Keep charcuterie ingredients on hand, and you’ll always be ready for holiday guests

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. How it’s Christmas week and the very end of the year is still a mystery to me. Last week was packed with parties and holiday fun. This week, the focus is preparing for Christmas Day.

The Christmas menu remains a constant tradition at our house and includes Prime rib, roasted turkey, Lebanese grape leaves, lots of other Lebanese foods and many desserts including pies and baklava. My side of the family doesn’t exchange gifts. Food is our love language, so we just gather to eat, drink and be merry.

We enjoy hosting on Christmas Day so much, but it’s after Christmas when we can actually kick back and relax. I stock the fridges with tons of various cheeses, dry salami, nuts and crackers so that anytime someone wants to drop in, a quick dash to the fridge and pantry is all it takes to have something to serve them.

I’ve been noticing these darling holiday themed charcuterie platters lately. Some are made in the shape of Christmas trees by using vertical lines of the same ingredient to create a beautiful layered look. Some are made in the shape of a candy cane using alternating red (and some purple) and white ingredients. My most favorite is the Christmas wreath made by using a bed of fresh rosemary to create the shape and artfully layering cheese and meats on top. A quick Google search will give you so many ideas that it’s difficult to choose one, but the idea is to buy the ingredients you love and let your creativity go wild. Some of our favorite memories are of simple holiday cocktail parties.

Charcuterie board tips:

• Most include: Cured meats, cheeses, olives, pickled vegetables, nuts, fruit (fresh and dried), crackers or bite-sized pieces of bread and jelly or jam;
• Shop your pantry before hitting the grocery store;
• Fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme add nice pops of green to your board;
• Use fruit, nuts and jam to fill in spaces between meats and cheeses;
• If you will have vegetarians, vegans or guests with other dietary restrictions, prepare a separate board, or dedicate the corner of a larger board.

Tips inspired by Picky-Palate.com. A version of this story originally published in the Wichita Eagle.

This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 8:29 AM with the headline "Keep charcuterie ingredients on hand, and you’ll always be ready for holiday guests."