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    Urban Bliss Life » All Recipes » Holiday Recipes » Christmas Charcuterie Board

    Published: November 18, 2022 / Updated: October 28, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Christmas Charcuterie Board

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Christmas charcuterie board with variety of meat, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
    Christmas charcuterie board with variety of meat, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

    A Christmas Charcuterie Board is a fun, festive, delightful way to entertain and feed guests this special time of year. You can customize it with your guest's favorite meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, crackers, nuts, and dips. It's also a fun food project the kids can help with!

    Christmas charcuterie board with variety of meat, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

    If you love entertaining, and you love celebrating Christmas, then you will absolutely adore this Christmas Charcuterie Board!

    Food boards like this are so great for any type of home entertaining. We make a fun Turkey Charcuterie Board for Thanksgiving.

    Dessert boards are fun, too! Check out this sweet Valentine's Day Dessert Board, and this patriotic 4th of July Dessert Board.

    And of course, a classic grazing table or a Brunch Charcuterie Board is always a crowd pleaser.

    Jump to:
    • 🌟 Why this recipe works
    • 🛒 Ingredient notes
    • ✅ Step-by-step instructions
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs
    • 🎄 Presentation ideas
    • 🍽 Serving ideas
    • 🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
    • More easy charcuterie board recipes
    • Christmas Charcuterie Board

    🌟 Why this recipe works

    Christmas charcuterie board with variety of meat, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

    Charcuterie boards are perfect for so many occasions, and they're especially a great way to celebrate Christmas!

    • It's an easy yet beautiful way to serve appetizers and finger food.
    • You can customize the look of your board to fit your theme.
    • Charcuterie boards are versatile: use your favorite meats, cheeses, nuts, fruits, and veggies!
    • Perfect for picky eaters: grazing boards like this make it easy for everyone to snack on a food they love and avoid foods they don't!
    • They're so simple and easy to make. There really are no hard and fast rules. Get creative, have fun, and make it your own!

    🛒 Ingredient notes

    meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits to make a holiday charcuterie board.

    In general, a Christmas charcuterie board will have the following ingredients. I've provided some suggestions for foods that I have found to work well on charcuterie boards, but feel free to use this list as inspiration and add your own!

    Meat - Try making charcuterie roses out of sliced pepperoni and/or salami. Fill in with strips of prosciutto, bowls of marinated chicken bites.

    Cheese - I like to use at least three cheeses on meat and cheese boards: one soft cheese, one hard cheese, and one sliced or cubed cheese. For soft cheeses, try brie, goat cheese, camembert. For hard cheeses, try Parmigiano-Reggiano, Emmenthaler, or aged cheddar. Try sliced Provolone, Havarti, or Colby and cubed Cheddar or marinated Mozzarella or Feta cheeses.

    Fruits & Vegetables - To go with the Christmas theme, stick with reds and greens. Think strawberries, cranberries, tomatoes, and red bell peppers for red fruits and vegetables. For green produce, go for green grapes, cucumber slices, green apple slices, and broccoli florets.

    Crackers - It's fun to use a variety of shapes and flavors of crackers. Think long thin and tall breadsticks, wide rosemary crackers, and classic round wafer crackers. If you're limited on space, using just one style is fine!

    Nuts - Almonds are a classic nut to include in charcuterie boards. But also try pecans and walnuts, which are great for fall and winter. Use a bowl to corral the nuts in one place.

    Dips - Fig jam is great for Christmas charcuterie boards. You can also use orange marmalade if you're having a brunch celebration, and then bowls of hummus, onion dip, or veggie dip.

    ✅ Step-by-step instructions

    photo collage of steps 1-3 to making a Christmas charcuterie board.
    1. Lay out the board and any plates or outer decorations. If creating any cheese greetings using mini alphabet cookie cutters, cut those out now and set them aside. Or, go ahead and place them on the board where you would like them.

    2. Start by placing the bottom outer layers first. For me, this was the "wreath" outline: the sprigs of rosemary.

    3. Next, place any salami or pepperoni roses in opposite corners to balance the board. Then place any other meat slices next to them.

    photo collage of steps 4-6 of making a Christmas charcuterie board.

    4. Then start placing the crackers in, and then the cheeses.

    5. Work in layers going around in a circular shape, layering cheese, sliced cucumbers, sliced red peppers, broccoli, and other fruits and vegetables.

    6. Place a bowl in the center filled with cranberries, then fill in the cherry or grape tomatoes around to resemble holly on the charcuterie wreath.

    Christmas charcuterie board with variety of meat, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

    7. Fill in empty spaces with grapes, nuts, and more meat, cheese, fruit, and vegetables. Feel free to move food around for better placement and distribution of color.

    Serve with bowls of jam, veggie dip, hummus or other dips. Try my easy spinach dip recipe! It's perfect for dunking veggies!

    👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs

    closeup of proscuitto with a pepperoni rose and rosemary sprigs.
    What is typically on a charcuterie plate?

    The French term "charcuterie" refers to meat. But today people all over the world use the term charcuterie to describe almost any kind of board that includes a variety of food, including meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, crackers, and jams or jellies.

    How far in advance can you prepare a charcuterie board?

    You can prepare this board and refrigerate it 2-3 hours in advance (up to 24 hours max) of serving. Just leave the crackers out until you are ready to serve, since those can get stale.

    How much food do I need for a charcuterie board?

