30 Christmas Charcuterie Board Recipes

It doesn’t get any easier to feed your family and friends at holiday gatherings with these amazing Christmas charcuterie board recipes. They are made with simple ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store and can be quickly put together.

These festive boards are so delicious and can be created for just about any meal as well as dessert or even just a quick snack. Don’t have a fancy cutting board or platter to create a charcuterie board? Then check out the FAQ section below for tips on how to save money by using items you already have on hand.

That’s another great thing I love about these boards. You don’t have to go shopping for specialty ingredients. You can easily use items found in your local grocery store or that you already have on hand to put together a board that everyone will enjoy. Check out some of these boards for lots of great ideas!

What is a Charcuterie Board?

Charcuterie boards (pronounced “shar-KOO-tuh-ree”) are trays, cutting boards or platters filled with different snacking items such as sliced meat, sausage, cheese, fruit, vegetable sticks, oils, nuts and dipping sauces. “Charcuterie” is a French term for displaying a variety of cured meats.

These days you can find charcuterie boards filled with just about any food item you can imaging. Now it’s not just savory food items found on a charcuterie board. You can find recipes for just about any type of dessert board you can imagine!

Check out the FAQ section after the list of holiday charcuterie boards for more information on building your own board.

I don’t have a board or platter. What can I use?

No board or platter available? No worries. You can easily use a baking sheet (or two) in place of a platter. If your baking sheet has an raised edge that will help keep everything on the board. Is your baking sheet discolored from use? You can line the baking sheet with aluminum foil if desired to hide any discoloration.

Don’t have a tray with an edge? You can also use a wooden board, cutting boards or even a baking sheet in place of the tray.

Baking sheets are a simple charcuterie board that have an edge which helps keep the different items in place. Its an inexpensive charcuterie board swap as most people have baking pans in their homes. This is a great way to save money if you are on a tight budget.

How much food should I plan per person?

How much food to plan will depend upon how your charcuterie board is being used. Is it a snack and there are other foods being served? Or is it being used as a main dish to feed guests throughout a party?

It’s estimated that guests will graze on 3 to 5 appetizers per hour of a party if just appetizers are served. So if you are planning a grazing board as well as finger foods as well as appetizer type foods (meatballs, chicken wings, stuffed mushrooms, spinach artichoke dip, deviled eggs, etc) then you will want to also keep those amounts in mind when planning.

Here are some amounts that are typically used to build a grazing board if there are other dishes or appetizers being served (more than a snack but less than a main dish):

• Meat – choose 2 to 3 types of meat and 1 to 2 ounces per person

• Cheese – choose 3 to 4 types of cheese and 1 to 2 ounces per person

• Crackers/bread/baguette – choose 2 to 3 types and about 3 crackers/slices per guest per hour

• Fruits/Veggies – choose 1 to 2 types and 2-3 ounces per person

• Dips or Hummus – about 2 ounces per person

• Condiments – choose at least 2 types though you may want more depending upon the food being served. These can be savory such as mustard or sweet such as honey, fig jam or your favorite jelly.

• Filler Foods – this includes nuts, dried fruits, olives, pickles, small candies or pretzels that you use to fill in the gaps on the board or that may be served up in small bowls. Plan about 3/4 cup combined per person

• Chocolate – about 2 ounces per person

• Mini Desserts – this includes little cheesecakes, mini desserts, brownie bites, cookies or other small sweet treats. Plan about 3 per person.

Don’t forget to grab some fresh herbs to tuck around your board. This helps to fill in some of the empty spaces and creates a gorgeous charcuterie board.

How do I store leftovers?

Depending upon what you serve and how long it has been sitting out will guide your storage plans.

If I’ve been serving dips and the charcuterie boards have been sitting out at room temperature all day I typically throw them out. It’s not worth the risk of eating dip that has gone bad.

Many of the other items served are usually stored at room temperature (bread, crackers, fruit, etc) so these leftovers can be saved. If you plan on snacking on the leftovers over the next many of them can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Place any leftover crackers or bread into storage bags for storage or cover in plastic wrap to keep them from going stale.

Desserts such as cookies, brownies, etc can also be placed into storage bags. Got more than you want to eat? Many of these items can easily be frozen for snacking at a later date.

Meat and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or you can even freeze them.

Charcuterie or grazing boards can be made with just about any type of food. They are an easy to put together way to feed your guests without having to put a lot of time into making meals. Try one of the above boards at your next family gathering or holiday party.

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