Charcuterie Wreath

And, we're celebrating today with a super festive board that looks like a showstopper but truly couldn't be simpler to put together.

Today, we're making a Charcuterie Wreath!

We're taking all the components of a standard cheese board: meat, cheese, fruit, and crackers; and arranging them in a super festive holiday pattern. It's so simple to assemble, but it packs some major WOW factor!

Depending on the size of your board, you'll want 2-3 different types of cheese. I chose to use a flavored aged cheddar that I picked up at Aldi as well as a standard mild cheddar. I also used mini salami bites to fit with the circular theme of our board. I got some seeded crackers, but any round cracker would work great here. And, I used two different colors of grapes to add some extra contrast. Ultimately, we want to collect a variety of colors to really help our board pop.

To build the board, we're going to arrange two piles of each item directly across from each other on the board. It's easiest to use a round board so that we can use the edges of the board as an outline for our circular wreath. If you only have a square or rectangular, that's totally ok. Just visualize a circle on your board, and build your items in that circular shape.

Once we have all of our items arranged on the board, we're going to use some sprigs of rosemary to add the living wreath vibe to our board. Gently tuck the sprigs around the inside and outside of the wreath until you're satisfied with the amount of greenery. I chose to take a minimalist approach, but you could absolutely cover both the inside and outside of the wreath entirely in rosemary sprigs.

To add an extra festive note to this wreath, we can use a mini babybel cheese as a decorative component to our wreath. Take a fruit cutter or mini cookie cutter in a star shape, gently press the cutter into the cheese just enough to cut through the wax but not the cheese, remove the wax shape, and place the festive cheese right at the top of your wreath. It's so simple but adds such a surprising touch. If you're making a larger wreath, you could absolutely scatter more of these cheese decorations throughout the wreath.

This wreath looks so impressive on any table. Your loved ones will think you're a creative genius. But in reality, we just arranged food in a circle! Talk about a stunning way to add some extra merriment to the table.

Alright, everyone. We have a pretty solid start on appies and snacks so far. I think it's time to make something to wash it all down tomorrow. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, enjoy! And, let's eat!