CHRISTMAS CHARCUTERIE BOARD
I am absolutely in love with charcuterie boards. I like making them, how they look and obviously eating them. They have a bit of everything and and the flavor combinations are endless!
The great thing about charcuterie boards is that you can add anything you want, nuts, cheeses, meats and so much more. Everybody can enjoy a charcuterie board, if you don’t eat gluten, you have options, if you don’t eat cheese, you have options, and so on. Everything is self serve so it’s even fun to eat.
This charcuterie board is for 4 to 5 people as an appetizer. If you want to have the board as the main entre, it’s more of a couple’s date night food. Enough for two people. If you are having other appetizers (LIKE THIS ONE) this board is more than enough!
MY FAVORITE COMBINATIONS IN THIS BOARD:
BITE 1: A rosemary cracker as the base, with a serrano ham wrapped apple slice topped with some brie cheese. This is an amazing combination because the base has a pretty strong flavor, just like brie cheese, so they combined perfectly with the saltiness of the ham and the sweetness and freshness of the apple. Amazing flavor combination!
BITE 2: Bran cracker for the base for a more neutral flavor with a bit of blue cheese smeared on top. Add a few walnut pieces and drizzle honey on top. This is a great combination because when you have a more neutral base, the flavors of the cheese and everything you put on top shine through. The nuts give it an extra crunch too!
BITE 3: Again, starting with a rosemary cracker to give this combination a strong salty flavor, add some brie cheese and with a little bit of fig jam, close it up with some sweetness. Unbelievable!
BITE 4: As a base, use a slice of baguette. Add a slice of salami and a bit of provolone cheese. This is a pretty basic combination, no weird flavors. If you want to give it an extra something, before making the board, toast the slices a bit and add some garlic.
INGREDIENTS:
CHEESES
Brie (fin a round one)
Provolone
Blue cheese
BREADS
French baguette
Rosemary crackers
Bran crackers
MEATS
Serrano Ham
Salami
EXTRAS
Honey
Fig Jam
Dried cranberries
Fresh rosemary
Walnuts
Red apple
EQUIPMENT
Wooden board
Small white bowls (2)
Christmas tree cookie cutter
Knives and spoons to cut and serve all the ingredients
PUTTING IT TOGETHER:
The Board: The first thing is choosing the board. I like filling my boards completely, no available spaces between ingredients or on the sides. Completely filling the board makes it look so pretty and professional- looking. The board I used is a rustic looking wooden board I got as a wedding present. It’s 18 inches long and around 9 inches wide (without the handle) To give it extra detail you can choose boards that already have decorative details on them, like the one on the photos.
Bowls: For this charcuterie board, we used two small white bowls. They are 3 inches wide and 2 inches tall. The ides is to place one on each side, on more to the top of the board and the other on the bottom corner more to the left. Start the board with these bowls. Use them as a a guide to place the rest of the components. Don’t fill the bowl yet, leave that for the ends that you can combine the colors perfectly. See photo.
Cheeses: The next step, add your cheeses. The first cheese is brie. For this board make sure to buy a round brie. Since its the biggest piece of cheese of the board place it first. Use a christmas tree cookie cutter to cut a tree shape in the middle of the cheese. Make sure to cute perfectly in the center because you’ll use the sides as well. The tree part goes next to the bowl on the bottom to the right and the sides stay next to the bowl on top. See photo for reference.
The second cheese you have to place is the blue cheese. Place the entire piece on the board. Try to get a piece that is not too big. Place it next to the bowl on the bottom, on the other side of the brie tree. Use a knife or fork to break it roughly. See photo below for reference.
And finally, the provolone cheese. I like to use the round provolone that comes with a bit of seasoning and oil. More flavor. Cut the cheese in triangles and place them with the thin side facing the inside. Place them one on top of the other covering the tiny space available on the bottom left corner of the board, next to the bowl.
Meats: The first meat you place on the board is the serrano ham. Separate the thin slices and fold them around four times. Place the folded slices closely together staring right next to the bowl, going down towards the side of the board. See photo for reference.
Between the brie cheese and the blue cheese on the left of the board, place a few apple slices wrapped in more serrano ham. I used 4 slices because of the available space. If you decide to make a bigger board make more!
After the apples, place the salami. Make sure to get thinly sliced, big pieces of salami for the board! Fold in in half to make a semi circle and do it again to make a triangle shape. These salami triangles go from the blue cheese all the way to the brie cheese. Place them one on top of the other making a line all the way to the side.
Breads: The first bread pieces you have to place are the biggest ones, baguette slices. Place them in a line right next to the serrano ham.
Next, add the rosemary crackers, filling the space to the other side of the serrano ham. Don’t forget to cover all the available space.
Lastly, add a few bran crackers to the side of the blue cheese and next to the brie cheese tree. Again, covering the available spaces.
TIP: Place another board or place with extra crackers and bread slices just in case!
Nuts, jams and extras: Now we fill those bowls we placed at the very beginning and every empty space. The first thing you can place are the dried cranberries inside the circle of brie, right where the cut out of the tree is.
Fill the empty spaces between the apples and baguette slices with walnuts. Repeat with the spaces between the blue cheese and the bread slices, the bread and salame, every available space you can find!
The last step is adding the fresh rosemary as additional garnish. Find the very last available places and place the rosemary there! Place some around the bowls and the corners between the brie tree and provolone.
Place the around the other bowl and between the rosemary crackers and the bow, around the brie, wherever you can place it really. See photo for reference.
Finally, fill the bowls! Add honey to the bowl on the bottom and fig jam on the other one.
You are done! You can make this board early in the morning or the day before and cover it with plastic wrap or make it and directly place it on the table for dinner!
