Description
Create a festive and visually delightful Santa Claus Charcuterie Board perfect for holiday gatherings. This no-cook recipe combines a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and snacks arranged creatively to resemble Santa Claus, making it a fun and crowd-pleasing centerpiece.
Ingredients
Scale
Base and Garnishes
- 1 large round platter or cutting board
- Fresh rosemary sprigs (for garnish)
- Crackers, bread, or crostini (to serve)
Dairy and Dips
- 1 round container hummus
- 1 to 2 cups mozzarella pearls
Fruits and Vegetables
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup black olives
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
- 1 large cauliflower floret
- 1 small cucumber (sliced)
- 1 cup green grapes
- 1 cup red grapes
Meats and Nuts
- 1 cup sliced pepperoni
- 1/2 cup green olives
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup cashews
Instructions
- Prepare the hummus base: Remove the lid from the hummus container and smooth the surface to create an even base. Place the container of hummus directly on the center of the platter.
- Create Santa’s facial features: Place a single tomato on the hummus as Santa’s nose. Using a small knife or kitchen shears, cut two tiny circular pieces from black olives and press each piece onto a mozzarella pearl to form Santa’s eyes. Position these eyes above the tomato nose on the hummus.
- Form Santa’s beard: Arrange the remaining mozzarella pearls around the sides and underneath the hummus container, sculpting the shape of Santa’s beard for a fluffy snowy effect.
- Construct Santa’s hat outline: Use the red bell pepper strips to outline the shape of Santa’s hat above the face area. Fill the inside of the hat with the remaining cherry tomatoes and sliced pepperoni to add color and texture. Place the large cauliflower floret on one side of the hat to serve as the pom pom.
- Arrange remaining ingredients: Artistically arrange the sliced cucumber, green grapes, red grapes, black and green olives, dried cranberries, and cashews around Santa’s face and hat area to create an attractive and colorful pattern that enhances the festive look.
- Add final garnishes: Tuck fresh rosemary sprigs around Santa’s face and the platter edges to give a seasonal and fragrant touch to the board.
- Serve accompaniments: Place your favorite crackers, bread, or crostini alongside the board to complete the spread and offer guests convenient options for enjoying the various ingredients.
- Enjoy: Present this delightful and visually stunning Santa Claus Charcuterie Board at your holiday gatherings to bring smiles and festive cheer to everyone around the table.
Notes
- This charcuterie board is best enjoyed fresh and served immediately for optimal texture and flavor.
- Feel free to customize the ingredients based on dietary preferences or what you have available—substitute dairy-free cheeses or add nuts as desired.
- Use a large enough platter or cutting board to comfortably fit all ingredients and allow creative arrangement.
- Ensure the black olive pieces for the eyes are securely pressed into the mozzarella pearls to avoid slipping when serving.
- Keep perishable ingredients chilled until serving to maintain freshness.
