Holiday Charcuterie Board

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Start your holiday get-together with a fun, festive, and tasty Holiday Charcuterie Board! Elegant but super simple, my holiday charcuterie wreath is decorated with gorgeous salami roses, nuts, olives, snackable cheeses, and dips. This is a crave-worthy charcuterie tray I guarantee you're going to want to make every year!

Jump to:

• Holiday Charcuterie
• Christmas Cheese Board Ingredients
• How to Make Meat Roses
• Holiday Charcuterie Board Ideas
• Meat and Cheese Christmas Charcuterie Board Tips
• Cheeses for Charcuterie
• How to Store Charcuterie Board Leftovers
• Holiday Charcuterie Board FAQ
• Making a Christmas Charcuterie Board
• Christmas Charcuterie Board
• Reviews

Holiday Charcuterie

What I love most about the holidays, other than the extra time I get to spend with my family, is the opportunity to invite friends over for cozy dinner parties. Taking care of the people I love is my passion, and my favorite way to do so is through food!

One of the best recipes for entertaining is a simple holiday meat and cheese board. My holiday charcuterie board checks off every box: it's beautiful, thematic, and super tasty. What I love most about it, though, is that it's easy to make ahead of time, so you don't have to rush to get everything done before your guests arrive!

The true star of my Christmas charcuterie board is the salami and pepperoni roses. They're surprisingly easy to make using a glass, paper towel, and rubber band, and are a real show-stopper. My friends are always asking me how to make them for their own holiday charcuterie board ideas!

This was such a fun idea. Thank you for the inspiration. I loved making the roses.

Teresa

Christmas Cheese Board Ingredients

• Stuffed Olives: For me, stuffed olives are a must on a charcuterie board. I like to use blue cheese stuffed green olives for their unique flavor and beautiful color. They really bring out the color of the wreath!
• Cheeses of your choice: I've added a big list of my favorite cheese combinations below!
• Mozzarella balls: I always like adding mozzarella pearls! They're light, creamy, and work as the perfect pairing with salami and pepperoni.
• Mustard: A small dish of dijon, honeycup, or stone-ground mustard gives your guests a hot and savory dipping option! Make sure to add a small spoon, too.
• Dried cranberries: I find that dried cranberries are the perfect dried fruit for charcuterie, as they're both sweet and sour and pair well with almost every meat and cheese. Plus, the dark red color is perfect for Christmas!
• Nuts: In my experience, almost every nut will be great on a cheese board! I recommend walnuts, pecans, and almonds. If you can find almonds preserved in olive oil, they're even better.
• Maraschino cherries: Maraschino cherries add a beautiful bright red pop of color to the wreath, acting like little Christmas ornaments! Plus, they're a great palette cleanser to give your guests some sweet treats.
• Charcuterie board meats: This is up to you! I prefer salty, spicy preserved meats like salami and pepperoni, but any dry-aged Italian meat will be beautiful and delicious. Add several to give guests flavor and texture options!
• Rosemary: While not exactly a snack food, fresh rosemary is the secret to making this a Christmas cheese board! Use fresh sprigs of rosemary to create a wreath design. You can even use twine to bundle sprigs together into a cute little Christmas tree, if you want!

How to Make Meat Roses

I will show you how to make salami roses, pepperoni roses, and other meat roses following a super simple step-by-step process. You will need a glass that widens near the bottom, such as a tulip glass, for shaping the roses.

Want extra tips? Folow my full step-by-step guide on How to Make Salami Roses!

Salami Roses

1. Set your glass in front of you and start folding individual slices of Galileo® Salame over the rim of the glass.
   
2. Overlap the slices and hold them down tightly so they hug the rim. You will need about 10 to 12 slices.
3. Once layered, flip the glass upside-down and carefully remove the salami rose onto a plate.
   

An extra step is required to make pepperoni roses using a rubber band and paper towel. Since the pepperoni is smaller, this extra step is needed. I love having different-sized flowers on my charcuterie board, and find this extra step is worth it!

Pepperoni Roses

1. Layer your slices of Galileo® Pepperoni around the rim of a glass the same way you layered the salami.
2. Once layered, take a paper towel and place it over the top. Fold it down the sides and rubber band it to the glass, then place it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
   
3. After 15 minutes or so, take the glass out of the refrigerator and remove the rubber band and paper towel. You will be able to carefully remove the meat rose from the glass. Turn it upside down and set it down, and voila! You have a perfect meat rose.
   

Holiday Charcuterie Board Ideas

Charcuterie boards should have a little everything for your guests to enjoy. On my homemade charcuterie board for the holidays, I like to include a mixture of cheeses, dipping sauce options, berries, nuts, olives, and (best of all!) meats. This gives everyone various options to graze from and build their little snack plate. 

Although I will share with you my favorite unique charcuterie board ideas, you can vary the ingredients based on your personal preferences and what your guests would enjoy most. Try different cheeses or snacking options, like white cheddar popcorn or candied pecans instead of other nuts.

Because this is an Italian charcuterie board recipe, the best flavors to include with it are Italian. You could add Italian peppers if you like – those pair deliciously with the charcuterie board meats. Looking for inspiration for the perfect Holiday charcuterie board? Check out my list of extra ideas!

