This charcuterie wreath is the perfect easy appetizer for any holiday party or Christmas gathering. You can put this entire impressive charcuterie board together in just 15 minutes – it can’t get much easier than that!
Charcuterie is a regular occurrence in my house, so you should check out my other charcuterie board guides. I have posts on Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board, Baked Brie with Figs, and Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards. My Individual Charcuterie Cups are always a hit too.
If you’re like me and love to eat charcuterie with a glass of wine in hand, you should use my Best Wines for Charcuterie Guide to choose the perfect wine to go with your board.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Charcuterie Board
- It’s a festive charcuterie board and gives all the aesthetic Christmas feels that we all want this time of year. It’s a seasonal twist on the traditional charcuterie board and also works as a centerpiece idea for the Christmas dinner table.
- This holiday charcuterie board only takes 15 minutes and is adaptable for any size gathering. Instructions are included in the recipe to serve smaller groups as well as large gatherings.
- It’s so impressive that your guests will think you hired a professional to cater. It’s the most delicious conversation starter and a beautiful addition to any holiday gathering.
Ingredient List
You’ll find the full list and how much to serve per person in the recipe card at the bottom.
What I love about charcuterie boards is that you can adapt to your preferences, so if you know what you like – go for your favorite meats and cheeses. Meats and cheeses of all kinds work well with this charcuterie spread.
The most important ingredient is the rosemary sprigs, no matter what else you choose for your board. The fresh herbs give the “wreath” a more real feel and they smell so good!
If you’re looking for specific suggestions, here is a list of options for you below.
- Soft cheese wheels/logs – Mini soft cheeses work well on this board as they are small enough to not infringe on the space in the middle of the wreath. I found some mini brie wheels at Costco, but if you can’t find those, you can also use goat cheese logs.
- Triangle cut/cubed cheese – I used pre-cut manchego slices. I think the triangle shape feels a bit like branches that may stick out from a wreath. You can cut your own cheese triangles or you can also stack up several cubes of hard cheese (like cheddar). Another option would be mozzarella balls – these slightly resemble ornaments, which would be perfect.
- Mild, medium, and bold meats – It’s always a good idea to mix meats with different flavors and textures. I recommend 2-3 different types of meats. An example of a milder meat would be something like Prosciutto. Medium bold flavored meats would be meats like coppa. Lastly, bold meats are meats with big flavors like a spicy salami. Look for words like spicy, peppered, or smoked when choosing bold flavored meats.
- Condiments – I recommend having a sweet and savory option like honey/jam and stone-ground mustard.
- Crackers or sliced bread
- Olives and pickled vegetables – green olives and little gherkins go with the greenery theme. I like to put these in little bowls for easy serving.
- Grapes – Red or green grapes are both beautiful on the board given their Christmas inspired color. Pomegranate seeds are another fresh fruit that is a nice touch on the board as well.
Equipment needed
The only special equipment that you need is going to be a round, large board. The one that I used was about 13″ in diameter. If you don’t have one, I’ve listed some ideas that you may want to look at below.
You can also use a large round dish when you make your own charcuterie wreath. Another option is making a wreath shape with your ingredients directly on a table covered with butcher paper.
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Circular Wood Board with Handle
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1 – Add larger items to the board first – such as any large cheeses or condiments/pickles in small bowls. Arrange these around the outside rim of the board to resemble the shape of a wreath.
2- Add the grape clusters to the outer edge.
3 – Fill in the gaps with meat, hard cheeses, nuts, and crackers.
4 – Tuck sprigs of rosemary all around the board so that they stick out and look wreath-like. Serve with small plates and large toothpicks on the side.
Pro tip:
Cut the grape stems to make small clusters that are easy to pick up. Guests hate struggling to pick grapes off of a huge cluster.
Charcuterie FAQ
My favorite holiday appetizers that go well with charcuterie boards are my Spicy Cranberry Shrimp and Air Fryer Calamari.
If seafood isn’t your jam, my Chicken Marsala Meatballs, Tomato Bruschetta with Whipped Feta, or Whipped Goat Cheese Crostini are all great options as well.
For wine, check out my Best Wines for Charcuterie.
For cocktails, I recommend Cranberry Pitcher Margaritas or my Sparkling Pear Vodka Cocktail. You also can’t go wrong with my Cranberry Mistletoe Martini.
If you want a dessert cocktail after serving the board, try my Peppermint White Russian or Peppermint Espresso Martini. They make great nightcaps and palate cleansers.
Yes, you can definitely make your charcuterie wreath ahead of time, but I have a few tips for best results.
Tip 1 – Make the board as you normally would, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge the day before you need it. Leave out the bread/crackers and nuts off of the board until right before serving so that they don’t get soggy.
Tip 2 – I would also leave out the rosemary sprigs until serving so that they don’t get squished in the fridge.
Tip 3 – Make sure that all of your pickled ingredients and condiments are in little bowls on the board so as not to interfere with the rest of the ingredients while it sits in the fridge.
Related Recipes and Guides
Did you love this charcuterie guide?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section below.
📖 Recipe
Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Board Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 types of soft cheese such as brie, goat cheese, etc.
- 1-2 kind of hard cheese, cut into triangle or cubes such as cheddar, manchego, etc.
- 2-3 types of charcuterie meat such as mild, medium-bold, bold flavored
- grapes cut into small clusters
- 1-2 types of condiments such as jams, jelly, honey, mustards, etc.
- sliced bread and/or crackers of choice
- 1-2 types of nuts such as pecans, walnuts, etc.
- assorted olives and pickled vegetables
- 1 large bunch fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Arrange larger items on the outer rim of the board, such as any cheese wheels/logs or condiments/pickles in small bowls.
- Add grape clusters to outer edge of board.
- Fill in gaps with sliced meats, cut hard cheeses, nuts, and crackers.
- Tuck rosemary sprigs around the board, sticking outward to resemble wreath greenery.
Notes
- Aim for 2-3 oz. of meat per person and 2-3 oz. cheese per person for an appetizer.
- Double the portion of meat and cheese if it will be served as a main course.
- Cut the grape stems to make small clusters that are easier pick up.
- To make ahead, cover the board with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge the day before you need it. Leave any bread, crackers, nuts, and rosemary off of the board until right before serving so that they don’t get soggy and/or squished.
Diane
Needing quick & easy this year. This will do the trick! Thanks for sharing, Melissa.
Melissa
I can definitely relate – quick and easy is my holiday theme as well! So happy you enjoyed! <3