Holiday Cheese Board

Let’s create the ultimate Holiday Cheese Board together! If you’ve ever thought creating a cheese board is intimidating, don’t worry—this tutorial is designed just for you. Crafting a stunning cheese board is simpler than you might think. The key to perfection lies in using a variety of colors, textures, and shapes. By following our arrangement and using these specific steps, you’ll be able to impress everyone with a beautiful cheese board this holiday season.

What stands out

Creating this Holiday Cheese Board is a breeze; you’ll love it for a few reasons. It’s beginner-friendly, letting you put together a lovely spread. The best part? You get to be creative with different colors and textures. If you follow the steps we give, you will for sure have a board that not only looks good but also impresses everyone who tries it.

Suited to the holidays it’s a crowd-pleaser that adds a festive touch to your gatherings. Plus, the variety of cheeses, meats, and other charcuterie ensures there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So, get your Santa hat on and get ready to make your holiday gatherings a bit more special with a cheese board that’s straightforward, creative, and sure to get those ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’.

How to Prepare Holiday Cheese Board

First, arrange salami in a circle to form a rose in the middle.

Next, spread pineapple cream cheese on one side, and place blue cheese on the opposite side.

Then, cut the brie into triangles and arrange on each side of the rose.

Now cube Tickler cheese and havarti, placing them on opposite sides so that they contrast each other.

⭐ Place crisps between the salami rose and cream cheese.

Add green grapes on opposite sides of the plate, along with two small jars of jam.

Put a bowl of olives between the salami rose and Tickler.

Cut up figs and add them to the top of the plate or board.

Fill in the remaining spaces with your favorite ingredients. Be creative and enjoy!

Kitchen tip

All the extras, like nuts, golden berries, pomegranate, figs, and grapefruit can be substituted for anything you like.

Swaps

Whether you’re experienced or new to making cheese boards, customization is key. You’re always welcome to swap out our suggested choices and experiment with different cheeses, crackers, and more.

1. Instead of the cheeses We used, try some different cheeses like truffle-infused cheese, smoked gouda, or herbed goat cheese.
2. Explore different charcuterie (meat) options such as prosciutto, chorizo, or capicola for a diverse selection.
3. Instead of crisps, consider a variety of crackers breadsticks, or even a baguette sliced into rounds.
4. You can certainly experiment with different spreads like honeycomb, fig jam, or grainy mustard.
5. Consider varying the fruits based on the season; maybe adding sliced pears, persimmons, or apple slices.
6. We used hazelnuts, but you can use any nuts you like – almonds, candied pecans or spiced walnuts instead of
7. Feel free to include chocolate-covered nuts or dark chocolate chunks for a decadent touch.
8. For a plant-based alternative, incorporate vegan cheeses, plant-based charcuterie, and vegan-friendly spreads.
9. Offer different types of bread like rye or sourdough, in addition to or instead of crackers.

Questions

What’s best for filling in the board?

All the extras like nuts, golden berries, pomegranate, figs, and grapefruit can be substituted for anything you like.

strong Can we prepare a cheese board in advance?

Yes, many components like cheeses, charcuterie, and some accompaniments can be prepared in advance. Add fresh items (like fruit or crackers) just before serving.

strong How much cheese should we include per person?

Plan for about 2-3 ounces of cheese per person when serving a cheese board as an appetizer.

strong Can we make a vegetarian or vegan cheese board?

You can certainly use plant-based cheeses, vegan charcuterie, and a variety of fruits, nuts, and spreads for a delightful vegetarian or vegan cheese board.

Ingredients

Makes 8 people

• 20 slices genoa salami, any salami works
• 1 wheel pineapple cream cheese, by Castello
• 1 blue cheese, triangle
• ½ brie cheese, small wheel
• ½ brie cheese, extra creamy (small wheel)
• 1 cup havarti, cubed
• 1 cup cheddar, cubed
• any crisps or crackers
• green grapes + red grapes
• any jam, I used fig jam
• olives of choice
• few figs, cut in half
• 1 pack golden berries
• pomegranate seeds
• grapefruit slices
• hazelnuts, any nuts
• sprigs of Rosemary, for presentation

Method

1. Take a glass and start arranging the salami in a circle, flip it over to form a rose and place it in the middle. Add the pineapple cream cheese on the bottom and the blue cheese on the opposite side. You can break up the Blue cheese if you wish in the front.
2. Cut the brie into triangles and arrange it on each side of the rose.
3. Cube the Tickler cheese (cheddar) and Havarti and place them on opposite sides of each other. Take the crisps and place them in between the salami rose and cream cheese, you can now start to fill in the blanks with the rest of your ingredients in the order that we listed them in.
4. Add the green and grapes opposite sides of each other as well as the two small jars of jam.
5. Place a little bowl of olives between the salami rose and Tickler (cheddar) and cut up the figs and add them at the top of the plate or board.
6. The rest of the fillings you can add anywhere that you love and fill in any blanks you have. Try to be creative and use ingredients that you love. Enjoy