• Goat Cheese Log - You can even cut slices of it and make a little snowman!
• Cherry Tomatoes or Grape Tomatoes
• Green Grapes or Red Grapes
• Pomegranate Seeds - They look like Christmas lights!
• Strawberries - Fresh or candied
• Candied orange peels
• Candied pineapple rings
• Candy apple slices
• Prosciutto
• Cookies - I recommend a selection of spiced and sugar cookies, like my Greek Wedding Cookies!
• Crackers - Always include a range of crackers. I recommend a water cracker, a savory flavored cracker, and a sweet cracker.
• Cookie Cutter filled with nuts or raisins
• Candy Canes

Meat and Cheese Christmas Charcuterie Board Tips

• The most important part of charcuterie is variety. Include a mix of soft and hard cheeses, multiple types of meat, plenty of fruit, and a few different spreads.
• Flavor combinations are important! Creamy, mild cheeses pair the best with spicy or sweet spreads like jam. Harder, funkier cheeses often pair well with mustard. Blue cheese is ideal with honey.
• Don't over-crowd! It's tempting to stuff every corner of a cheese board with snacks, but leave everything a little room to breathe. That makes it a lot easier to access everything on the board without making a huge mess of things.
• Keep dietary restrictions in mind. Include gluten-free options for crackers, and keep an eye out for cheeses that use vegetarian rennet.
• Don't cut cubes of cheese! They're temping and easy, but cubed cheese actually has less flavor than cheese cut into thin triangles or slices. Because of the high fat content in cheese, a high surface area means it will melt across your tongue better in thin slices, giving you more flavor without that clinging mouth feel.

For more details, see my guide on How to Make Salami Roses! I've included tons of great ideas for cheese boards that will make your charcuterie board unique and fun.

Cheeses for Charcuterie

A great cheese board means great cheeses! Here are some good places to start, plus what to pair them with.

• Cheddar cheese: You can't go wrong with a good white cheddar. Cheddar ranges from very sharp and crunchy (that crunch is protein crystals!) to smooth and creamy; choose according to the tastes of your guests.
  • Pair with: Apple slices, sweet or savory crackers
• Brie cheese: A small wheel of brie or a slice of a larger wheel served with a knife is a great and beautiful addition to any board. Brie ranges from very funky to earthy to mild and buttery, so choose according to your preference!
  • Pair with: Sweet and spicy jam, candied nuts, sweet crackers
• Blue cheese: Blue cheese comes in all sorts of forms, from crumbled to blocks to spreadable. It can also be a great range of strengths! I recommend serving blue cheese in spreadable form so guests can adjust the amount of cheese to their preference.
  • Pair with: Honey
• Gruyere cheese: Gruyere is related to Swiss, with a nutty and slightly funky flavor. The texture can range from slightly gritty to dense and smooth, almost waxy. Look for a cave-aged variety for nuttier flavor.
  • Pair with: Mustard and sliced meat
• Gouda cheese: Mild, creamy, and dense, gouda is great for kids and guests who prefer traditional, mild cheeses. Look for young gouda that hasn't been aged long for an especially buttery and mild option.
  • Pair with: Water crackers, meat, and butter
• Goat cheese: Goat cheese comes in all forms, from logs to rolls to firm cheddar and gouda! I recommend getting a log for guests unfamiliar with goat cheese, but branch out to more varieties if you've got adventurous family! Bucheron is my favorite!
  • Pair with: Sweet jam, water crackers, apple slices, honey
• Flavored cheese: Something flavored never goes wrong on a cheese board! A classic choice could be something like a herb and spice Havarti, but you can also get creative with it and choose a caramelized onion cheese or something with a little spice.
  • Pair with: Savory crackers, meat
• Sheep cheese: Manchego never goes wrong, with its buttery, nutty flavor that only gets more intense as it ages. Go for a young 6-month Manchego for a soft and mild flavor, or an aged, 12-month cheese for a nuttier, sweeter experience. Or, branch out from manchego into all sorts of other sheep cheese!
  • Pair with: Almonds, berry jams, sweet mustard

How to Store Charcuterie Board Leftovers

1. Overnight storage: If you plan to continue snacking the next day, you can store the entire charcuterie board at once by wrapping the board in plastic wrap and storing it in the fridge overnight.
2. Make-ahead Storage: You can make each of the ingredients ahead! To do so, slice the cheese and form the salami flowers. Then store them each in separate airtight containers. Make sure you use a separate bag or container for each type of cheese, meat, etc! They can meld flavors if stored together.
3. Bread and Crackers: Breads and crackers are best stored at room temperature! Place dry items such as crackers in a plastic bag and store in the pantry. Bread should be stored separately, as its high moisture content can make crackers stale.
4. Dips: Remove and discard any leftover dip! It's tempting to put it back in its original container, but the risk of cross contamination is very high and it can spoil the entire container.

Remember that charcuterie components may have different shelf lives, so it's essential to assess the freshness of each item before consumption. If you notice any signs of spoilage, such as off odors, mold, or changes in texture or color, discard the affected items and all food that was in contact with it. Proper storage and attention to freshness will help you enjoy your leftover charcuterie safely and deliciously.

Holiday Charcuterie Board FAQ

Making a Christmas Charcuterie Board

Every year, I look forward to finding some new way to decorate my holiday charcuterie board. The look of surprise and awe on my family and friends' faces around the table always brings me such joy.

What makes me even happier is knowing that you're going to get the same response serving this charcuterie board. I can't wait to hear about it, so leave a comment and a rating below to tell me!