This Antipasto Christmas Wreath is an easy, fun, and festive holiday appetizer that is a stunning centerpiece on any holiday table.
The holidays are such a fun and festive time of year!
We love hosting Christmas at our house. While our menu changes from year to year, we always have friends and family of all ages come for the feast.
So we try to keep the food simple yet super flavorful. And, of course, super fun!
Like this Easy Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Cheese Bread, that’s a beautiful holiday shape with cheesy bread rolls. And this Christmas Wreath Salad that makes simple veggies look stunning.
And keeping with the holiday shaped-food, we’ve got this elegant yet easy Antipasto Christmas Wreath.
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🌟 Why this recipe works
You’ll love this holiday antipasto wreath for so many reasons!
- Easy – This is an easy, no-cooking-required appetizer that anyone can make!
- Customizable – Use our recipe here as a base, but you can easily switch it up by using your favorite herbs, veggies, meats, and cheeses.
- Make ahead – You can assemble the antipasto skewers up to a day ahead of time. Then assemble with garnishing elements into a wreath shape right before serving.
- Festive and flavorful – You and your guests will love how festive this looks and how flavorful every skewer is!
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Mozzarella – Use the small tubs (usually 6 to 9 ounces) of Mozzarella balls in your grocery store’s deli section. You can also slice your own Mozarella if you can’t find the Mozzarella balls.
- Salami – Use your favorite salami slices, and fold in halves or quarters before skewering.
- Olives – We love green olives, but you can use any olives you prefer.
- Tomatoes – Small cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes work great for this.
- Olive oil – Use your favorite extra virgin olive oil along with kosher salt and ground black pepper for a quick and easy light marinade.
- Rosemary – Gather several rosemary sprigs to serve and create the wreath effect when assembling.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos to show you how to make this easy holiday appetizer. You’ll find more detailed instructions and ingredients in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Coat the ingredients: Add the Mozzarella balls, tomatoes, and olives to the bowl. Toss to coat the ingredients.
Assemble the skewers: Take one food pick or small skewer, then slide an olive, then a Mozzarella ball, then folded slice of salami, and finally a tomato.
Arrange: Place in a circle wreath shape onto a board or serving plate, and add rosemary springs in between the skewers to create a wreath look.
Feel free to leave as is. Or, fill in the center with mini jars of jellies, jams, and honey. Then add crackers around the edges.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prepare the ingredients a day ahead and assemble the wreath up to 4 hours before serving. Just keep it covered and chilled in the refrigerator.
Absolutely! Swap the meats for marinated mushrooms or artichokes, and use vegan cheese alternatives instead of traditional mozzarella.
Store leftover antipasto skewers in an airtight container for up to one day.
🍽 Serving ideas
This is a beautiful holiday appetizer that lights up any holiday table!
To complete the dish, add any of these traditional charcuterie board acoutrements:
- Mini jam and jelly jars
- Mini honey jars
- Crackers
- Nuts like roasted almonds, pecans, and cashews
- Crostini slices
Serve this antipasto appetizer along with holiday favorites, like Cranberry Pecan Baked Brie, Easy Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread, and Easy Instant Pot Cranberry Meatballs.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
This appetizer is great to serve with a welcome glass of wine at holiday gatherings. I suggest pairing any one of these three wines with antipasto:
- Pinot Grigio – A crisp, refreshing white wine that complements the salty and savory flavors of the antipasto ingredients.
- Chianti – This light-bodied Italian red wine has a nice acidity that pairs well with cured meats and marinated vegetables.
- Prosecco – The bubbles and slight sweetness of Prosecco balance the richness of the antipasto and make it a festive choice for holiday gatherings.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need:
More holiday recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Antipasto Christmas Wreath
Equipment
- 14-20 food picks or small skewers
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces mozzarella balls
- 8 ounces green olives
- 4 ounces salami slices
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Add the mozzarella balls, tomatoes, and olives to the bowl and mix together to coat evenly.
- Working with one food pick/small skewer at a time, skewer one olive, one mozzarella ball, salami folded into a small square with the round edges facing out, and one tomato. Repeat with remaining food picks and ingredients.
- Assemble the Christmas antipasto wreath: Place one or two sprigs of rosemary down, then place an antipasto skewer overlapping next to it. Repeat, working your way around in a circular wreath shape.
Assembly options
- You can leave the center open and fill with small bowls of nuts, jams, or honey (as seen in our photos).
- You can place crackers and other ingredients around the outside of the antipasto wreath to fill in the rest of the board (as shown in the photos in this post.)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
