Description
Create a festive Christmas Tree Shaped Charcuterie Board perfect for holiday gatherings. This visually stunning and delicious arrangement includes a variety of cheeses, fresh fruits, nuts, and herbs shaped like a Christmas tree, making it a delightful centerpiece and appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Herbs and Vegetables
- 10 fresh rosemary sprigs (more or less depending on size)
- 1 celery stalk
Fruits
- Red, green, and black seedless grapes, clipped into small clusters or stems removed
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- 1-2 star fruits, sliced
- 1 green kiwi fruit, sliced
Cheeses
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar, cut into ¾-inch squares
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack, cut into same size squares
- 4 ounces mild or medium cheddar, cut into same size squares
Nuts
- 1 cup assorted nuts (almonds recommended for the “pot”)
Instructions
- Create the Tree Outline: Using the rosemary sprigs, outline the shape of a Christmas tree on your serving board, starting narrow at the top and spreading wider at the bottom. Adjust and rearrange sprigs as needed while adding ingredients.
- Form the Tree Trunk: Place the celery stalk vertically at the bottom center to represent the tree trunk, adjusting the length so it looks natural with your tree shape.
- Layer the Cheese and Grapes: Starting from the bottom of the tree shape, arrange rows in this order: a row of cheese squares, a row of red grapes, another row of cheese, then green grapes, then cheese again, and finally black grapes at the top layers.
- Add Kiwi for the Tree Top: Position the kiwi slices in a triangular shape to represent the top of the tree.
- Decorate with Star Fruit and Cranberries: Place a star fruit slice at the very top as the star. Scatter additional star fruit slices and fresh cranberries randomly across the tree shape for vibrant accent points.
- Arrange the Nuts: Scatter the mixed nuts around the tree. To create a “pot” base, arrange almonds in a square shape around the bottom of the celery stalk trunk to mimic a tree stand.
- Chill and Serve: Cover the assembled board with plastic wrap and refrigerate if preparing ahead. It can be made up to 4 hours before serving.
Notes
- This recipe is a flexible guide; you can add rolled deli meats in rows to make it a meat and cheese board.
- Feel free to use your favorite cheeses, including gourmet varieties or cheese curds.
- Use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to create star shapes from cheese for additional decorations.
- If star fruit is unavailable, substitute with sliced yellow or green apple or pear slices shaped like stars for a similar aesthetic.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10th of board
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
