Description
Create a festive and visually stunning Christmas Tree Shaped Charcuterie Board perfect for holiday gatherings. This creative appetizer features fresh herbs, assorted cheeses, colorful grapes, vibrant fruits like star fruit and kiwi, fresh cranberries, and mixed nuts, all artfully arranged to resemble a decorated Christmas tree. Easy to assemble and adaptable to your favorite cheeses and additions, this board is sure to impress your guests with its holiday spirit and delicious variety.
Ingredients
Scale
Herbs
- 10 fresh Rosemary sprigs (more or less depending on size)
Vegetables
- 1 celery stalk
Fruits
- Red, green, and black seedless grapes, clipped into small clusters or stems removed as preferred
- 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 ¾-inch squares
- 4 ounces mild or medium cheddar, cut into ¾-inch squares
Nuts
- 1 cup assorted nuts (almonds work best for the ‘pot’ base)
Instructions
- Create the Rosemary Outline: Arrange the rosemary sprigs on your serving board to form the outline of a Christmas tree, starting narrower at the top and gradually spreading out wider toward the bottom. Adjust sprigs as needed to get a symmetrical tree shape.
- Place Celery for Trunk: Position the celery stalk at the bottom center of the rosemary outline to serve as the tree trunk. Trim the celery length as desired so it looks proportional and natural.
- Build Base Layers: Starting from the bottom of the tree, form rows by alternating layers of cheese and grapes. Use one row of cheese squares (sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mild cheddar in rows), then a row of red grapes, followed by another cheese row, then green grapes, then a final cheese row, and top rows with black grapes.
- Add Kiwi Top Shape: Arrange kiwi fruit slices in a triangular shape at the top of the tree outline to simulate tree foliage and add vibrant green color.
- Top with Star Fruit: Place one star fruit slice at the very top tip of the tree to act as the star. Scatter additional star fruit slices over the tree randomly for decoration.
- Scatter Cranberries and Nuts: Disperse fresh cranberries sporadically around the tree to resemble ornaments. Arrange the mixed nuts around the base and optionally create a neat square of almonds around the celery trunk to simulate the tree’s pot.
- Chill and Serve: For best results, assemble the board up to 4 hours before serving. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to enjoy. Bring to room temperature briefly before serving for optimal flavor.
Notes
- This recipe is a flexible guide for your Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board; feel free to add deli meats rolled in rows for a meat and cheese board variation.
- Experiment with different cheeses including gourmet options or cheese curds to personalize the board.
- If you have a small star-shaped cookie cutter, create additional cheese stars to scatter over the tree and for the star on top to enhance visual appeal.
- If star fruit is unavailable, substitute with sliced yellow apple or pineapple pieces cut into star shapes or simply omit.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of board
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
