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The short answer: a christmas charcuterie board is a meat-and-cheese board arranged in a holiday shape, like a wreath, a tree or a candy cane.
- Plan three to four cheeses and two to three cured meats
- Budget about 2 ounces each of meat and cheese per guest
- Five layouts and a 7-step build
- Food safety: follow the two-hour rule and label allergens
- Next step: Plan it with the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99).
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A Christmas charcuterie board is a classic meat-and-cheese board arranged in a holiday shape, like a wreath, a tree or a candy cane, with red and green food and rosemary "greenery." Plan three to four cheeses, two to three cured meats, crackers, red and green fruit, one sweet and a few savory extras. Budget about 2 ounces each of meat and cheese per guest for an appetizer board. Below are five layouts, a shopping list by guest count, a budget table and food-safety tips.
I love cooking and I love the family time at Christmas, so a board everyone gathers around is my kind of appetizer. Before you shop, put the board on the Holiday Menu and Holiday Grocery List pages of the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) so it's planned with the rest of the meal.
Christmas charcuterie board shopping list
| Category | Pick | Christmas ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese | 3 to 4 | Aged cheddar, brie or camembert, gouda, a cranberry-studded white cheddar, goat cheese rolled in herbs |
| Meat | 2 to 3 | Salami, prosciutto, soppressata, summer sausage, sliced ham |
| Crackers and bread | 2 to 3 | Water crackers, rosemary crackers, crostini, breadsticks, pretzel rods |
| Fruit | 2 to 3 | Red and green grapes, pomegranate seeds, clementines, sliced pears, sugared cranberries |
| Sweet | 1 to 2 | Dark chocolate squares, fig jam, honey, candied pecans, peppermint bark |
| Savory extras | 2 to 3 | Green olives, cornichons, marcona almonds, roasted red peppers, pepper jelly |
| Garnish | 1 to 2 | Rosemary sprigs, thyme, bay leaves (garnish only) |
Choose by color as much as flavor. Red (cranberries, pomegranate, salami, raspberries) and green (rosemary, grapes, olives, kiwi) read as Christmas from across the room.
How much to buy by guest count
These amounts are a common rule of thumb for an appetizer board before dinner. Double the meat and cheese if the board is the main food.
| Guests | Cheese | Meat | Crackers | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 8 oz | 8 oz | 1 box | 2 cups |
| 8 | 1 lb | 1 lb | 2 boxes | 4 cups |
| 12 | 1.5 lb | 1.5 lb | 3 boxes | 6 cups |
| 20 | 2.5 lb | 2.5 lb | 4 to 5 boxes | 10 cups |
Five Christmas charcuterie board layouts
1. Wreath board
Set a small bowl of jam or dip in the center of a round board. Build a ring around it with rosemary sprigs, then tuck folded salami, cheese cubes, grapes and cranberries into the greenery. Finish with a bow cut from a red bell pepper or a slice of salami folded into a bow shape.
2. Christmas tree board
Use a long rectangle board or sheet pan. Lay rows from narrow at the top to wide at the bottom: rosemary, then cheese cubes, then folded salami, then grapes, and repeat. Add a trunk of pretzel rods or a block of cheese and a star cut from a slice of cheddar with a small cookie cutter.
3. Candy cane board
On a long board, lay alternating stripes of white food (mozzarella pearls, white cheddar, cauliflower) and red food (salami, cherry tomatoes, strawberries) in a hooked candy cane shape. Fill the open space with crackers.
4. Snowman or snowflake board
Use three rounds of brie or goat cheese for a snowman, with peppercorns for eyes and a sliver of carrot for the nose. A snowflake board uses white cheeses and crackers in six arms from the center.
5. Christmas morning or dessert board
Swap meats for cookies, mini muffins, chocolate pieces, marshmallows and fruit. Keep one mild cheese. This pairs well with a hot cocoa bar or a cookie exchange.
How to build the board in 7 steps
- Place the anchors. Put bowls for jam, honey and olives on the board first.
- Add the cheeses. Space them out. Cut some and leave one whole with a knife beside it.
- Fold the meats. Fold salami into quarters or ribbons and drape prosciutto in loose piles near the cheeses.
- Lay the crackers. Fan them in curved lines next to the cheese they pair with.
- Fill with fruit. Tuck grapes, pomegranate seeds and clementine segments into the gaps.
- Add the extras. Nuts, chocolate and pickles go in the smallest gaps.
- Garnish last. Rosemary sprigs and sugared cranberries make it look like Christmas.
Do the slicing, washing and sugaring the day before, then assemble one to two hours before guests arrive. Add crackers last so they stay crisp. For a warm bite beside the board, make our bruschetta recipe.
Keep the board safe for everyone
A board sits out for a while, so it needs a little planning.
- Follow the two-hour rule. USDA FSIS says bacteria grow fastest between 40°F and 140°F and that perishable food left out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F) should be discarded. Set out a smaller board and refill it from the fridge instead of putting everything out at once.
