This is the perfect Christmas Charcuterie Board! Little skewers of cheeses, meats, olives, tomatoes and herbs make this beautiful wreath, with mini garlic toasts for garnish.
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Why You’ll Love This Christmas Charcuterie Board
- Lots of variety: Who doesn’t love a slice of pepperoni or salami, a cube of cheese, some good crackers, some olives? Put together a whole board of yummy goodies like those, and you’ve basically made an absolutely irresistible appetizer, with tons of flavor and texture, and little to no cooking!
- Easy assembly: If you want to serve something special to start off your Christmas dinner, without too much prep or cooking, try this easy, wreath-shaped charcuterie board. It uses skewers for an even simpler prep, and looks fantastic, too.
- Customization: You can easily customize your Christmas charcuterie board with any meat, cheese, and other add-ons you’d like. I’ve even included a long list of customization ideas below.
If you love this Christmas Charcuterie Wreath, I think you will also love this Chicken Pinwheel Crescent Wreath and this festive Holiday Cheese Ball Wreath!
Christmas Charcuterie Board Ideas
You can use almost anything for this Christmas charcuterie board – it’s totally flexible. I recommend staying within the general guideline of cheeses, meats, and olives/pickles, but it’s really about your tastes and dietary needs. Don’t be afraid to customize. Scroll down to the recipe card for measurements of what I used.
- Olive Oil: Use a good olive oil for making the seasoned garlic toasts.
- Herbs: Fresh or dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano give the garlic toasts an unforgettable flavor.
- Garlic Salt: Or garlic powder, plus salt to taste.
- Bread: I prefer whole wheat bread, but any sliced bread will do. If you need to be gluten free, you could also cut these Low Carb Crackers into star shapes.
- Greenery and Herbs: For making the wreath.
- Cheeses: I used cheddar cheese cubes, Monterey Jack cubes, and fresh mozzarella pearls. I like to use a combination of yellow and white cheeses for a variety in color.
- Meats: Prosciutto and cubed salami are a great combination.
- Other: Cherry tomatoes, black olives, green olives, and pepperoncini add color and tanginess to the meat and cheese.
Equipment and Supplies
- Long Picks or Skewers: For making the wreath, I like to use skewers to keep this easy to eat, each person can grab a skewer. It also helps you to easily arrange your wreath and it not fall apart!
- Cookie Cutter: A small star cookie cutter, Christmas tree, or another shape for cutting the bread.
- Serving Board: Or a platter, tray, etc.
Easy Variations
Looking for more Christmas charcuterie board ideas? You’re in the right place. This list of ideas is loaded with tasty, easy suggestions.
- Cheeses: Havarti, brie, Colby, Swiss, the sky is the limit! You could even grill halloumi cheese, cool it down, and add it to the skewers. Avoid very soft cheeses, which will fall apart on the skewer.
- Meats: Pepperoni, sliced turkey, sliced or cubed ham, cubed grilled chicken, etc.
- Olives and Such: Quartered artichoke hearts, giardiniera, marinated mushrooms, sliced pickled okra, sweet or sour gherkins.
- Fresh Veggies and Fruits: Bell pepper pieces, cold grilled summer squash, cold grilled onion wedges, raw washed cauliflower, grapes, strawberries, apple chunks (rinsed in lemon water, so they don’t turn brown), melon.
- More: Consider placing dips and crackers, small dishes of nuts, and samplings of dried fruits like cranberries and dates in and around the wreath.
How to Make a Christmas Charcuterie Board
The steps for putting together this Christmas charcuterie board are crazy-easy. You practically don’t even need a recipe! But you can still find more detailed steps in the recipe card below.
- Make the Mini Garlic Toasts: Whisk together the olive oil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and garlic salt. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes from the bread, dip in the seasoned oil, and bake for 10 minutes.
- Make the Skewers: Thread your ingredients onto the picks, using a variety of cheese, meat, tomatoes, olives, peppers, and herbs. You can make each skewer the same, or make them all different.
- Create the Wreath: Use the greenery to make a large wreath. You can use clear tape to attach pieces together if needed. Then place the skewers around the wreath. Add more herb sprigs to the wreath for extra fullness, and top with the mini garlic toasts.
Helpful Tips
So there you have it, a pretty (and pretty delicious) Christmas charcuterie board that is as easy as can be. These easy pointers make it even simpler:
- Greenery: For the base greenery, you can use fresh herbs: basil, rosemary, mint, etc. You can also ask at a local flower shop, or cut some beautiful sprigs from a bush or tree. (Make sure you check that it is a non-poisonous bush! Also, make sure to rinse the sprigs well and allow them to dry before using.)
- Serving: Choose a nice platter or cutting board to make your wreath. I recommend a round platter to showcase your wreath.
- Clockwise: It can be helpful to envision a clock face as you shape the wreath, especially if you’re making it on a serving dish that’s not round, such as a wooden cutting board. Set skewers at 12, 3, 6, and 9 first, and then fill in the gaps. Repeat for an even, round wreath.
- Food Safety: If you do use a cutting board, make sure it is thoroughly cleaned and air-dried before laying your ingredients on it – and don’t use a cutting board that you use for raw meat and poultry! They can harbor bacteria that you don’t want on your appetizers.
Can You Make This Christmas Charcuterie Board in Advance?
You can make this board up to 24 hours in advance, and store it wrapped with foil or saran wrap in the fridge. I don’t recommend storing it longer, or the ingredients just won’t taste and look as fresh. Also, if you substitute ingredients, keep in mind that some substitutions may not store as well as the ingredients listed here.
When it comes to leftovers, I recommend storing the individual ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Some ingredients may spoil faster than others, so be careful and discard anything that seems “off” as needed.
Christmas Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh or dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 8 slices whole wheat bread
- Greenery and herbs, for making the wreath
- Skewers
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
- 8 oz Monterey jack, cubed
- 6 oz Prosciutto
- 8 oz salami, cubed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup black olives
- ½ cup green olives
- 1 cup pepperoncinis
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the olive oil, thyme, rosemary, oregano and garlic salt. Use small Christmas cookie cutters (like a small star cookie cutter or small christmas tree cookie cutter) to cut out shapes from the bread. Dip the bread into the seasoned oil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes until crusty.
- Fill the skewers with a variety of cheese, meat, tomatoes, olives, peppers and herbs. You can make each skewer the same, or make them all different!
- Use the greenery to make a large wreath (you can use clear tape if needed.)
- Place the skewers around the wreath. Add more herb sprigs around and top with the toasted bread pieces.
Notes
Equipment Needed
- Long Picks or Skewers: For making the wreath
- Cookie Cutter: A small star, Christmas tree, or other shape for cutting the bread.
- Serving Board: Or a platter, tray, etc.
Tips and Storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can change this up and use any kind of cheese and meats you prefer.
- For the base greenery, you can use fresh herbs: basil, rosemary, mint, etc. You can also ask at a local flower shop, or cut some beautiful sprigs from a bush or tree. (Make sure you check that it is a non-poisonous bush! Also, make sure to rinse the sprigs well and allow to dry before using.)
- Choose a nice platter or cutting board to make your wreath. I recommend a round platter to showcase your wreath.
- You can prep the board ahead and store it wrapped with foil or saran wrap in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Nutrition
Categories:
More Holiday Appetizers
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- Grape Jelly Crockpot Meatballs
- Dill Pickle Cheeseball
- Cranberry Brie Bites
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