This Santa charcuterie board is a fun Holiday appetizer, perfect for entertaining at home! Quick to put together and easily customized to your liking.
Use ingredients you and your guests like or add a few food items you might not normally buy. It’s a great way to try new flavors!
Cheese boards, charcuterie platters or any kind of tray with a wide selection of bite-size foods are the easiest and most versatile appetizers you can make.
4 reasons to make food platters of any sort:
- They cater for people with different diet requirements because they are easily adaptable to anyone’s needs.
- They are affordable – feel free to use whatever ingredients are within your budget.
- Themed platters are always fun – Holiday charcuterie boards are always a hit at gatherings so why not make a snowman cheese board or Christmas wreath cheese board?
- No special skills (nor tools) are needed to prepare them!
What you need to make Santa charcuterie board?
- A tray, large serving plate, chopping board or anything you can serve the nibbles on.
- Round cheese of your choice for Santa’s face – I used Provolone.
- Italian prosciutto for the hat part – this can be substituted with thinly sliced Spanish jamon, or other deli meat – i.e. salami.
- Mini Mozzarella balls for the hat and beard.
- Eyes & mouth – black olive and cherry tomato work great.
- Fillers – Pick your or your guests’ favorite items from fresh or dried fruits, nuts, seeds, …
- Crackers
To assemble the Santa, simply follow the picture. Once done, fill the empty space around with the rest of the items you are using. Be generous!
Tip: Bread dipping oil can be served on side with some freshly sliced French baguette as well.
Frequently asked questions
What to add to the Santa cheese board?
Use anything you like! Dips, pate, hummus, crackers of your choice, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds… There is no right or wrong when it comes to ingredients!
Do you eat charcuterie with your hands?
You can, if you make it for yourself or your family. But when serving to your guests, use toothpicks or forks. You can also leave small plates next to the platter and your guests can fill them at the beginning and enjoy the nibbles throughout the party.
How much cheese per person?
In general, count with 1-2 ounces (30-60 grams) of cheese per adult. If you are entertaining after dinner, you may assume that most of your guests would have already eaten dinner.
This means they will more likely consume less than they would if they haven’t eaten in a while. Also, if your cheese platter has a ton of other options, then there is no need to overload it with cheese.
More Christmas appetizers you might like:
- Christmas Tree Sandwiches – One of the easiest holiday appetizers you can make!
- Rudolph Celery Snacks
- Christmas Tree Tortilla Chips
- Candy Cane Caprese Board
- Mini Christmas Tree Pizzas
Santa Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 1 provolone cheese (see note 2)
- 3 ounce prosciutto (see note 3)
- 3 ounce salami (see note 4)
- 30 mini mozzarella balls (see note 5)
- 1 cup black olives
- 1 cherry tomato
- 1 cup grapes
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup dried apricots
- Ritz crackers (see note 6)
Instructions
- Get a large serving tray. Place the provolone cheese in, making sure there is enough space for the “beard”. Fill the top area and one of the sides with prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces and salami that you folded once or twice. Add mozzarella balls for the hat and beard.
- Slice 1 olive into rings. Cut the largest in half and use it for the eyes. Cut the cherry tomato in half and use one half for the nose.
- Fill the empty spaces with the rest of your ingredients.
- Serve right away.
- When making ahead: Omit crackers, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving. Serve crackers on a separate plate.
Notes
- Take this recipe card as a guide only. Use any foods you like – nuts, dried fruits, salamis, crackers,… You can also add more or less of the ingredients.
- Instead of provolone cheese, feel free to use any other round cheese.
- Italian Prosciutto can be substituted with Spanish Jamon Serrano.
- Use any deli salami you like.
- If you bought mini balls that are still quite large, feel free to cut each in half.
- If you don’t have a space on your tray, serve these individually on a plate.
- Tip: Why not serve it with freshly sliced baguette and bread dipping oil? It’s a tasty companion to any charcuterie board.
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