This Christmas tree charcuterie board is fun, festive and so easy to make. Loaded with meats, cheese and fruits, it'll be a hit at your Christmas party. Serves 10-12 as an appetiser.
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
1 large board or 2 cutting board
Instructions
PREP, PREP, PREP: Once the ingredients are prepped as below, you can store them in airtight containers overnight ready to lay out closer to serving.
Cut a star out of 50g of the cheddar using a cookie cutter and set it aside. Cut the remaining cheddar, red leicester and cranberry cheeses into cubes and set aside.
Cut the Swiss cheese into quarters on the diagonal so you get triangles and set aside.
Slice the cream cheese log into rounds.
Cut the prosciutto pieces into 2 long strips.
Cut 8 of the salami slices in half. With the remaining 16, press them over the rim of small glass, going round and round, overlapping by just a little until they’re all done. Turn the glass upside down and you have a salami rose for the top star of the charcuterie tree.
Cut the twiggy sticks in half and tie together with a piece of twine - these will be the tree trunk.
Wash and dry the fresh fruit.
ASSEMBLY:See the images within the post above for the assembly, step by step.
Cut a large tree shaped triangle from a piece of baking paper or parchment paper, about 30cm/12 in wide and 45cm/18in high. Place it onto a large board (or place two boards together).
Take 3 triangles of swiss cheese, layer them, fanning the ends out slightly and place near the bottom corner of the paper triangle - half off the paper. Repeat with the remaining swiss cheese, place 4 along each side at even intervals.
Place sprigs of rosemary between each of the Swiss cheese portions, so they’ll hang out to look like branches.
Add the salami rose to the tip of the tree and place the brie somewhere in the bottom third of the tree.
Now create meat tinsel by concertina-ing the salami first then place it on a diagonal across the paper tree allowing the concertina to expand. Repeat with the prosciutto or just create little piles of prosciutto in a diagonal row. 2 rows of each is perfect.
Roll up the slices of ham then cut in three. Stand upright as another meat-tinsel row.
Add the cubed cheeses in 3 of the large spaces and the sliced cream cheese in another.
Add small piles of fruit, here there and everywhere - a few clusters of grapes, a group of cherries, a group of raspberries and so on.
Add the dried fruit, nuts and olives in the same way with each in a couple of small piles.
Add the finishing touches, including your salami stick tree trunk. Add the orange slices if using, tucking them in so they just stick out here and there. Add the cheese star to the salami rose at the top. Add more smaller sprigs of rosemary through the tree. Finally a drizzle of honey over the cheese.
Serve immediately with crackers, pretzels and/or bread slices.
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Notes
Ingredients in this recipe card are to make the exact design you see here but feel free to get creative, add the cheeses and meats you love. Add relishes, mini gherkins or cocktail onions if you like. Swap the fruits for just about anything in season. Figs are great with grazing platters, melons are easy to cut up and go a long way. If you use apples or pears make sure to dip them into some acidulated water first. The most important things are to keep it colourful, separate similar colours and just have fun with it. And the rosemary - don’t skip the rosemary as it makes it more tree-like.
If you’re on a budget, check out the post for some cost saving options whilst still giving you an epic Christmas charcuterie board.
Nutrition details are approximate only - scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.