How to Make a Festive Holiday Charcuterie Board

Sponsored Post: Check out these easy entertaining tips for all your winter holidays and dinner parties, complete with charcuterie and pâté. This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Les Trois Petits Cochons. 
Four easy steps. That’s all it takes to create a festive holiday charcuterie board with fresh spreads, herbs, meats, and cheeses.

STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR CHEESES

My method of attack is to choose two or three cheeses of varying types:

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Aged: Havarti, Sharp Cheddar, Parmesan
Soft: Brie, Chevre
Blue: Camembert, Blue Cheese, Roquefort
Firm: Mimolette, Manchego
For this holiday charcuterie board, I chose a creamy brie and a cranberry flecked Wensleydale. I loved how the flecks of red complimented my holiday theme.

STEP 2: ADD YOUR ACCOMPANIMENTS

Crackers or Bread. I love to serve up my cheeses with some artisanal crackers or a sliced up baguette.

Fruit. Grab whatever looks great from your local market. During the fall/winter season, you’ll find some spectacular pears, apples, pomegranates and grapes. Also feel free to use dried fruit, like figs or apricots.

Charcuterie. I found lots of yummy charcuterie from Les Trois Petits Cochons:

Sliced Saucisson Sec
Smoked Duck Breast
Wild Boar Pâté
Organic Pâté aux Pommes et Cidre
Rillettes de Canard

Olives. Head to the olive bar at your local market and take your pick – Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives are two of my favorites. I also found some olive tapenade which I added to my charcuterie board.

Nuts. Walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, Marcona almonds, even candied nuts.

Mustard. I love to assemble a mini-sandwich of sorts with the smoked duck breast and a bit of mustard on a top of a cracker.

STEP 3: GARNISH FOR THE SEASON

Since this was a holiday charcuterie board, I used a lot of red tones – Red grapes, red apples, pomegranate… I say just grab a big board or platter and start arranging. I like to place my cheeses first and then I’ll add some greenery like fresh herbs (I used sage here). Slice up some of the fruit and arrange it on your platter along with the charcuterie, small dishes of olives, and your mustard. Be sure to have separate serving utensils for each of the cheeses and spreads, as well as a small dish for olive pits.

STEP 4: OPEN THE WINE

Choose two or three different types of wine, based on the number of cheeses you choose. Some of my favorite wines for pairing with cheese and charcuterie are Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Enjoy! One of the key benefits to serving a holiday charcuterie board is that all your work can be done ahead of time, leaving you free to spend time with your guests.