How to Make a Holiday Charcuterie Board That "Wows" everyone

We all know, the best parties take place around the kitchen island, and the charcuterie board totally rules that space. It is the first place guests gravitate to, it is a natural conversation starter, and it's a beautiful and generous way to welcome everyone to your Christmas gathering.

When creating a charcuterie board, select high quality meats and cheeses that will create a satisfying snack experience for your guests. A beautifully styled charcuterie board is an event in and of itself.

This holiday season I'm going to let you in on a little secret- you don't have to go to food styling school to put together a stunning, "wow-worthy" charcuterie board! You just need a few easy, fun little tricks. Pulling this off is not fussy or perfect. It's about playing with your food and thoughtfully arranging and adding little details that make your guests feel special and welcomed.

So, let's get started building a masterpiece.

First Things First - Your Canvas and Your Brushes

Every artist requires an ideal canvas. The board you select is the canvas that will let all of the colors of your food shine. 

1. The Canvas - This is your charcuterie board itself. We personally prefer a piece with some soul and character, a wooden serving tray with a beautiful grain, a darkish slate or might be a round marble tray. The material gives your ingredients a very rich, warm and welcoming contrast, making them look all the more mouth watering .
2. The Brushes - These are your knives. This is, frankly, the #1 tip we can give you. You are simply not going to carve a star from a block of aged cheddar with a regular butter knife. A proper cheese knife set is not fussy; it's just functional. It's the difference between working hard and working smart. You really just need the basics:
   • A Chisel - For hard, crumbly cheeses (like an aged Parmesan).
   • A Narrow Blade - Your "sculptor" for a little harder cheeses (like Gruyère or cheddar).
   • A Soft Knife or Cheese Spreader- For your extremenly loved bries and goat cheeses, so you can serve them without making a mess.

When you have the right tools, the whole process feels less like a chore and more like an art project.

This is the Fun Part - Festive Shapes & "Wow" Moments

Here's how you create those little details that make people's eyes light up.

1. Cheese Chat - Your stars, trees, and sculptures
   • The Easiest Trick - This is our reliable standby. Take a block of hard cheese (cheddar, Gruyère, Jarlsberg) and slice it into pieces that are 1/4-inch thick. Then, just like you do with holiday cookies, cut out pieces using small cookie cutters in festive shapes. Stars, snowflakes & evergreen trees work really well all together. It only takes somewhere about 60 seconds, which is equal to one minute and looks so sweet in such a short time.
   • The "Jewel-Box" brie - A wheel is considered a nice gift. You can do two things:
     • The Cutout - Use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to gently cut a shape out of the center of the wheel. Remove the shape and fill that little "void" with a spoonful of fig jam or a tiny cascade of pomegranate arils.
     • The Simple Score - If you prefer not to cut it, simply use a knife to gently score the top rind in a decorative crosshatch. Drizzle with honey and top with toasted nuts.
   • The "Festive Ornament" - This is really delicious with goat cheese. Take a log of fresh chèvre, tear off small pieces, and roll them into small balls. Then you roll the balls in "festive dust." Our favorites are finely chopped pistachios (for green), pink peppercorns (for pink), or finely chopped dried cranberries (for red).
2. Coming to the Meats - Making of Ribbons and Roses
   
   

   It is important that you do not just stick your salami in a sad circle that is lying flat. A board has an abundant look, due to the texture and motion created by folding them.

   • The Salami Rose - This is the "wow" that everyone strives for and it is so easy! The only item that you will need is a standard wine glass.
     1. Using a slightly thinner piece of salami, lay it against the rim of the glass so that half is hanging over. Take another piece of salami and put it slightly over the first piece. Continue this around the entire rim of the glass. 
     2. Start a second row of salami slightly lower than the first row so that you are overlapping the seams of the first row as you build up to 3-4 rows.
     3. After creating the necessary layers, carefully flip the glass upside down on the platter. After carefully lifting the glass, you will have a rose!
   • The Prosciutto Ribbon - When working with prosciutto, you do not want to fold it tightly; you need to treat the prosciutto like fabric. It resembles a silk ribbon. When you work with prosciutto, you will create an elegant mound by draping and folding it lightly.
   • The Simple Fan (for bigger slices) - For a slice of soppressata, simply fold it in half and then in half again. This gives a small - "fan" or triangle.

Stack these fans in a cascading line, and you've created a beautiful "river" of meat.

The Magic is in the "Extras" - Your Festive Favourtie Garnishes

This is the step that takes your board from "on a snack board" to "on a centerpiece." Garnishes are the festive tinsel and glitter that tie all the flavors together. Our number one rule? Never leave an empty, blank space.

