Christmas Charcuterie Board

If you are entertaining or visiting family and friends during the festive season then a Christmas charcuterie board is the perfect option! We love to serve this if we have neighbours or friends coming over for drinks or even on Christmas Day for snacking before our lunch. The best part about putting together a Christmas charcuterie board is that you can have some fun with it and get creative.

What to put on a Christmas Charcuterie Board

For our Christmas charcuterie board we like to use foods that are red, white and green to keep with the traditional Christmas colours. Here are some of the best ingredients to includes on a Christmas charcuterie board;

• red fruits – berries, cherries
• red & green veggies – red/green capsicum strips, stuffed baby capsicums, pickles, cherry tomatoes
• olives
• your favourite charcuterie meats – salami, prosciutto etc
• your favourite festive cheeses
• crackers – we found some fun beet ones that were red
• gingerbread cookies
• Christmas candies and chocolates
• dried fruit like cranberries, cherries
• your favourite nuts

We found this cute Christmas tree serving board at Kmart and couldn’t resist grabbing them to try out. Keep in mind it is quite small, so it would be perfect for a smaller gathering. We created two options, one below on the left with meats cheeses and veggies which would be perfect for our low carb followers. The one on the right features our beautiful Christmas tree cheese and other meats, veggies and crackers.

The best cheeses for a Christmas Charcuterie board

You can choose your favourite cheese for your Christmas charcuterie board. We tried to find some festive ones, so we were looking for anything using seasonal ingredients or that were red and green. Some great options are Wensleydale & cranberry, apple & cinnamon cream cheese and any cheese you can find with red wax on it.

To make the Christmas tree camembert cheese is really simple! You just need a small wheel of camembert or brie, some sort of red jam, jelly or preserves (we used strawberry jam) and a Christmas tree cookie cutter or sharp knife.

1. Slice the top layer off the wheel of cheese (about 1/4 inch or 1/2cm).
2. Place the thin top layer on a chopping board cut side up.
3. Use a cookie cutter or small sharp knife to cut out a Christmas tree in the middle of the circle, without cutting the edges.
4. Spread a layer of jam or preserves on the bottom layer of the cheese.
5. Replace the top layer.

How to assemble a Christmas Charcuterie Board

The best way to assemble your Christmas charcuterie board is to start with the large items like the cheeses and any small dishes or bowls you are using. It can be helpful to get all your ingredients ready and on the bench with you prior to starting to assemble your charcuterie board.

As you can see in the photos below, I have placed the cheeses and plates/dishes on the board to work out the spacing. Then add on your crackers, I like to do a diagonal line across the board with the Christmas tree cheese in the middle.

Next add in charcuterie meats, we used prosciutto and salami. It is best to scrunch or fold the meats to give some texture and height.

Once you have the majority of your cheeses, meats and crackers on the board you can then start filling in with the other ingredients to fill all the empty space. In the small dishes, we had olives, pickles and stuffed baby peppers. It is best to keep the other ingredients in one or 2 small groups, rather than scattered across the board Like we have done here with the sliced capsicums (peppers), berries, extra crackers and gingerbread stars.

Lastly, you can finish off your board with a few pops of fun! We dotted some festive Lindt balls all over the board, as we know everyone loves them.

How to make a sweet Christmas Charcuterie Board

A sweet or dessert Christmas charcuterie board is also a super fun option at this time of year. Perfect for enjoying with a festive hot chocolate! Here are some ideas for what to include in your sweet Christmas charcuterie board.

• Red, green or white candies or chocolates
• Red fruit – berries, cherries
• gold chocolate coins
• gingerbread cookies
• shortbread cookies
• mince pies
• rum balls
• meringue kisses
• white Christmas
• candy canes
• your favourite Christmas treats!

Tips & Suggestions

• Get all your ingredients out and prepare any fruits and veggies, so you have everything ready to go to make assembling your board easier.
• It is a good idea to place the larger items on the board first, spaced out, and then fill in the gaps from there.
• You can use any of your favourite meats, cheese, fruits and veggies on your Christmas charcuterie board – anything goes really!

Make it low carb

• Use a sugar-free strawberry jam or preserve for the Christmas tree cheese.
• Use your favourite low carb crackers, or leave the crackers off completely. This is an easy low carb cracker recipe if you would like to make your own.
• Check out our keto grazing platter post for more ideas.

Equipment

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You may need –

• Christmas tree chopping board
• Large charcuterie board
• Round charcuterie board

Christmas Charcuterie Board

Everyone loves a good charcuterie board or grazing platter and what could be more fun than a Christmas charcuterie board! It is an easy snack or appetiser that you can pop together if friends or family are coming over to visit. We like to take our time exploring at the supermarket to find items to use which are seasonal, Christmas-themed or red, green and white. Get creative this festive season and pop together a Christmas charcuterie board for all to enjoy.

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