Why I love this Christmas tree charcuterie board
I love a good holiday snack that’s a little different, and this Christmas tree charcuterie board recipe is just that.
It’s surprisingly easy to put together, and it looks so festive sitting on the buffet table.
I like to think of it as a fun, edible decoration that everyone can nibble on.
Plus, it’s a fun way to mix things up from the usual platter and you can make it ahead of time to keep things simple on the day.
Ingredients
Here is your shopping list (for 1 charcuterie board):
- Dairy – 7 ounce Gruyere cheese slices, 8 ounce block of Sharp cheddar cheese, 8 ounce block of Monterey Jack cheese.
- Crackers – Various entertaining crackers
- Canned goods – 1 small jar Kosher Dill Petites, 1 small jar Black olives, 1 small jar Green olives.
- Party snacks – 1 small package Pretzel sticks
- Fresh produce – 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 pint blackberries, 12 fresh rosemary sprigs.
- Sliced meat – 8 ounces pepperoni, 8 ounces salami.
- Nuts – 1 small package Pistachios
How to make a Christmas tree charcuterie board
1 | Prep work
Start by cutting the cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese into small cubes about half an inch in size.
Use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut stars from the Gruyere cheese slices. If the cheese is soft, it helps to chill it in the fridge for a bit before cutting, making it firmer and easier to handle.
Position your charcuterie board vertically so you can work from top to bottom more easily.
2 | Create the tree structure
Place a stack of the cheese stars at the top center of the board. These will be the tree topper.
To make the trunk, put a bunch of pretzel sticks vertically in the middle at the bottom of the board.
Just above the pretzels, add a row of pickles stretching almost all the way across the board. This forms the first “layer” of the tree.
Then make a row of crackers above the pickles that’s slightly narrower than the pickle row.
Add a second row of crackers about halfway between the cheese stars and the lower crackers, centering it over the lower row but making it a little narrower.
3 | Fill in the middle
Place a row of cherry tomatoes under the second cracker row, making it a little wider than the crackers above.
Next, add a layer of cubed cheese below the tomatoes, making it slightly wider than the tomato row.
Then, add a row of blackberries beneath the cubed cheese, making it a little wider than the cheese.
To fill the gap between the blackberries and the bottom cracker row, fold slices of pepperoni into small, loose rolls or half-moons and place them side by side.
Adjust the position of the other layers if the spacing isn’t quite right.
4 | Finish the top
Place a row of black olives above the top cracker row, making it slightly narrower than the cracker layer below.
Between the olives and the cheese stars, add a row of salami slices, arranging them so they slightly overlap each other for a layered look.
This row should be wider than the stars but narrower than the olives.
If needed, tweak the spacing of the rows so everything will fit on the board.
5 | Add layers
Add a row of pistachios between the top cracker layer and the black olives, overlapping the ingredients slightly for visual interest.
Do the same with the green olives, placing them between the top cracker layer and the cherry tomatoes (again, overlapping for dimension).
Finally, tuck sprigs of rosemary around the sides of the “tree” to give it some greenery and a bit of texture.
How to make ahead
To make ahead of time, arrange the board as directed. Then remove the crackers and store separately in a ziploc bag to keep them fresh.
Add them back to the board just before serving.
Storage
To store the charcuterie board, wrap the entire board tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep everything fresh and prevent it from drying out.
Store the wrapped ingredients in the refrigerator. For best results, consume within 24 to 48 hours to maintain freshness and quality.
Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 7 oz Gruyere cheese slices
- 1 small package Pretzel sticks
- 1 small jar Kosher Dill Petites
- Various entertaining crackers different sizes and flavors
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes
- 8 oz Sharp cheddar cheese cubed
- 1 pint Blackberries
- 8 oz Pepperoni
- 1 small jar Black olives
- 8 oz Salami
- 1 small package Pistachios
- 1 small jar Green olives
- 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese cubed
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- star-shaped cookie cutter
- rectangular charcuterie board
Instructions
- Use a small star cookie cutter to cut stars from the Gruyere cheese slices.7 oz Gruyere cheese slices
- Stack a few stars in the top middle of your charctuerie board. They will be the tree topper.
- Put a bunch of pretzel sticks vertically at the bottom of the charcuterie board in the middle. They will be the trunk of the tree.1 small package Pretzel sticks
- Add a row of pickles stretching almost all the way across the board just above the pretzel sticks.Various entertaining crackers
- Then add a row of crackers above the pickles. This row should be a little narrower than the previous one.1 small jar Kosher Dill Petites
- Add a second row of crackers a little more than half way up between the cheese stars and the existing row of crackers. It should be centered over the lower cracker row but not be as wide.Various entertaining crackers
- Place a row of cherry tomatoes under this second row of crackers. It should be a little wider than the row above it.1 pint Cherry tomatoes
- Add a row of cubed cheese under the tomatoes that is a little wider than the tomato row.8 oz Sharp cheddar cheese
- Make a row of blackberries under the cubed cheese that is a little wider.1 pint Blackberries
- Fill in the gap between the blackberries and bottom row of crackers with a row of folded pepperoni slices. Adjust the position of the other rows if there isn’t enough room (or too much space).8 oz Pepperoni
- Put a row of the black olives above the top row of crackers. It should be a little narrower than the row beneath it.1 small jar Black olives
- Add a row of salami between the olives and the cheese stars. The width should be wider than the stars but narrower than the black olives row. Adjust the spacing of the rows if necessary.8 oz Salami
- Put a row of pistachios between the top row of crackers and the black olives. It will overlap the rows that are already there.1 small package Pistachios
- Place a row of green olives between the top row of crackers and the cherry tomatoes, again overlapping the ingredients that are already there.1 small jar Green olives
- Make a row of cubed cheese under the pickles at the bottom of the tree. They should go right over the pretzel sticks to cover the ends.8 oz Monterey Jack cheese
- Finally, insert the rosemary sprigs throughout the sides of tree to create some greenery and dimension.Fresh rosemary sprigs
Notes
- You will not need as much of each ingredient as listed to fill the board. But I like to make more so I can put out refills as people eat what is on the board.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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