A Christmas charcuterie board is a lot of fun. It likewise happens to be extremely easy to make.
We pulled some existing Southern Living recipes, like Rosemary Browned Butter Pecans, homemade jam, and naturally pimiento cheese to make this Christmas charcuterie board a little bit more Southern than the typical spread.
Simply put, you can truly make a board like this with whatever ingredients you have on hand. We picked the ones we did due to the fact that the flavors go well together, and they look quite– and all of us consume first with our eyes!
Discover how to construct a Christmas charcuterie board, and get ideas for making this the highlight of any holiday party.
Ingredients for Christmas Charcuterie Board
Everything about this charcuterie board screams vacations, however everything about it is also easily versatile to personal choices.
Meat: Prosciutto and salami are great alternatives because they’re well loved and easy to work with for enjoyable “decors” on the board. You might also utilize capicola or soppressata.
Cheese: Brie, goat, and pimiento cheeses are incredible choices since they can be enjoyed with any number of other components of this board. But if you like your cheese to have a bit more funk, no one will stop you from utilizing Stilton, sharp Cheddar, or an aged Gouda.
Vegetables and fruits: We didn’t utilize any veggies on this board, but you might add radish rounds or quarters, bell pepper sticks, or miniature carrots for easy dipping. All will go magnificently with the olives, pomegranate arils, and grapes. Raspberries would be stunning, too.
Crispy foods: You’ll desire something a little crispy and crispy to go with the soft cheeses and tender meats. Select your preferred kinds.
Spreads: Pimiento cheese counts here, too, as does the refrigerator jam. Any jam or fruit butter would be tasty.
Garnishes: Fill in the blank areas with rosemary sprigs for that “Christmas tree” look.
How To Make a Christmas Charcuterie Board
You can arrange things in whatever pattern you want them to be arranged. We simply recommend that you put down bigger items, like bowls with dips and spreads, initially so that you can make sure you have room for them.
And keep adding until the board is complete. If it looks a little thin, utilize a smaller sized board and compress the size of the wreath.
We also made flowers out of the prosciutto and folded the salami to look like fans, but it does not matter how you put them on the board. If you do not have time, layering them is completely acceptable.
Can You Make a Charcuterie Board ahead of time?
You can make the parts ahead of time, however do not assemble until you’re all set to serve. A charcuterie board is best when it’s newly presented.
Tips for the very best Christmas Charcuterie Board
Besides being a great way to feed a crowd, a charcuterie board is very flexible. You can do practically anything you desire and it will still look wonderful. The Test Kitchen pros share a few tricks to assist you along the method.
Create a shape. The bowl in the center of the platter assists you keep the shape of the wreath.
Substitute dramatic effect. Organize the rosemary sprigs on the inside and beyond the “wreath” for the green result.
Diminish the board size. If your charcuterie board is feeling a little thin, move it to a smaller board. Pushing in with all the active ingredients will assist it look more voluminous.
Variations
As discussed, the very best aspect of a charcuterie board is that it’s easy to blend and match the active ingredients you like and the things you wish to highlight. Here are a few of our preferred swaps:
In location of pecans, you can make any seasoned nut blends. Attempt Bourbon Candied Nuts.
Modification out the fig jam for a more tasty spread, like Bacon Jam or the always-classic Pepper Jelly.
You can turn this into a Christmas tree if you would prefer!