1. Go Green (Your "Pine Boughs")
   • Fresh Rosemary - This is your holiday BFF. A few sprigs of fresh, woody rosemary will look just like tiny pine boughs that have been freshly clipped and will create that ever so recognizable scent of winter.
   • Our Favorite Trick - Shape the long rosemary sprig into a mini "wreath" and place it around a small bowl of olives or jam to create the perfect festive frame.
   • Sage & Thyme - The soft, silvery- green of sage leaves looks exquisite and muted, while thyme will bring a delicate, woodsy feel.
2. Add Sparkle (Your "Ornaments & Jewels")

   Pomegranate Arils - These are the crown jewels of your holiday table. Honestly, we would never not serve these. Sprinkle them over your Brie, let them fall into the cracks, and let those jewels gleam & pop in the light. There is no red "pop" like that of ruby-red pomegranate arils, it's pure magic.

   Sugared Cranberries - They look like they have been touched by the slightest of frost, the sugared cranberries are so easy to make and are such a wow.

   • Helpful trick - Make a simple syrup (1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water; heat, boil until dissolved). Let cool a bit, and then toss 1 cup of fresh cranberries in the cooled syrup until they are all sticky. Lift them out with a slotted spoon (great uses for one of those fancy serving pieces you get for holidays) and let dry for 1 hour on a baking rack. Once they are tacky, roll into white sugar, and they are done.
3. Fill Every Nook & Cranny

   The true secret of an abundant, "effortless” board is to plug every single hole.

   • Nuts - Use festive nuts! Marcona almonds are glossy and rich! Pistachios provide that pop of rich, green color.
   • Small Berries - Add blackberries or raspberries for a very deep moody jewel-tone color.
   • Olives & Cornichons - A small bowl of glistening olives or little sharp cornichons adds that necessary, briny, salty bite to cut through all the richness.

Putting It All Together (A Simple Flow)

So, you've got all your beautiful ingredients. How do you build to make it not look like a beautiful mess? Here’s a simple, fail-safe workflow.

1. Start with Your "Anchors" - First, position your charcuterie board in the desired final location. Next, you'll want to position your bowls (for jams, olives, nuts) on the board first. This gives your charcuterie board some defined structure and gives you some things to build your beautiful board around.
2. Add Your "Stars" - Next, you can do your cheeses. Spread them out on the board, trying to leave some space. This also is about when you can add your cheese knives set too, so that each cheese has its appropriate tool.
3. Create Your "Rivers"-  Candied and/or folded meats come next. Drape the meats in a flowing “rivers” pattern between the cheeses and bowls. You can also use "roses" to layer any of your folded meats.
4. Tuck in Your Crackers -  Crackers come next. They can be fanned out or layered in a few locations across your board, usually tucked against the cheeses they pair well with.
5. Fill the Big Gaps: This is where you will add your larger items, like grapes and figs halved, mountains of jams, etc. to fill in those larger gaps on your board.
6. Add the "Magic Dust” - Finally, this is where you finish the board. Go crazy with your garnishes. Sprinkle your pomegranate arils. Add your sugared cranberries. Tuck your pine boughs (rosemary) in any open spaces you see. Fill every last tiny spot with your nuts and berries.

And just like that, you've created a work of art.

A Final Thought...

Your board is more than just food on wood. It's a centerpiece, an ice-breaker, a gracious, handcrafted welcome. When your guests see the minute star you cut out of cheddar, or the lovely frosted cranberries, they won't see a pretty format. They'll see the intention you've made. They'll see the attention and detail you put into their evening, and that, We think, is the most festive, elegant gesture of all.

FAQs

Question - How far in advance can I make this?

Answer - Most of the prep can be done the day before. Slice cheeses, cut your shapes, and make your salami roses. Store in airtight containers in the fridge. You can even make your sugared cranberries ahead of time. Then on the day of the party, you can do the fun part, which is arranging everything. That should not take more than 15-20 minutes!

Question: How do I make my board not look messy as people eat? 

Answer - Two easy tricks! First, fill the board so it overflows! When a board is overflowing with an abundance of food, you don't see the empty gaps as quickly. Secondly, we like to keep a "refill" platter (not too big!) in the kitchen with extra crackers, folded meats and cheeses. That way, I can easily and artfully replace items on the board somewhere halfway through the party. 

Question - I'm in a hurry! What is the one garnish that gives you the most "festive" look for the least amount of effort?