Description
Create the perfect festive holiday charcuterie board featuring a selection of premium cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruits, nuts, and accompaniments arranged beautifully to delight your guests with a mix of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheeses
- ½ lb Comté cheese, sliced
- ½ lb soft cheese, double cream truffle cheese
- ¼ lb Hawes Wensleydale Cranberry cheese (or cheddar cheese)
Meats
- 3 cured meats (such as prosciutto, salami, or truffle salami)
Fruits
- 1 apple, sliced
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ pomegranates, seeds separated
- Grapes, as needed for cascading and filling
Accompaniments
- Crackers, variety selection
- ½ cup olives
- ½ cup cornichons
- ¼ cup marcona almonds
- ¼ cup hazelnuts (to serve with honey)
- ¼ cup honey (to drizzle on hazelnuts)
- 8 chocolates, your choice
- 2 sprigs rosemary, for topping and decoration
Instructions
- Arrange the Cheeses: Start by placing the cheeses on your board or platter in a triangular formation to create a visual anchor for your display.
- Add Cured Meats: Arrange the prosciutto, salami, and truffle salami around the cheeses, folding or layering slices to add texture and visual interest.
- Place Bowls for Small Items: Add small bowls to the board and fill them with olives, cornichons, and the hazelnuts with honey, keeping these moist or sticky items contained.
- Scatter Fruits and Nuts: Add fresh grapes cascading off the board for a natural look, then place sliced apples, blueberries, and pomegranate seeds near complementary cheeses like cheddar or Wensleydale.
- Add Crackers and Nuts: Add crackers around the edge of the board or in any empty spots to fill out the presentation; place marcona almonds near cheeses or with crackers.
- Decorate with Rosemary and Chocolates: Garnish the board with rosemary sprigs atop the cheese and scatter chocolates around the edges for added indulgence and color.
- Final Touches: Adjust spacing and add any extra grapes or nuts to fill gaps ensuring the board looks abundant and inviting.
- Serving Advice: Before serving, remove all cheeses from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow flavors to develop and textures to soften.
Notes
- Use a sturdy wooden board or large platter to assemble the charcuterie for easier presentation and service.
- Choose a variety of flavors and textures in meats and cheeses to keep the board interesting.
- For advance preparation, keep crackers separate and add them just before serving to maintain crispness.
- Consider seasonal fruit or dried fruit additions to add sweetness and color.
- Offer small knives or spreaders for soft cheeses and honey to aid guests.
- Adjust quantities based on number of guests; generally plan for about 3–4 ounces of cheese and meat per person as a guide.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-cook assembly
- Cuisine: French/European inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of board
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: holiday charcuterie board, cheese platter, cured meats, festive appetizer, party platter
