Eat, drink, and be merry!! I’d like to introduce you to the ULTIMATE HOLIDAY CHARCUTERIE BOARD! Can you believe I made this? Well, you can too! This festive display of the classic meat and cheese appetizer will absolutely WOW your guests and you can absolutely do it yourself! I’ve included an ingredient list for both sweet and salty ideas plus instructions on how to put it together and tips on how to decorate it. Save this one in your Pinterest so you can be inspired this holiday season.
Holiday Charcuterie
No matter how big or small your holiday plans will be, you can make this charcuterie to suit your entertaining needs. It can be an appetizer or even a meal! It’s a beautiful way to bring people together to graze over the seemingly never-ending spread while sipping wine, and sharing conversation. With more people choosing to stay at home instead of going out to eat, why not surprise your spouse with this date night idea!?
Everything you see here was purchased at Urban Fare in Calgary. The reason this is my go-to store when creating a charcuterie board is because they have THE BEST selection of cheese and meat. I also find their staff in the deli counter very knowledgeable and friendly and I love to bounce all of my cheese questions off of them! They suggested quite a few in this ensemble and they were all delicious. Urban Fare is a beautiful market-style grocery store that has a great selection for your everyday grocery shopping needs but also offers many gourmet items too… like these macarons!
Salty Ingredients
A charcuterie usually leans towards your salty palette. It’s important to incorporate different flavours and textures when making your cheese choices! Try a variety of firm, slicing cheeses with soft ones like goat cheese and brie. My husband is a meat lover and is all about the cured meats. Proscuitto, pepperoni, and salami and great.
Flavoured jellies and mustards are also great toppers; such as red pepper jelly, chipotle peach jelly, or truffle mustard. Salsa and guacamole are easy to create or purchase and they totally keep with the red and green Christmas theme!
- rolled salami
- sliced salami log
- pepperoni
- prosciutto
- smoked salmon
- mixed nuts/trail mix
- pickles
- olives
- hummus
- salsa
- guacamole
- vegetables: grape tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli
Sweet Ingredients
A well-balanced charcuterie has both sweet and salty, especially if you’re looking to turn this into a meal, like we did. You can’t forget dessert right? If you don’t want to do the savoury portion, try a board with only fruit and desserts! Cookies, brownies, cupcakes, candies, and fruit are always great for entertaining and even more fun for kids to enjoy this way!
- candy canes
- dried fruit: mango, coconut, strawberry
- red and white candy
- cupcakes
- decorated Christmas cookies
- macarons
- meringues
- fruit: strawberries, cranberries, kiwi, raspberries, blackberries, apple slices, grapes
How to Put it Together?
Feeling a little overwhelmed by this display? Don’t be! It’s easy once you get started. Here are some tips:
- Start with the large items. Place the cheese evenly around the board or space.
- Next, place your meats. I like to roll my thin slices or line up the sliced salami along the border edge.
- Use your crackers! Crackers fill up a lot of space. Place at least 2 piles of the same cracker at different areas of the board. Use at least 4 types of crackers.
- Fill up your dishes. Use small dishes to place your smaller items like olives, candy, tomatoes, etc.
- Now that you have the bulk of your display, start filling in the spaces with your sweets! Don’t be scared of allowing different flavours to overlap.
Holiday Charcuterie Decoration Ideas
If you don’t have a charcuterie board, do what I did: lay down wax or parchment paper right on your kitchen island or table and then build your charcuterie right on top! This allows you to create any size that you need. If you’re having many guests, try a long-table style as your centrepiece for the table.
I think the more festive you make your charcuterie, the more fun it is for your guests to enjoy. We added a string of white Christmas lights around the board that gave off a nice ambiance as the sun went down and it got darker inside. A little coniferous greenery like cedar or pine can be laid around the board or added to fill space.
Candles are always great for creating a mood, just remember that people will be reaching and you don’t want anyone’s sleeve to catch on fire! Place them on the outside or surrounding areas of the food.
Add more red and green fruits and vegetables like green and red peppers, cranberries, kiwi, strawberries, to play up the traditional Christmas colours. Colourful tree ornaments would also add colour and fill up empty space. I had the genius idea to use Christmas cookie cutters as vessels for candy and it turned out so cute!
Will you be trying this out over the holidays?
Send me a photo on Instagram and I will share in my stories!
Love, Kiki
This blog post was inspired by a sponsored Instagram Post with Urban Fare. All thoughts, ideas, photography, and opinions are my own.
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