Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

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I love creating cheese boards around a holiday theme. I made this Easter Charcuterie Board in the shape of an egg, and today I’m sharing this festive Christmas tree spread!

Everyone will find something they like on the board, with a balance of sweet and salty treats. It’s easier to make than one would think, using a simple piece of string to create a triangle shape on your cheese board that you create rows within, building the shape of the tree. Small additions like candied ginger and rosemary create a holiday feel. You could make some of these gluten-free Christmas cookie recipes to serve alongside the board, too!

How to cut cheese for a charcuterie board

There are many ways to cut cheese, but I like to keep it simple with cubes and batonettes (vertical cuts that look like sticks). Both of these cuts are great for snacking and easy to grab without needing a utensil.

I also love to use small cookie or vegetables cutters for cutting out shapes of cheese, like I did with the snowflakes you see at the top of the tree! It’s a simple way to create a little magic.

How to build a Christmas Tree charcuterie board:

1. Select a cheese board that is big enough to create your tree shape. I used this wooden board with metal rim, which is 18 inches in diameter.
2. Take a roll of string and create an even triangle shape on the board, taping each of the 3 corners of the triangle to the board so it stays in place.
3. Use one layer of crackers to create the 1st row in the tree at the bottom of the triangle. Then add sticks of cheese, and a row of purple grapes above that.
4. Thinly slice mini cucumbers and create two rows above the grapes.
5. The next layer is marcona almonds.
6. Then add two layers of raspberries. And then a good amount of cubed cheese above that.
7. Folded salami is the next layer, and then crackers come in again to fill things in above.
8. Top the tree with cheese that is cut into stars or snowflakes.
9. Scatter candied ginger amongst the ingredients to add some sparkle, and wedge in stalks of fresh rosemary between some of the rows to create the look of a tree.

Ingredients for a Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

• Semi-hard cheeses like gouda, cheddar, and havarti are well liked by most people, and can be cut into cubes and sticks that flow well on the board.
• Red Grapes: the color looks beautiful and the shape mimics that of ornaments
• Marcona Almonds: These are my favorite almonds. They are a bit sweet and softer than other almonds, with a rich taste.
• Mini cucumbers
• Rosemary: You won’t eat the rosemary, but adding it in between some of the rows evokes an evergreen feeling.
• Salami
• Raspberries
• Candied Ginger: I love using little pieces of candied ginger because it sparkles and mimics holiday lights! It’s really delicious, too.
• Honey
• Crackers: I love round crackers for this board because they overlap easily. My favorite are the 34 Degrees Gluten-Free Crisps.

More Christmas Appetizers:

• Skillet White Chicken Chili Dip
• 5-Ingredient Baked Goat Cheese with Fig Jam
• Fresh Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

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Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board (for beginners!)

This festive charcuterie board is built in the shape of a Christmas tree with cheese, fruit, cucumbers, candied ginger, and rosemary! It's easy to make using a string to build the outline of a tree that you simply fill in with rows of goodies.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time :25 minutes minutes

Yield: 6 people

Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

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Ingredients

• 6 to 8 ounces semi-hard cheeses like gouda cheddar, and havarti
• 10 to 15 red grapes
• 1/2 cup marcona almonds
• 2 to 3 mini cucumbers sliced into rounds
• 4 to 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3 ounces salami
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup candied ginger
• crackers
• handful of olives for adding to tree when built
• honey for serving

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Instructions 

• Select a cheese board that is big enough to create your tree shape. I used a wooden board with metal rim, which is 18 inches in diameter.
• Take a roll of string and create an even triangle shape on the board, taping each of the 3 corners of the triangle to the board so it stays in place.
• Use one layer of crackers to create the 1st row in the tree at the bottom of the triangle. Then add sticks of cheese, and a row of purple grapes above that.
• Above the grapes place two rows of sliced mini cucumber.
• The next layer is marcona almonds (you can lightly mound these to fill in).
• Then add two layers of raspberries. And then a good amount of cubed cheese above that.
• Folded salami is the next layer, and then crackers come in again to fill things in above.
• Top the tree with cheese that is cut into stars or snowflakes.
• Scatter candied ginger amongst the ingredients to add some sparkle, and wedge in stalks of fresh rosemary between some of the rows to create the look of a tree. Then scatter in a few round olives to look like ornaments. Carefully remove the string that is taped to the board. Serve with honey on the side.