4 Steps to a Holiday Charcuterie Board

Build this grain-free holiday charcuterie board in four steps! It's the perfect dish to bring to any holiday fête this season!

Note from FJ: Alison is the creator behind Food by Mars, a blog for mindful nutrition and delicious recipes. 

Fa la la la la… bring on the pork… What? Is that not how the song goes? Charcuterie board season is in full swing and I am stoked to share how I build a beautiful and balanced grain-free charcuterie board you and your loved ones will be singing for.

To make an awesome spread, I like to focus on the different textures so everyone can have fun crafting their own savory, sweet bites. I divide it into 4 must-have steps that are easy to follow and it all takes minutes to put together. I was inspired to use a new favorite of mine, FitJoy Grain-free Pretzels made with Cassava flour to be my main crunchy element and they look lovely amidst all the cheese, meat, and other goodies. Plus, they hold up so well to dip with and as a vehicle for getting cheese into your mouth… okay okay, let’s build this thing!

ONE: CHEESE

I love to have 3 different cheeses with different textures. I have a soft one that people can use to scrape or dip with, it’s a vegan cheese (you can buy or see my macadamia recipe here). I also have a sheep manchego (harder and sharp in taste) and goat feta called Kaseri (medium-soft, mild).

TWO: PORK

It wouldn’t be a charcuterie board without all the pork! I have a mix of nitrate-, nitrite-free salami, soppressata, and prosciutto from Whole Foods. They’re all sliced and ready to go, so I simply split them up across the board. They’re easy to wrap around my other components like fruit, cheese and of course, pretzels!

THREE: THE CRUNCH

This can be raw veggies like carrots, celery, etc., but I got fun with it and used the FitJoy Grain-free Pretzels! You’ll want these scattered all across the board for easy access. I also added in some raw apple slices (hot tip: add those in last so they don’t brown).

FOUR: ACCESSORIES

Olives, nuts, dried/fresh fruit, herbs, jams, dips, honey… don’t be cheap! These really add flare to the board and even more flavor. I used marinated olives, walnuts, dried figs, apples, fresh rosemary, fig jam, and raw honey!

In terms of how to lay it all out for an insta-worthy shot… simply check out the .gif above! Try placing your bowls on the board first, with your cheeses nearby. Layer in your meat, then the crunch, and the rest of your “accessories”! BOOM.

Enjoy!

Head to Alison's blog, Food by Mars, for more mindful nutrition and delicious recipes!