Description
Create a festive Christmas Tree Shaped Charcuterie Board perfect for holiday gatherings. This visually stunning appetizer features fresh rosemary sprigs forming the tree’s shape, colorful grapes, assorted cheeses, star fruit, kiwi, cranberries, and mixed nuts arranged beautifully to resemble a Christmas tree. Easy to assemble and customizable, it can be prepped ahead for stress-free entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Herbs and Produce
- 10 fresh rosemary sprigs (more or less depending on size)
- 1 celery stalk
- 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 recommended for forming the tree ‘pot’)
Instructions
- Form the Tree Outline: Arrange the rosemary sprigs on your serving board starting at the top, spreading wider towards the bottom to shape a Christmas tree. Adjust as needed as you add other ingredients to ensure a balanced shape.
- Add the Tree Trunk: Place the celery stalk at the bottom center to serve as the trunk of the tree. Trim the length to suit your tree proportions and to look visually appealing.
- Arrange the Rows of Fruit and Cheese: Starting from the bottom and moving upwards with narrow rows, alternate layers of cheese and grapes. For example, place a row of cheese squares followed by red grapes, then cheese, green grapes, cheese again, and black grapes to create vibrant, colorful sections.
- Create the Tree Top: Use kiwi slices arranged in a triangular shape at the top of your rosemary outline to mimic the leafy part of the tree.
- Add the Star and Decorations: Place one star fruit slice at the very top of the tree to serve as the star. Scatter additional star fruit slices evenly across the tree branches. Distribute fresh cranberries and mixed nuts sporadically around the tree for added color and texture.
- Form the Tree Pot: If space allows, form a square shape at the base of the celery stalk using almonds or other nuts to represent the pot holding the tree.
- Chill Until Serving: Cover the assembled board with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can prepare this up to 4 hours in advance to save time before your event.
Notes
- This charcuterie board is easily customizable to different tastes and dietary needs.
- If star fruit is unavailable, you can substitute with thin slices of yellow bell pepper or pineapple to mimic the star effect.
- Use a sturdy serving board or platter to support the arrangement.
- For a vegetarian-friendly option, omit any meats if added and focus on cheeses, fruits, and nuts.
- Prepare the board close to serving time for freshness, but it can be refrigerated up to 4 hours ahead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10th of the board
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
