This post is sponsored by The French Ministry of Agriculture, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Contents

Elevate Your Holiday Entertaining: Crafting a Stunning Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

The holiday season is a magical time of year, filled with joyous gatherings, festive decorations, and, of course, delicious food. While traditional meat and cheese platters are a staple at many holiday parties, why not take your appetizer game to the next level this year? Imagine the delight on your guests’ faces when they see a beautifully arranged, gourmet Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board!

This isn’t just any ordinary cheese board; it’s a show-stopping centerpiece designed to impress. Overflowing with a carefully curated selection of fine cheeses, delectable cured meats, and an array of perfect accompaniments, all artfully arranged in the shape of a festive Christmas tree. It’s the ultimate way to kick off any holiday celebration or cocktail party, and naturally, it pairs wonderfully with a fine selection of wines.

Why a Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board?

Let’s be honest, we all love a good cheese and meat spread during the holidays. Often, these might come pre-packaged from the grocery store, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! As long as there’s cheese and a good glass of wine, most of us are happy. However, the holiday season offers a unique opportunity to add a personal, creative touch that truly makes an impression.

Creating a Christmas Tree Charcuterie board transforms a simple appetizer into a memorable culinary experience. It’s not just about the delicious flavors; it’s about the visual appeal, the festive spirit, and the conversation it sparks among your guests. This guide will walk you through crafting a gorgeous, delectable, and surprisingly affordable Christmas Tree Charcuterie that will be the talk of all your holiday gatherings this year.

Crafting Your Festive Board: Simple Tips for Success

You might be thinking, “It’s the holiday season, and I’m already short on time and money. I don’t have the luxury to get crafty with my cheese board.” I completely understand! But I promise you, creating this stunning charcuterie board is both incredibly easy and budget-friendly. With a few smart choices and simple steps, you can achieve a gourmet look without the gourmet price tag or the hours of effort. Here are my top tips for success:

1. The Foundation: Selecting the Perfect Serving Board

The first step to building your beautiful Christmas tree is choosing the right foundation: a large serving board. While elegant charcuterie boards are wonderful for everyday use, for this specific design, you’ll need a spacious surface. A large cutting board is ideal, providing ample room to arrange your ingredients into a tree shape. Look for one with handles, like this option, for easy transportation from kitchen to party.

2. A Symphony of Flavors: Curating Your Wine Selection

No charcuterie board is complete without the perfect wine pairing. For a holiday spread featuring a variety of meats and cheeses, especially French selections, choosing versatile wines is key. I opted for two exquisite French wines that beautifully complement a wide range of flavors:

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2015: This Gamay (red) offers bright, juicy notes of cherries and raspberries, a smooth, velvety mouthfeel, and a subtle hint of cinnamon on the finish. It’s a light-bodied red that’s incredibly food-friendly, priced affordably around $12. Its vibrant fruitiness cuts through rich cheeses and complements savory meats without overwhelming them.
Georges Duboeuf Pouilly-Fuissé 2015: This elegant Chardonnay boasts aromas of roasted almonds, peach, and pear. On the palate, it reveals a beautifully structured wine with flinty minerality and a long-lasting finish. While a bit pricier at $20-$25, its complexity and crispness make it an exceptional pairing for creamy cheeses and lighter charcuterie elements. Both wines, hailing from France, not only taste fantastic but also feature simple yet elegant labels that add to your festive table’s aesthetic.

3. The Art of Meat and Accompaniments: Smart Shopping

When it comes to sourcing your meats and accompaniments, I can’t recommend Aldi enough. (No, this isn’t sponsored, just a genuine appreciation!) Over the past few years, Aldi’s variety and quality have dramatically improved, all while remaining significantly more affordable than traditional grocery stores. If you haven’t tried their specialty items, I challenge you to give it a go!

