Christmas Charcuterie Board

Susannah Brinkley Henry

Liven up the holiday party with a Christmas Charcuterie Board. Red and green items plus seasonal treats make this stand out!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 0

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 470kcal

Author Susannah Brinkley Henry

Ingredients

8 ounces cheddar cheese
8 ounces brie cheese
6 ounces manchego cheese
4 ounces blue cheese
8 ounces cranberry goat cheese
4 satsuma oranges
1 cup sugared cranberries
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fig jam
½ cup dried cranberries
1 honey crisp apple sliced
1 pomegranate sliced
12 ounces assorted charcuterie such as salami, coppa, prosciutto and/or sopressata
20 sprigs fresh rosemary
12 ounces crackers

Instructions

Add the cheeses to a 12-inch board in a circle. (You can remove them later if they need to go back in the fridge, but for now we need to know approximately how much space they will take up.)
Go ahead and slice a few pieces off to show people how to cut them. Crumbly cheeses like blue cheese can be crumbled in place.
Next add any larger items, such as bowls of fruit, pâté, mustard, jam or honey. Make sure everything is spaced around the board evenly.
In the next step, add any large fruits as well as an array of charcuterie. Fold or roll the pieces of prosciutto and salami in between cheeses. Keep like meats together for ease of explaining what’s on the platter.
Add some garnishes like rosemary, leaving room for the bread and crackers. Theses should be added last so they stay crisp and don’t taste stale.
When you’re ready to serve, fill it out with crackers and bread. Fill in any little gaps with nuts and berries (fresh or dried). Then add your cheese knives and spoons for serving.

Notes

Plan on about 4 ounces of meat/cheese per person and 2 ounces for kids.

Choose a variety of cheeses. The ones I mentioned above are just suggestions. You’ll want a mixture of textures (soft, hard, crumbly) and flavor (mild, sharp, sweet). Same goes for fruits, crackers, nuts and other additions — make sure to have a variety of soft, crispy, chewy and crunchy items.

Odd numbers tend to look best in design, so three or five cheeses is usually the magic number. But if you want to do two or four, go for it. Don’t let the numbers limit you!

Arrange the cheeses on the board in spectrum ranging from mild to strong. Keep any stinky cheeses away from the milder ones.

Cheese should be served at room temperature. You can make the board ahead of time, but pull it out 30-60 minutes before serving. Cover with a barely damp towel to keep it from drying out.

Nutrition

Find more recipes at feastandwest.com