Description
If you need a fun and festive appetizer for the holidays, this Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board is it! So cute, such a crowd-pleaser and it’s actually really easy to put together.
Ingredients
For the Christmas Tree Outline:
- candied pecans or pecan halves (for the tree trunk)
- white cheddar popcorn (for the snowy ground)
- fresh rosemary sprigs (to outline the tree shape)
For the Star Topper:
- a small round wheel of brie
- your favorite jam, preserves or jelly
- star-shaped cookie cutter (that is smaller than the brie)
Charcuterie Board Ingredients:
- a mix of your favorite charcuterie board ingredients (think festive reds, whites and greens), check the notes for exactly what I used and some fun variations
Instructions
- Grab a board: Use any large rectangular board you’ve got (a wooden serving board, a cutting board, even a sheet pan works in a pinch). I just used the biggest wood board I own (mine is about 17.5 x 14 inches). Set it in front of you vertically so you’re ready to build your tree.
- Create the trunk and snowy ground: Arrange some candied pecans or pecan halves in the shape of a little tree trunk at the bottom center of your board. Then, sprinkle some white cheddar popcorn along the bottom edge to represent a snow covered ground.
- Make the star topper: Use a sharp knife to slice off the top of a small round wheel of brie (it cuts best when it’s cold, so if it feels too soft, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes). Press a star-shaped cookie cutter into the center of the top piece and carefully lift it away to reveal the cut-out. Spread your favorite jam, preserves or jelly on the cut surface of the bottom piece of brie. Then set the top piece back on. Place your finished star at the top center of the board.
- Make the tree outline: Use fresh rosemary springs to outline a simple triangle tree shape above the trunk with the top point sitting right under your brie star. This gives that pine tree look plus a nice easy guide to build on.
- Arrange the charcuterie ingredients: Start filling in your tree with horizontal rows of charcuterie goodies inside the rosemary outline. Each row will get a bit shorter as you move up the tree so put the ingredients you want the most of toward the bottom. If you want to go a little extra, tuck a few small rosemary sprigs between the rows and sprinkle on some extra white cheddar popcorn to give it that “falling snow” look.
Notes
- Charcuterie Board Ingredients: Try to stick with a red, white and green color palette when choosing your charcuterie board ingredients for a festive look. For inspiration, here’s what I placed in each row, working from the bottom up: cubed white cheddar, sliced dry chorizo sausage, green grapes, cubed gouda, sliced dry red wine salami, Castelvetrano olives, small log herb goat cheese (sliced), raspberries and shelled pistachios.
- Have fun with it! The best thing about a charcuterie board is how customizable it is so use ingredients you love and size it up or down depending on your crowd. Use the steps and photos in the post as a guide and just play around with it (yes.. full permission to play with your food!).
- Prep Time and Yield: This varies and will depend on the size of your board and how detailed you get with arranging.
Variations and Substitutions
- For the star: I went with a brie star because I wanted another type of cheese on the board but you could also simply cut a star out of a thick slice of cheddar or even pop a cute star-shaped cookie on top
- For the trunk: If pecans aren’t your thing, anything brown works (almonds, pretzel sticks, crackers, you name it).
- Red ingredients: I used dry chorizo, salami and raspberries. Some other red options include red grapes, strawberries, cherries, grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, prosciutto and pepperoni.
- Green ingredients: My board has Castelvetrano olives, green grapes and shelled pistachios. Other green options include sliced cucumbers, celery sticks, kiwi, raw pepitas and baby dill pickles.
- White ingredients: I used sliced goat cheese and cubed white cheddar and gouda but any white colored cheese works (havarti, provolone, fontina, mozzarella pearls, etc.).
