Description
Create a festive and visually stunning Christmas Tree Shaped Charcuterie Board using fresh rosemary, colorful fruits, assorted cheeses, nuts, and vibrant garnishes. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this no-cook recipe combines a creative presentation with delicious flavors, allowing you to customize with your favorite cheeses and optional deli meats.
Ingredients
Scale
Herbs and Vegetables
- 10 fresh Rosemary sprigs (more or less depending on size)
- 1 celery stalk
Fruits
- Red, green, and black seedless grapes, clipped into small clusters or stems removed
- 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 recommended for base)
Optional
- Sliced deli meats (optional for adding to the board)
Instructions
- Arrange Rosemary Outline: Begin by creating the outline of your Christmas tree using the rosemary sprigs. Start at the top and gradually spread the sprigs wider as you move downward to form a tree shape. Adjust and rearrange as needed while adding other ingredients.
- Create Tree Trunk: Place the celery stalk at the bottom center to represent the trunk of the tree. Adjust the length according to your visual preference, ensuring it complements the size of your tree outline.
- Build Rows of Cheese and Grapes: Starting from the bottom of the tree shape, assemble rows in a narrowing pattern upward: first a row of mixed cheeses, followed by a row of red grapes, then cheese again, green grapes next, and finally black grapes near the top. This layering creates the colorful body of the tree.
- Top with Kiwi and Star Fruit: At the very top of the tree shape, arrange kiwi slices in a triangular formation to form the upper part of the tree. Place one star fruit slice at the peak as the tree’s star, and scatter additional star fruit slices randomly across the tree to enhance the festive look.
- Decorate with Cranberries and Nuts: Distribute fresh cranberries sporadically across the tree for pops of red color. Surround the base of the celery trunk with assorted nuts, ideally almonds arranged in a square shape, to serve as the pot of the tree.
- Optional Meat Addition: If desired, add rolled deli meats in rows among or alongside the cheese for a meat and cheese charcuterie variant.
- Finishing and Serving: Your Christmas tree charcuterie board is ready to serve! You can assemble it up to 4 hours ahead, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until guests arrive to keep it fresh.
Notes
- This recipe serves as a flexible guide; feel free to add sliced deli meats rolled into rows to make a meat and cheese board.
- Use any cheeses you prefer—gourmet varieties or cheese curds work well and add variety.
- To enhance the motif, use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut cheese into star shapes, which can be placed around the tree and used as the star atop the tree.
- If star fruit is unavailable, substitute with thin slices of yellow bell pepper or pineapple slices cut into star shapes for a similar festive effect.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10th of board
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
