig olive oil crackers
Dried Fruit/Nuts
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup truffle marcona almonds
Instructions
- Place the cheeses on opposite ends of the board and slice as desired.
- Fill in space by adding the sliced meats on opposite sides.
- Add in small bowls of pomegranate arils and cranberry jam.
- Add grapes on different sides of the boards, near the cheeses.
- Add the different types of crackers on opposite ends of the board.
- Add in the fresh arugula and rosemary.
- Fill in space with dried cranberries and the different types of nuts.
- Add extra bowls of crackers and any remaining ingredients, and enjoy!
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