Nutcracker Charcuterie Board
This nutcracker charcuterie board uses cheeses, salami, chorizo, olives, grissini sticks, and crackers arranged to look like the iconic Nutcracker figure. It takes patience but no special skills, serves 8 to 12 people, and makes an unforgettable centerpiece for any Christmas party or holiday gathering.
Ingredients
- 6 oz cheddar black diamond
- 2.5 oz smoked braid cheese
- 3 oz salami
- 5 oz brie
- 7 chorizo sticks ½ oz
- ⅓ cup olives
- ½ cup crackers or pretzels
- 5 grissini sticks
- 7 lettuce leaves
- Mayonaise dollop for eyes
- Bell pepper a few slices
- Bologna a few slices
Instructions
- Set out all ingredients and a large serving board. Have a sharp knife, piping tip or small cookie cutter, and toothpicks ready.
- Form the face: cut small bologna circles for cheeks, a bell pepper piece for the nose, and shape olives into eyes, eyebrows, and a mustache with mayonnaise pupils. Place a trimmed square of cheddar at the top of the board and add all face features.
- Separate braid cheese into fibers for hair and arrange around the face. Place a grissini stick vertically down the center as the body.
- Halve a chorizo stick lengthwise for the arms. Cut 4 brie cylinders — 2 for cuffs, 2 for epaulettes — and arrange at the ends of the arms and shoulders.
- Arrange overlapping salami slices across the lower body for the coat. Shape a strip of black diamond cheddar rind into a belt across the middle.
- Arrange remaining black diamond cheddar pieces in the upper right corner. Add remaining brie around the board. Form the headdress with olive slices above the face. Fill the edges with lettuce leaves, pretzels, crackers, and remaining grissini.
Notes
**Storage**
Store leftover components separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Crackers and grissini store at room temperature. Best assembled and served the same day. **Recipe Tips**
* Build top to bottom — face first, then body, then surrounding board.
* Use toothpicks to hold elements temporarily while building.
* Customize freely — vegetables, fruit, or nuts for a lighter version; candies or marshmallows for kids.
* Scale up with a larger board and proportionally more of each ingredient.
Store leftover components separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Crackers and grissini store at room temperature. Best assembled and served the same day. **Recipe Tips**
* Build top to bottom — face first, then body, then surrounding board.
* Use toothpicks to hold elements temporarily while building.
* Customize freely — vegetables, fruit, or nuts for a lighter version; candies or marshmallows for kids.
* Scale up with a larger board and proportionally more of each ingredient.
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Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.