- Offer pregnancy-friendly swaps. The CDC advises people at higher risk for Listeria, including pregnant people and adults 65 and older, to avoid unheated deli meats and dry sausages and choose hard pasteurized cheeses like cheddar or Swiss. Put those cheeses on a small plate of their own and label it.
- Label allergens. Nuts, wheat crackers and milk are on most boards. The FDA lists nine major food allergens, including milk, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and sesame. Keep nuts in a bowl with their own spoon, and offer gluten-free crackers on a separate plate.
- Use separate knives. One knife per cheese keeps flavors and allergens apart.
Christmas charcuterie board budget
| Item | Amount for 8 guests | Your cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese (3 to 4 kinds) | About 1 lb | $____ |
| Meat (2 to 3 kinds) | About 1 lb | $____ |
| Crackers and bread | 2 boxes | $____ |
| Fruit | About 4 cups | $____ |
| Sweets and extras | 3 to 4 small items | $____ |
| Garnish (rosemary, cranberries) | 1 bunch, 1 bag | $____ |
| Total | $____ |
To save money, buy block cheese and cut it yourself, pick one splurge cheese and two budget ones, and use in-season fruit like clementines, pears and pomegranates. Leftover cheese and meat go into breakfast casseroles or sandwiches the next day.
Where the board fits in your Christmas menu
A board works as the appetizer before Christmas dinner, the main spread at a holiday open house or the snack table at a party. If you're planning more starters, see our Christmas appetizers list. If you already made a board for Thanksgiving, our Thanksgiving charcuterie board uses fall colors and harvest shapes, so you can switch to red, green and white for December.
Plan the board with your Christmas menu
The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) includes Holiday Menu, Holiday Grocery List and Holiday Budget pages plus a budget spreadsheet, so the board, the dinner and the gifts share one plan. For everyday meals around the holidays, the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) adds a weekly meal planner and grocery list. Or get both, plus four more planners, in the Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99). Browse the holiday shop.
Our free Holiday Budget Starter Kit is three US Letter pages we email you after you join our list.
See also
- Christmas dinner menu planner
- Holiday party planning checklist
- Christmas potluck ideas
- Christmas cocktails
- How to host Christmas dinner on a budget
For a cold starter, serve shrimp cocktail in small batches over ice and keep the remaining shrimp refrigerated.
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Frequently asked questions
What goes on a Christmas charcuterie board? A Christmas charcuterie board needs three to four cheeses, two to three cured meats, crackers or bread, fresh fruit in red and green, something sweet and a few savory extras like olives or nuts. Rosemary sprigs and sugared cranberries make it look festive without extra cost.
How do you make a charcuterie board look like a Christmas tree? Lay the food in rows that get wider toward the bottom, on a long board or sheet pan. Use rosemary for the outline, cubes of cheese and folded salami for the rows, a pretzel rod or cheese block for the trunk and a star cut from a cheese slice for the top.
How much meat and cheese do I need per person? Plan about 2 ounces of meat and 2 ounces of cheese per guest when the board is an appetizer before a meal. Double that, to about 4 ounces of each, if the board is the main food at a party. This is a common rule of thumb, so adjust for your crowd.
How far ahead can I make a Christmas charcuterie board? Prep the parts a day ahead and assemble the board one to two hours before guests arrive. Slice cheese, wash fruit and make sugared cranberries the day before, store them covered in the fridge, and add crackers last so they stay crisp.
How long can a charcuterie board sit out? A charcuterie board should sit out no more than 2 hours at room temperature. USDA FSIS says perishable food left out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, should be thrown away. Set out a smaller board and refill it from the fridge.
Is a charcuterie board safe for pregnant guests? Some items are not, so label them and offer swaps. The CDC advises people who are pregnant to avoid unheated deli meats and dry sausages and to choose hard pasteurized cheeses like cheddar or Swiss instead of fresh soft cheeses such as queso fresco.
What is a cheap way to make a Christmas charcuterie board? Use one block cheese you cut yourself, one sliced meat, store-brand crackers and in-season fruit like clementines and pomegranates. The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) has a Holiday Grocery List and Holiday Budget page, so the board's cost sits with the rest of your party plan.
What board should I use for charcuterie? Any large flat surface works: a wooden cutting board, a marble slab, a sheet pan lined with parchment or a clean serving tray. For a crowd, a long board or two smaller boards side by side lets people reach from both sides.
What is the difference between a Christmas charcuterie board and a grazing table? A charcuterie board fits on one board and serves about 4 to 15 people. A grazing table covers a whole table with butcher paper and food and serves a larger party. The same shopping list works for both; you just multiply it.
Can I make a sweet Christmas charcuterie board? Yes, you can make a sweet Christmas charcuterie board. Swap the meats for cookies, chocolate pieces, peppermint bark, marshmallows and fruit, and keep one cheese like brie or a mild cheddar. A dessert board is a good fit for a cookie exchange or a movie night.
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Sources
- USDA FSIS: Danger zone 40°F to 140°F fsis.usda.gov
- CDC: Preventing Listeria infection cdc.gov
- FDA: Food allergies fda.gov