Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

A festive Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board is the perfect option for your holiday party! Use a variety of cheese, meat, and fruit and arrange in the shape of a Christmas tree. It's a fun and easy way to make a Christmas themed charcuterie board.

Grazing boards have become all the rage! They're easy to put together, beautiful to serve, and allow guest to pick and choose what they like. While charcuterie means cold cooked meats so a traditional charcuterie board is made up of meats like prosciutto and salami. The term charcuterie board has evolved in usage to represent lots of varieties of grazing boards! If you're looking for some unconventional boards, try this Fruit Charcuterie Board or Dessert Charcuterie Board!

Why I Love It:

• Party Ready Presentation - The Christmas tree shape adds a festive flair to your basic charcuterie board!
• Customizable - The options and things to add are endless!

Ingredients

Pick and choose from the below list to suit your preferences.

Cheese - Pick two-three cheeses to use on your board (I used cubed sharp white cheddar, cubed medium cheddar, Gouda triangles, and Colby Jack stars). I like to do a mix of cubes and slices and choose cheeses that are different colors. You can also use a star cookie cutter or knife to cut star shapes out of cheese slices.

Meat - Pick 1 or 2 meats like salami or prosciutto. I used salami on my board that I folded in half then in half again before stacking together in a row.

Rosemary - This is an optional garnish but I think it makes it look more 'tree-like'!

Pretzel Sticks - Use a few to make the tree trunk. You can then put out a bowl with more of the pretzels for guests to snack on with their meat and cheese

Nuts - Nuts are another great choice to add such as pistachios, cashews, and almonds.

Fresh Fruit - I love using grapes on the tree to add color. But you can use another fruit like strawberries.

How To Make a Christmas Charcuterie Board

1. Prep the Ingredients - If you're adding fruit to the board, rinse and dry well. Cut up the cheese into varying shapes like cubes and slices or triangles.
2. Assemble Tree - I find it easiest to start at the bottom of the tree and work your way up. Each row will be slightly less wide than the one below so you get the triangle tree shape. I like to order my ingredients so that like colors are not placed next to each other - contrasting colors and shapes is key!
3. Add Garnishes - If using, add a few pretzel sticks for the tree trunk, add a cheese star at the top and around the tree, and garnish with some fresh rosemary.

How much cheese should I have per person?

The size of the board will depend on how many people are attending your party and what other food options there are. But a good rule of thumb is to have about 2 ounces of cheese per person. If you don't have any other snack options at the party, then you will want more and if you are serving other food then guests may eat a little bit less.

If you don't have a board large enough, you can either refill throughout the night or make several smaller boards.

Equipment

Wooden Board or Other Platter - The most important part is having a board or platter to arrange the Christmas Tree 'charcuterie' board. If you don't have a board, you can even use a sheet pan!

Star Cookie Cutter (optional) - If you have a small star cookie cutter, you can use it to cut out stars form a slice of cheese. Or you can use a knife to cut them out.

Boards to Use

Don't have a classic wooden charcuterie board? That's okay! There are lots of options:

Wooden Board - This is the classic option (like pictured).

Marble Board - Be aware that anything acidic (like citrus) may stain the marble.

Serving Platter - Any serving platter can work!

Baking Sheet - Using a regular sized or half-sized sheet pan is another great option that you already have on hand!

Leftovers and Storage

I recommend storing the different ingredients with their like items. Leftover cheese and meat can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.

Charcuterie Board Variations

In addition to the Christmas Tree shape, here are some other Christmas Charcuterie Board ideas! Or you can even customize it for a different holiday. Here are a few ideas:

Candy Cane Shaped Charcuterie Board - Instead of a Christmas Tree, you can also make your Christmas Charcuterie in the shape of a candy cane and use all red and white ingredients to form the stripes.

Wreath Shaped Holiday Board - If you use a circle shaped board, you can form your charcuterie in the shape of a wreath. The rosemary is still a nice garnish to add to this shape.

Valentine's Day Charcuterie Board - Instead of a Christmas Tree shape, try arranging your ingredients in the shape of a heart. You can even use more white and red ingredients like red grapes, strawberries, and brie wedges.

Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board Tips and Tricks!

Assemble Right Before Serving - Although you can assemble the board earlier in the day and cover with plastic wrap, I recommend assembling the board as close to serving as possible so everything is super crisp out of the package.

Assemble in the Serving Location - Unless your board has edges (like using a serving tray or baking sheet), then I like to assemble in the actual serving location so you don't risk the cookies rolling off the board in transport.

Contrasting Colors/Shapes - This is my number one tip when assembling any charcuterie board. For the best presentation, you want to have contrast! Try to avoid like-colored cookies together and instead aim for lots of contrast in both color and shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

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