Did you know that you can just about make a charcuterie board for any occasion?! The holidays are here and many of us will be having small get-togethers even if it is just with our family members. If you want a quick and easy way for your family or guests to snack, try a charcuterie board! Use fruits and other items that are in season such as red or green grapes, pomegranates, pears, apples, figs, cranberries, etc. Use the natural colors of the fruit, nuts, preserves, and meat to make a festive Christmas Charcuterie Board!

We will start with the ingredients that will be needed to make our festive charcuterie board. Keep in mind that if you can’t find some of these ingredients you can also substitute them for something you can get your hands on. First off we will start off with our meats, look for Prosciutto, Salami, Pepperoni and do a container of each. Then look for your cheeses to go with these meats! Goat Cheese, Brie, Mozzarella, and Gouda are always great choices. Fruit pairs nicely with both meat and cheese, so we will look for pomegranate, green grapes, pears, and granny smith apples all of which will add a festive touch. Try to find a sprig of rosemary to add a festive garnish. Nuts are next on our list of things to add to our charcuterie board. Really any type of nut will do! Honey Roasted Pecans, Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews… you name it. Fig jam and honey also go nicely on charcuterie boards.

Below we created a list of things you may need to get from the grocery store:

• 4 oz Salami
• 6 oz Prosciutto
• 8 oz Pepperoni
• 8 oz Gouda Cheese cubed ( or other sliced cheese )
• 8 oz Goat Cheese
• 8 oz Triple Cream Brie
• 8 oz Shelled Pistachios
• 5 oz Candied Pecans
• 5 oz Pomegranate Seeds
• 1 Pomegranate cut in half
• 5 oz Sweet and Spicy Pecans
• 2 cups Sugared Cranberries
• 1 pound Green Grapes
• 2 Pears sliced
• 1 Granny Smith sliced
• Fig Jam
• Honey
• Baguette sliced
• Crackers variety
• Fresh cranberries and rosemary garnish
• Fresh lemon juice

To assemble the charcuterie board, you will want to place your cheeses down first. Start to prep your charcuterie board about 15-20 min before guests arrive. You want your cheeses to be a room temperature so they are easy enough to spread and they also taste better at room temperature!

Hard cheeses pair well with hard salami and soft cheeses pair well with soft meats like prosciutto. Place them close to each other on the board when arranging. Prosciutto, Brie, and fig jam on a baguette is my favorite pairing, so I always include that.

After placing the cheese and meat down fill in the blanks with your fruit and nuts. The baguette and crackers will go around the outside of the board. Make sure that you have tongs, butter knives, and spoons for the guests to pick up the items off of the board! Garnish with a sprig of rosemary on top of the brie and around other items on the board. We promise this board will be sure to please.

Have you ever tried your hand at making your own charcuterie board? Let us know in the comments!