Description
Create a festive and visually stunning Christmas Tree Shaped Charcuterie Board that’s perfect for holiday gatherings. This no-cook recipe combines fresh fruits, assorted cheeses, nuts, and herbs arranged artfully to resemble a Christmas tree, making it a delightful centerpiece and crowd pleaser for your party table.
Ingredients
Scale
Herbs
- 10 fresh Rosemary sprigs (more or less depending on size)
Vegetables
- 1 celery stalk
Fruits
- Red seedless grapes, clipped into small clusters or stems removed
- Green seedless grapes, clipped into small clusters or stems removed
- 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 preferred for the pot shape)
Instructions
- Create the Tree Outline: Arrange the rosemary sprigs on your board starting at the top center and spread them outward as you move downward, forming the shape of a Christmas tree. Adjust the sprigs as needed to get a balanced tree shape.
- Add the Trunk: Place the celery stalk vertically at the bottom center of the tree outline to serve as the tree trunk. Adjust the length to fit the overall look of your tree.
- Layer the Ingredients: Beginning at the bottom of the tree shape, create rows with a narrow-to-wide arrangement. Place a row of cheese squares, then a row of red grapes, another row of cheese, followed by green grapes, then cheese again, and finally black grapes. At the top part of the tree, arrange the kiwi slices in a triangular pattern to simulate the tree’s leafy texture.
- Add the Star and Decorations: Place one star fruit slice at the very tip of the tree to represent the star. Scatter the remaining star fruit slices randomly throughout the tree. Intermingle fresh cranberries and assorted nuts around the tree branches and within empty spaces to fill out the design and add texture.
- Form the Pot: Use almonds or other nuts to create a square-shaped base around the bottom of the celery stalk, simulating the tree’s pot.
- Final Touches and Serving: Your Christmas Tree shaped charcuterie board is now assembled and ready to serve. You can prepare this up to 4 hours in advance; cover the board with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time.
Notes
- This Christmas tree charcuterie board is customizable to suit various dietary preferences by swapping cheeses or nuts as needed.
- If star fruit is unavailable, you can substitute with yellow bell pepper slices or pineapple pieces cut into star shapes.
- The nut “pot” adds a charming finishing touch but can be omitted or replaced with any decorative item if desired.
- Assemble the board close to serving time for maximum freshness, or store refrigerated up to 4 hours covered with plastic wrap.
- Consider adding other festive fruits like pomegranate arils or dried cranberries for extra color and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10th of the board
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