For my Christmas Tree Charcuterie, I found an impressive selection at Aldi:

Bottom Layer (Widest Part of the Tree): I started with a fresh baguette, rosemary crackers, plain wafer crackers, and a delightful red pepper jelly. These provide crunchy textures and a hint of sweetness/spice.
Mid-Layers (Building Upwards): The next rows included a variety of cured meats: savory pepper salami, spicy hot capocollo, convenient bite-sized salami, and zesty hot calabrese. These offer a range of flavors and textures, perfect for layering. While I aimed for prosciutto, it wasn’t available, but the other options filled in beautifully.
Upper Layers (Towards the Top): For a touch of brine and color, I added blue cheese stuffed olives.
The Star Topper: A bright pineapple jalapeno jelly served as the “star” of the tree, offering a sweet and subtly spicy finish.

Astonishingly, all these items from Aldi came to around $20 – an incredible value for such a gourmet spread!

4. The Heart of the Board: Exquisite French Cheeses

To truly elevate this holiday charcuterie, I focused on a selection of soft French cheeses. These not only pair exceptionally well with the chosen wines but also offer a luxurious, creamy texture contrast to the meats and crackers. Each cheese brings its own unique character to the board:

Saint-André Cheese: Known as “the heavenly cheese,” Saint-André is a brand of French triple crème cow’s milk cheese. It’s incredibly rich, almost as decadent as pure butter, with a wonderfully smooth and creamy texture. Its mild, buttery flavor makes it a crowd-plepleaser and a perfect base for many pairings.
Saint-Agur Cheese: For blue cheese lovers, Saint-Agur is a must-try. This unique and intense blue cheese offers a distinct flavor profile, but with a surprisingly smooth, buttery finish. Its double crème richness makes it less crumbly than some blues, offering a delightful melt-in-your-mouth experience that is both bold and approachable.
Ile de France Goat Cheese: Adding a fresh, tangy note, Ile de France goat cheese provides a dense yet rich texture. It boasts fresh aromas, with slightly salty and wonderfully tangy notes that cut through the richness of the other cheeses and meats, offering a refreshing contrast.

Assembling Your Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board

Now for the fun part – bringing your festive vision to life! Arranging your ingredients into a Christmas tree shape is simpler than it looks. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

The Tree Trunk: Begin at the bottom center of your large board. Arrange a small cluster of walnuts to form the sturdy trunk of your Christmas tree.
Building the Base Layers: Start laying out your largest items in horizontal rows, gradually decreasing the length of each row as you move upwards. This will establish the wide, conical shape of the tree. I started with the baguettes, then crackers, creating the widest part of the tree base.
Adding Meats: Next, carefully layer your cured meats. You can fold salami into quarters or rolls to add dimension and make them easier to pick up. Arrange them in slightly shorter rows above the crackers, following the tree shape.
Incorporating Cheeses: Place your cheeses strategically. You can cut softer cheeses into wedges or cubes, or simply leave them in their original shape for guests to slice. Distribute them evenly throughout the “tree” so they are accessible.
Garnishing with “Branches” and “Ornaments”: This is where the magic happens! Tuck fresh sprigs of rosemary throughout the board to mimic pine branches. These add a wonderful aroma and vibrant green color. Then, scatter fresh cranberries over the rosemary and among the other ingredients to serve as festive “ornaments.” The red pop against the green and the other colors truly enhances the Christmas theme.
The Shining Star: Finally, place your chosen “star” at the very top of your tree. My pineapple jalapeno jelly, with its bright yellow hue, served perfectly as the tree’s crowning glory.

As your guests begin to graze, simply replenish items as needed to keep the board looking full and inviting. This Christmas Tree Charcuterie board turned out even better than I had imagined. It’s festive, utterly delightful, and guaranteed to be a conversation starter at your next holiday gathering.

Enhance the Experience: Essential Serving Accessories

To complete your holiday entertaining setup, don’t forget these essential accessories:

Stemless wine glasses for elegant wine service.
A set of cheese knives for effortless slicing and serving of different cheese textures.
Decorative plates to add an extra touch of sophistication to your buffet.

Stay tuned for an upcoming recipe featuring the delicious Ile de France brie cheese!

Still hungry for more deliciousness?

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for more inspiring recipes and entertaining ideas!

Pin this recipe on Pinterest to save it for your next holiday party!

Subscribe! Sign up for easy + delicious recipes delivered weekly—straight to your inbox!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I’ll make a small commission based on your purchase! There’s never any extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Strawberry Blondie Kitchen! Happy holidays! ♥