Create the Best Holiday Charcuterie Board

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Learn the steps to creating the perfect holiday charcuterie board that is a crowd pleaser EVERY TIME. It’s easy, fun, and totally customizable to you and what you enjoy!

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Holiday charcuterie board with assorted cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruit, nuts, toasted bread slices, and a jar of red raspberry jam.

We’re officially headed into fall, which means all the fun holiday gatherings are upon us!

In our family, September is a particularly busy month for us this year with lots of get togethers with family and friends. With this comes a lot of mouths to feed, so I got to thinking, what would be the perfect food that would be both delicious and appealing to a number of folks?

Something customizable, easy to throw together, and beautiful?

Ah, yes. Charcuterie boards, baby!

I don’t know about you, but I have yet to meet someone who wasn’t interested in a platter full of meats, cheeses, fruit, and alllllll the good toppings.

This formula for a holiday charcuterie board would be perfect for holiday get togethers during the fall and winter months. I’m thinking friendsgiving or Christmas brunch- how fun would that be?!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • BEAUTIFUL & FESTIVE: I don’t know anyone who doesn’t LOVE the look of a charcuterie board. It makes a fun and festive centerpiece to any holiday gathering.
  • EASY TO CUSTOMIZE: You can tailor the board to seasonal flavors, dietary needs, or favorite ingredients.
  • GREAT FOR GRAZING & CONVERSATION: Guests can mix and match ingredients while snacking at their own pace. It also makes for a great conversation starter 😉

Basic Ingredients: A Quick Formula

  • Cheeses: Think 1-2 soft cheeses like Havarti or Brie, accompanied by 1-2 hard cheeses like sharp cheddar or parmesan.
  • Meats: I recommend 2-3 different kinds to offer some variety. Prosciutto, salami, and pepperoni are all good options.
  • Fruit: Use an assortment of color here! I love to use 3-4 different kinds of fruits in a variety of colors. Think red strawberries paired with green apple slices and dark blackberries, along with maybe green or purple grapes.
  • Crackers + Nuts: I recommend 2-3 different types of crackers, along with 1-2 different nut options (pecans, almonds, and pistachios are all delicious!) I love to use my sourdough discard crackers for this!
  • Something Sweet: Chocolate covered pretzels, small candies like Reese peanut butter cups, or cookies are all great options! I added a chocolate peanut butter sauce that was DIVINE with all of the assorted fruit!
  • Extras: This is what really takes a regular ol’ meat and cheese board into something over the top delicious. Make sure to have sweet and savory options! I love to use small containers of strawberry jam and honey, paired with options options like pepper jelly, savory hummus, or salty pickles and olives.

Quick Tips for Success

  1. Assemble & Serve Immediately: Charcuterie boards are their best when they are assembled and served right away. To make assembly easier, slice the cheese ahead of time and store in a separate container before adding to the board.
  2. Sweet & Savory Options: For a well-rounded charcuterie board that appeals to a number of tastes, make sure to have both sweet and savory options on the board. These options also usually pair super well together (think crackers topped with savory salmi, a slice of cheese, and a pat of jam).
  3. Don’t Forget Serving Tools: Be sure to have silverware options like a cheese knife and spoons for any extras.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below!

Step by Step Instructions

a large circular wooden serving tray
  1. Choose your serving tray. The options are pretty limitless here! I chose an extra large wooden tray as my base.
a wooden serving tray with assorted cheeses, meats, hummus, and berries

2. Begin assembling ingredients, starting with larger items like cheeses, meats, and hummus.

Holiday charcuterie board with assorted cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruit, nuts, toasted bread slices, and a jar of red raspberry jam.

3. Continue building the board with items until you are happy with it. I like to really pack in the food! Garnish with fresh herbs for extra pretty pops of color. Enjoy!

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Holiday charcuterie board with assorted cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruit, nuts, toasted bread slices, and a jar of red raspberry jam. Text overlay reads "How to Create the Perfect Holiday Charcuterie Board."
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Holiday charcuterie board with assorted cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruit, nuts, toasted bread slices, and a jar of red raspberry jam.

Holiday Charcuterie Board

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Description

Learn the steps to creating the perfect holiday charcuterie board that is a crowd pleaser EVERY TIME. It's easy, fun, and totally customizable to you and what you enjoy!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2–3 meats (pepperoni, prosciutto, salami, etc.)
  • 2–3 hard cheeses (sharp cheddar, parmesan, etc.)
  • 2 soft cheeses (Havarti, Brie, goat cheese, etc.)
  • 3–4 cups assorted crackers and/or pretzels
  • 1 container hummus
  • 1–2 small containers jam and/or honey
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 2 cups assorted berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries are all good options)
  • 2 apples, sliced thin (I like to use red and green for color variation)
  • 2 cups assorted nuts (almond, pecans, pistachios, etc.)
  • sweets of your choice (chocolate peanut butter spread, candies, cookies, etc.)
  • 1 cup pickles and/or olives (I used small Gherkin pickles)

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients on the serving board, beginning with larger items like cheese, hummus, containers of jam/honey, and meats.
  2. Assemble the ingredients to your liking, placing all the ingredients as close together as possible. Add silverware as needed and garnish with fresh herbs, a drizzle of honey on the cheese, etc.
  3. Enjoy!

Notes

    • Assemble & Serve Immediately: Charcuterie boards are their best when they are assembled and served right away. To make assembly easier, slice the cheese ahead of time and store in a separate container before adding to the board.

    • Sweet & Savory Options: For a well-rounded charcuterie board that appeals to a number of tastes, make sure to have both sweet and savory options on the board. These options also usually pair super well together (think crackers topped with savory salmi, a slice of cheese, and a pat of jam).

    • Don’t Forget Serving Tools: Be sure to have silverware options like a cheese knife and spoons for any extras.

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If you enjoyed this recipe for creating an easy holiday charcuterie board, be sure to come back and leave a comment and a 5 star rating! Tag me on Instagram with your creations @ourhandcraftedhomeblog.

rachael

Rachael is a wife and mom of two with a passion for all things centered around home. Our Handcrafted Home provides you with a simpler approach to cooking and baking, using wholesome, real food ingredients to nourish you and your family from the inside out.

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