    In general, charcuterie boards like this one will feed about 10-12 people. Plan for about 1 to 2 ounces of meat and cheese per person, about 5-8 crackers per person, as well as about 1 cup of fruits, vegetables, and nuts per person. You know your guests best; these are very general guidelines. It always helps to have extras of everything ready to fill in blank spots throughout the night.

    How long can I leave a charcuterie board out?

    A board with meats and cheeses like this should not sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, max. At around 90 minutes, you can switch out the meats and cheeses if you like with fresh reserves you have prepared in advance. That way, your charcuterie board will be refreshed and able to sit out for a bit longer.

    🎄 Presentation ideas

    This Christmas Charcuterie Board can be made in any festive shape you like! In addition to the filled wreath you see here, try one of these fun ideas:

    • Create a Christmas tree shaped charcuterie board using a large cheese star cutout for the top of the tree. Use rosemary sprigs for the leaves. Start at the top with a small layer of food, then add a new layer below that is a bit wider, and another, and another, so on. Then use nuts for the base of the tree.
    • Outline a Christmas stocking using crackers or nuts. Then create diagonal rows of food to resemble classic striped Christmas fireplace stockings.
    • Create a gingerbread man charcuterie board. Outline the gingerbread man shape with nuts or crackers, then fill in with the meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies. Use broccoli to give the gingerbread man some hair. Use veggie sticks for the gingerbread man's arms and/or legs.

    🍽 Serving ideas

    side closeup view of grapes, cranberries, cheeses, crackers tomatoes, brie cheese, salami rose, and more.

    This charcuterie board is perfect for serving as an appetizer or starter for Christmas parties and Christmas dinner.

    If serving this at a party, serve hearty finger food appetizers like Instant Pot Cranberry Meatballs, Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms, and/or Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp.

    Serving this as a starter for Christmas dinner? Follow it up with a French Beef Bourguignon, Air Fryer Lobster Tail, or One-Pan Sirloin Roast with Potatoes for the main course.

    For sides, serve this adorable and tasty Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread, Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Creamy Confetti Corn.

    And for dessert, make this impressive yet easier-to-make-than-you-think Gingerbread Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling. Or try this easy Gingerbread Loaf with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting.

    🍷 🥂 Wine pairings

    Since this board has a variety of savory food, you can serve both white and red wine with it. Rosé wine and sparkling wine would also be fantastic pairings, especially when this is served as an appetizer before the main meal!

    More easy charcuterie board recipes

    • beautiful Thanksgiving turkey charcuterie board with cheese, meat, crackers, and fruit.
      Turkey Charcuterie Board
    • bagel brunch board on pink background
      Brunch Board Ideas
    • Valentine's Day Dessert Board
      Dessert Charcuterie Board
    • the ultimate fall grazing table/charcuterie board
      How to Put Together the Ultimate Fall Grazing Table

    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!

    Christmas charcuterie board with meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies, crackers, and Merry Christmas in cheese letters on a cutting board.

    Christmas Charcuterie Board

    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 0 minutes mins
    Total Time: 20 minutes mins
    Recipe by Marlynn Schotland
    This charcuterie board with red and green foods in a wreath shape is a fun and festive -- and delicious! -- way to kick off Christmas celebrations!
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 147kcal
    PRINT PIN RATE

    Equipment

    • 1 Extra Large Wood Cutting Board
    • 1 set Mini Alphabet Cookie Cutters
    • 1 Chef's Knife
    • 1 brie cheese

    Ingredients

    • several fresh rosemary sprigs
    • 20 pepperoni slices
    • 20 salami slices
    • 1 block (8 ounce) cheese, sliced
    • 2 cucumbers, sliced
    • 1 cup broccoli florets
    • Assortment of crackers
    • 1 cup green grapes
    • ½ cup almonds or other nuts (Pecans, Cashews, Walnuts)
    • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
    • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

    Instructions

    • Lay out the board and any plates or outer decorations. If creating any cheese greetings using mini alphabet cookie cutters, cut those out now and set them aside. Or, go ahead and place them on the board where you would like them.
    • Start by placing the bottom outer layers first. For me, this was the "wreath" outline: the sprigs of rosemary.
    • Next, place any salami or pepperoni roses in opposite corners to balance the board. Then place any other meat slices next to them.
    • Then start placing the crackers in, and then the cheeses.
    • Work in layers going around in a circular shape, layering cheese, sliced cucumbers, sliced red peppers, broccoli, and other fruits and vegetables.
    • Place a bowl in the center filled with cranberries, then fill in the cherry or grape tomatoes around to resemble holly on the charcuterie wreath.
    • Fill in empty spaces with grapes, nuts, and more meat, cheese, fruit, and vegetables. Feel free to move food around for better placement and distribution of color.
    • Serve with bowls of jam, veggie dip, hummus or other dips.

    Notes

    Ingredient options
    • Meats:
    pepperoni, hard salami slices, prosciutto
    • Cheeses: brie, cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, swiss, havarti, feta crumbles
    • Fruit: green grapes, pear slices, green apple slices, cranberries, kiwi
    • Nuts: pecans, almonds, walnuts
    • Herbs: sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, or sage
    Make ahead: you can make this Christmas charcuterie board 2-3 hours ahead and store, wrapped with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. Just leave the crackers out until you are ready to serve and add those last, as they won't do well in the refrigerator. 
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment! Then snap a pic of your dish and share it on social media. Tag @UrbanBlissLife and #UrbanBlissLife!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 101IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.

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      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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