This easy Christmas charcuterie board only takes 10 minutes to cut and assemble. It is festive and fun, and my guests always comment on it. You can turn this grazing board into a Christmas cheese board if you want to keep it vegetarian. Festivity begins when the CharcuterTREE hits the table!
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Holiday parties and family gatherings can be stressful. But this simple Christmas charcuterie board takes 10 minutes to put together. Serve this recipe with our crockpot mulled wine and cranberry jalapeno dip for a no-fuss event.
You may have noticed the social media trend of standing charcuterie trees made from styrofoam. They are very cute.
However, as a former event planner, I can tell you they are very impractical. Guests are uncomfortable pulling from them. And as they get holes, the white styrofoam shows through. Not a cute look.
📖Why My Method Works
That is why the flat charcuterie tree (or as some people call it a charcuterTREE), makes sense. It feeds more people. And you can easily replenish it all night, so it looks cute for your entire Christmas party.
This board can be adjusted to accommodate gluten-free and nut-free allergies. Or you can make separate charcuterie cups for these guests.
🧾Ingredient Notes
For this board, you can use any variety of meats, cheeses, and any accouterments that you like. Here are my recommended items.
- Cheese- Pick one easy-to-eat soft cheese, like mozzarella balls or small balls of rolled goat cheese. Plus two kinds of cheese, a dill Havarti and a sharp white cheddar. For interest, I cut one into cubes and the other into thin slices.
- Meats- Again, I like to play with shapes and textures. I used one round of salami that I sliced. Thick-cut pepperoni would make a great substitution. For a softer look, I cut prosciutto into thin ribbons and loosely folded them.
- Vegetables- I prefer to use smaller cucumbers and grape tomatoes. You can also use pickled vegetables like gherkins, olives, or peppers.
- Fruit- I like to use a mix of dry and fresh fruits on my charcuterie boards. Grapes, berries, or figs. For dried fruit, I like apricots, cherries, and dates.
- Nuts- I used toasted pecans but almonds, or even crunchy chickpeas to make the tree trunk. I didn't use pretzel sticks because you can only fit 5 to 10 at the bottom, which is not very helpful.
- To decorate the tree and give it a bit of pizazz, I used fresh rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds. You can use sage, parsley, and dried cranberries as substitutes.
- To complement your Christmas charcuterie board, serve with little jars of jam, honey, or mustard. Plus, regular crackers, seeded crackers, gluten-free crackers, and toasted bread.
⏲️How to Make a Christmas Charcuterie Board
Cut and Assemble
- Chop all your items into bite-size pieces varying the shapes and textures.
- Start the base of the tree with a substantial item like cheese. Cheddar is typically the most popular at my parties, so I wanted to use that for the largest layer.
- Followed by items that would likely be eaten together. For example, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and cucumber are grouped in consecutive layers.
- Each layer should be slightly shorter than the last, forming a Christmas tree shape.
- For the final layer, form it into a triangle to make the top of the tree.
Decorate and Serve
- Use fresh herbs to make the bottom layer. Tuck additional small pieces around the tree.
- I used a slice of colby jack cheese and a cookie cutter to cut out a star shape for the top of the tree and several snowflakes.
- For the trunk, I used a few handfuls of nuts. Add a red item, like pomegranate arils, to fill in empty spaces along with additional pecans.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
Save money, don't buy a Christmas tree-shaped board. You can use a large wooden cutting board for serving or line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Or you can put a large piece of butcher paper directly on your buffet table. Tape down the edges and cover with bowls of dip!
More Holiday Party Recipes
🌡️Make Ahead
You can buy all the ingredients for this recipe up to 3 days in advance. Store according to package instructions. Vegetables and fruits should be stored in their respective crisper drawers in the fridge.
Cut all your items the night before your party. Assemble up to 2 hours before party time. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls or bocconcini
- 8 ounces harvarti cheese any flavor
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar
- 8 ounces salami
- 3 ounces prosciutto
- 1 cup dried apricots
- 1 cup seedless cucumber
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes
- ¾ cup blackberries
- 1 cup pecans
- fresh rosemary, pomegranate colby cheese slices for decorating
Instructions
- Chop all your items into bite-size pieces varying the shapes and textures.8 ounces mozzarella pearls, 8 ounces harvarti cheese, 12 ounces sharp cheddar, 8 ounces salami, 3 ounces prosciutto, 1 cup dried apricots, 1 cup seedless cucumber, ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup pecans, fresh rosemary, pomegranate colby cheese slices for decorating, ¾ cup blackberries
- Start the base of your tree with your most popular item, like cheddar cheese. Make each layer slightly shorter than the last, grouping items that are complimentary.
- Add the layer of greenery at the bottom and tuck in pieces around the tree. Use a cookie cutter or paring knife to cut out a star shape for the top. Use the pecans to make the trunk and tuck in extras around the tree to fill in empty spaces.
Notes
- Ingredients and quantities are suggestions. Adjust according to your personal preference.
- Replenish the tree layers throughout your event to keep it looking nice.
- Serve with crackers (regular and gluten-free), jams, honey, and/or mustards.
Equipment
- Knife
Doris says
This was my first attempt at a charcuterie board and I think it came out pretty cute! Thanks for providing a guideline for me!
Jen Wooster says
Great job!