Charcuterie boards have been all the rage for a while now, right? I just love them. The extra bit of creativity that goes into this Christmas Charcuterie Board makes a platter of meat and cheese a festive event rather than a boring appetizer. Christmas-themed appetizers generally follow a color theme to include red, white, and green so that they match the decor and the feelings of the season. This Christmas Charcuterie board pulls in all of these colors. White comes from the cheeses, and red comes from bright tomatoes and smoky meats. The green is in the form of olives and grapes, and there are some blacks and yellows around to balance everything out. Love a red, white, and green appetizer? Try this Burrata Caprese Salad too.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Charcuterie Board Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Cheese: I’m using fresh mozzarella balls, cheddar, colby jack, and pepper jack cheese. You can adjust these to your own preferences, but I think the fresh mozz is key because it’s so bright white. Meat: Simple pepperoni slices and thin sliced salami are perfect for this appetizer. I added a few slices of prosciutto too. Olives: Some black and some green give a variety of colors and flavors. You could add kalamata or your own favorite type of olive as well. Cherry Tomatoes: Christmas themed appetizers need to have all of the christmas colors, right? Cherry tomatoes are the perfect bright red shadeGrapes: A little bit of fruit on a holiday charcuterie board makes it a versatile appetizer that everyone can graze from. Garnishes: To create the “greens” of the wreath, you’ll need some greenery. Go with edible leafy herbs like rosemary or sage, or choose a floral foliage option such as eucalyptus like you see here. Curly kale or green leaf lettuce could be used as well.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Eucalyptus is not edible, and can be harmful (and not very tasty) if ingested. If you decide to use eucalyptus, be sure to tell your guests not to eat it.
How to Make a Christmas Cheese Board
Tips and Tricks
Use two kinds of greenery. Using two different green things will make a big difference and add a ton of visual interest to your charcuterie board. Head to the grocery store and look around. See what looks like leaves to you! Dill flowers, fennel fronds, rosemary stalks, carrot tops – the possibilities are endless. Change things up. The fun part about this type of appetizer is that there really are no rules. You can leave out the olives and add wrapped chocolates instead, or use raspberries or red bell pepper slices in place of the tomatoes. Go nuts! Just try to keep to the general red, green, and white color palette. Don’t stress. It can be very easy to get stressed about making the perfect, gorgeous charcuterie board. Don’t get upset if it’s not perfect, just remember that it will all be eaten soon.
How to Make a Salami Rose
You can turn any type of thinly sliced meat into a pretty rose to decorate your charcuterie wreath. It’s so simple! To create this small rose, start with a fluted champagne glass. You can use a larger glass to make larger roses. A champagne glass works best for pepperoni, while a wine glass should be used with salami. Fold one slice of meat at a time over the edge of the wine glass, layering around and around until you’ve used enough to make a rose. Carefully flip the glass over onto the board and remove the glass, leaving the salami rose behind.
What to Serve with a Christmas Themed Charcuterie Board
This board is going to look beautiful on an appetizer table on Christmas eve or the next big holiday party. Serve it with hot dips like Cheesy Crab Dip and Sausage Dip. Serve it with finger foods such as Sardines on Toast, Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms and Shrimp Cocktail. Make some snacks too, like Pasta Chips, Honey Mustard Pretzels, or Ranch Oyster Crackers. Christmas desserts including this amazing Christmas Crack, or sweet Ricotta Cookies should also be nearby. Have a Merry Christmas with this super fun and gorgeous Christmas Charcuterie board! Make sure to pin it so you’ll have the recipe every year. © Little Sunny Kitchen
