By Laurel Perry
Published Dec 16, 2023
This Holiday Charcuterie Board is sure to give you lots of ideas for a beautiful cheese board worthy of Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Eve celebrations! I’ll show you how to make a perfectly festive charcuterie platter filled with cheese, meats, crackers, fruits, and more.
Why We Love This Christmas Cheese Board Recipe
This holiday version of a classic charcuterie board incorporates fun, festive, and flavorful ingredients that are sure to impress your guests. With a wide array of meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, and crackers, there’s something for everyone in this versatile appetizer.
Holiday Charcuterie Board Ideas
In addition to the typical meats and cheeses, I try to change up the other ingredients for my cheese boards to make it feel more festive for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or whatever holiday I’m celebrating.
I love using sugared cranberries , figs and pomegranate seeds, fresh rosemary sprigs, and this Christmas cheese ball for Christmas parties.
If I’m making a charcuterie board for New Year’s Eve, I usually add mini cheese ball bites , candied pecans , and cheese stuffed olives .
And for a fall-themed Thanksgiving board, I add things like roasted pumpkin seeds , pumpkin hummus , this pumpkin-shaped cheese ball , or apple butter for a hint of sweetness.
How to Store
Store holiday charcuterie board leftovers tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this fun and festive cheese board alongside other holiday-themed appetizers, like cocktail meatballs , sweet potato souffle cups , sausage rolls , bacon wrapped dates , cranberry chicken wings , or ham roll ups .
And don’t forget the festive cocktails , like holiday punch , Christmas sangria , jingle juice , or cranberry margaritas .
Just like a classic charcuterie board, you want a good mix of cheeses, meats, breads/crackers, nuts, and fruits. To make it festive, look for holiday-appropriate items, like rosemary, dried cranberries, or holiday-themed cheeses.
There are no hard and fast rules for making charcuterie. Just keep in mind that everything should be easily accessible.
Plan for 3 ounces of meat and cheese per person!
Yes! I would recommend waiting to cut your fruit until the day of, but everything else can be sliced, prepped, and wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored for up to 24 hours.
More Appetizer Boards To Try
- How to Make a Charcuterie Board
- Hummus and Vegetable Board
- Cream Cheese Fruit Board
- Easy Antipasto Skewers
Ingredients1x2x3x
Cheeses: Choose 3-5 of varying texture
- ▢ Blue cheese
- ▢ Cheddar cheese
- ▢ Goat cheese
- ▢ Pimento cheese
- ▢ Smoked provolone
- ▢ Smoky port wine cheese log
Crackers/Breads: Choose 2-3
- ▢ Nut and seed crackers
- ▢ Baguette slices
- ▢ Breadsticks
- ▢ Pretzels
- ▢ Pita chips
Meats: Choose 2-3
- ▢ Salami
- ▢ Prosciutto
- ▢ Sobresada
- ▢ Ham
Fresh Fruits: Choose 1-2
- ▢ Grapes
- ▢ Figs
- ▢ Apples
- ▢ Pears
Dried Fruits: Choose 1-2
- ▢ Dried apricots
- ▢ Dried figs
- ▢ Dried plums
- ▢ Dried pears
- ▢ Dried persimmons
- ▢ Apple chips
Brined/Marinated Items: Choose 1-2
- ▢ Pickles
- ▢ Olives
- ▢ Capers
- ▢ Pickled Beets
Nuts: Choose 1-2
- ▢ Almonds can be candied or roasted
- ▢ Cashews
- ▢ Pistachios
- ▢ Walnuts
Holiday Themed Ingredients: Choose 2-3
- ▢ Rosemary Sprigs
- ▢ Seasonal winter fruits pomegranate, citrus, persimmon
- ▢ Sugared cranberries
- ▢ “Holiday” cheeses
- ▢ Christmas cheese ball
- ▢ “Holiday” breads/crackers
Video
Instructions
- Place the cheeses: Grab a large platter and arrange your cheeses. Place them roughly equidistant, but not in an overly “organized” way.
- Add the crackers and meats: Next, place your crackers and meats around your cheese. Make piles or fan them out.
- Arrange the fruit, nuts, and other bites: Start with larger items like grapes and other fruit, placing them around the board. Next add smaller items like nuts, olives, and dried fruits to fill in the space.
- Keep adding and arranging until your vegan charcuterie board looks balanced and full. Add any decorative holiday elements. Serve and enjoy!
Becky’s Tips
- If you are making this platter ahead of time, arrange everything but leave off the crackers and breads, leaving space to add them before serving. Cover and refrigerate up to overnight. When ready to serve, add on the crackers and bread.
How to Make a Holiday Charcuterie Board Step by Step
Arrange the Cheeses: Choose your favorite cheeses, and arrange them on your board or platter. Place them roughly equidistant, but not in an overly “organized” way.
Add the Crackers and Meats: Next, place your crackers and meats around your cheese. I like to add thin rolls of prosciutto and “fan” other slices of meat by folding them into quarters (in half, then half again, to form a triangle with a rounded edge, as shown).
Arrange the Fruit, Nuts, and Other Bites: Start with larger items, like bunches of grapes and other fruits, and place them around the board in a visually-pleasing way. Move things around and see how it looks! Next add smaller items like nuts, olives, and dried fruits to fill in the empty space.
Balance the Board: Keep adding and arranging until your holiday charcuterie board looks balanced and full. Add any decorative holiday elements. Serve and enjoy!
Holiday Charcuterie Board Recipe
Ingredients
Cheeses: Choose 3-5 of varying texture
- Blue cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Goat cheese
- Pimento cheese
- Smoked provolone
- Smoky port wine cheese log
Crackers/Breads: Choose 2-3
- Nut and seed crackers
- Baguette slices
- Breadsticks
- Pretzels
- Pita chips
Meats: Choose 2-3
- Salami
- Prosciutto
- Sobresada
- Ham
Fresh Fruits: Choose 1-2
- Grapes
- Figs
- Apples
- Pears
Dried Fruits: Choose 1-2
- Dried apricots
- Dried figs
- Dried plums
- Dried pears
- Dried persimmons
- Apple chips
Brined/Marinated Items: Choose 1-2
- Pickles
- Olives
- Capers
- Pickled Beets
Nuts: Choose 1-2
- Almonds can be candied or roasted
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
Holiday Themed Ingredients: Choose 2-3
- Rosemary Sprigs
- Seasonal winter fruits pomegranate, citrus, persimmon
- Sugared cranberries
- “Holiday” cheeses
- Christmas cheese ball
- “Holiday” breads/crackers
Instructions
- Place the cheeses: Grab a large platter and arrange your cheeses. Place them roughly equidistant, but not in an overly “organized” way.
- Add the crackers and meats: Next, place your crackers and meats around your cheese. Make piles or fan them out.
- Arrange the fruit, nuts, and other bites: Start with larger items like grapes and other fruit, placing them around the board. Next add smaller items like nuts, olives, and dried fruits to fill in the space.
- Keep adding and arranging until your vegan charcuterie board looks balanced and full. Add any decorative holiday elements. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you are making this platter ahead of time, arrange everything but leave off the crackers and breads, leaving space to add them before serving. Cover and refrigerate up to overnight. When ready to serve, add on the crackers and bread.
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
