15 Christmas Eve Charcuterie Board Ideas

A Christmas Eve charcuterie board is the easiest way to feed everyone on the busiest night of the year. It can be built in the afternoon, it waits in the fridge while you're at a service or wrapping gifts, and everyone can graze late into the night without anyone cooking a full dinner.

Below are 15 Christmas Eve charcuterie board ideas, from a hearty Christmas Eve dinner board, an Italian antipasto board and warm ham and biscuits to a red and green charcuterie board, a classic meat and cheese tray, a cookies for Santa board and a late-night wrapping party board. Every board lists exactly what's on it, with amounts and how many it serves.

How to plan a Christmas Eve board

1. Build it in the afternoon. Cover it tightly and keep it in the fridge until you get home.
2. Add crackers, bread and cut fruit last so they stay crisp and fresh.
3. Make it a meal: add something warm (meatballs, soup, a baked dip) if the board is dinner.
4. Save the cookies for a second, sweet board later in the night (and a plate for Santa).

More ideas: see our charcuterie wreath ideas and Christmas breakfast boards for the morning.

Christmas Eve dinner boards

1. Christmas Eve Dinner Board

A board hearty enough to be dinner: meats, cheeses, warm meatballs, bread and vegetables. Serves 8.

What's on the board

• 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 24 inches, with a heat-safe bowl
• 18 frozen cooked Italian meatballs, heated in 1 1/2 cups marinara
• 8 oz sharp cheddar (a block), sliced
• 6 oz provolone (about 8 slices), folded
• 4 oz sliced Genoa salami (about 16 slices)
• 3 oz prosciutto (about 6 slices)
• 1/2 baguette, cut into 13 slices and toasted
• 1 lb red grapes
• 2 bell peppers, cut into strips
• 14 cherry tomatoes
• 10 round butter crackers

How to make it

1. Heat the meatballs. Simmer the frozen meatballs in marinara, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until they reach 165°F.
2. Build the cold part. Set the cheeses, meats, grapes, peppers and tomatoes on the board ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge.
3. Finish. Right before eating, add the hot bowl of meatballs (with toothpicks), the toasted baguette and the crackers.

Where to get it

Frozen Italian-style meatballs are in the freezer aisle; marinara is in the pasta aisle.

2. Ham and Biscuit Board

Warm flaky biscuits split and filled with honey ham and cheddar, with pepper jelly and honey butter. A Southern Christmas Eve favorite. Serves 8.

What's on the board

• 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 24 inches
• 2 cans (16.3 oz each) large refrigerated flaky biscuits (16 biscuits)
• 1 lb thinly sliced deli honey ham
• 8 oz sharp cheddar (a block), cut into 16 thin squares
• For the honey butter: 4 tbsp softened butter mixed with 2 tbsp honey, in a small bowl
• 1/2 cup pepper jelly, in a small bowl
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, in a small bowl
• 1 small cucumber, cut into 12 thin slices
• 1 lb red grapes
• 3 clementines
• 12 pita chips
• 10 dried apricots
• 2 oz pecan halves
• Seeds from 1/4 pomegranate

How to make it

1. Bake the biscuits. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F if your sheet is dark nonstick). Set the biscuits 1 to 2 inches apart on an ungreased sheet and bake 14 to 17 minutes, until golden brown. Those are the times on large flaky refrigerated biscuits; if your can says something different, follow the can. Cool 5 minutes.
2. Fill. Split each biscuit in half. Fold 1 oz of ham (2 or 3 slices) onto each bottom half, add a cheddar square, put the top back on and hold it with a toothpick.
3. Build. Set the honey butter, pepper jelly and mustard bowls on the board. Line the biscuits up in two rows and fill in around them with the cucumber slices, grapes, clementines, pita chips, apricots, pecans and pomegranate seeds.
4. Make ahead. Bake the biscuits in the afternoon and fill them up to 2 hours before serving. Deli ham is ready to eat, so they are served at room temperature; keep them out no more than 2 hours.

Where to get it

Pepper jelly is near the jams and jellies or by the specialty cheese; refrigerated biscuits are in the dairy case.

3. Italian Christmas Eve Antipasto Board

Prosciutto, salami, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, olives and focaccia for a classic Italian Christmas Eve. Serves 10.

What's on the board

• 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 24 inches
• 4 oz prosciutto (about 8 slices)
• 4 oz sliced Genoa salami (about 16 slices)
• 2 oz sliced soppressata (about 8 slices)
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella (a ball), cut into 4 thick slices
• 6 oz provolone (about 8 slices), folded
• 1 jar (12 oz) roasted red peppers, drained and cut into strips
• 30 green and black olives
• 1 jar (6 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 8 oz focaccia, cut into 7 squares
• 1 lb red grapes
• 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of black pepper, for the mozzarella

How to make it

1. Place the mozzarella slices and folded provolone first. Drizzle the mozzarella with the olive oil and sprinkle on the pepper.
2. Fold the salami and soppressata into ribbons and drape the prosciutto.
3. Add the peppers, olives and artichokes in groups, patted dry.
4. Fill in with focaccia squares and grapes.

Where to get it

Focaccia is in many grocery bakeries; any crusty bread works.

4. Red and Green Christmas Eve Charcuterie Board

A classic meat and cheese board in Christmas colors: salami, berries and pomegranate on one side, green grapes, olives and pistachios on the other. Serves 10.

What's on the board

• 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 24 inches
• 5 oz sliced hard salami (about 20 slices), folded
• 3 oz sliced pepperoni
• 5 oz prosciutto (about 10 slices)
• 8 oz brie (a small wheel)
• 1 goat cheese log (4 oz), rolled in 2 oz finely chopped dried cranberries
• 6 oz white cheddar (a block), cubed
• 12 oz red grapes
• 12 oz green grapes
• 12 strawberries
• 1 pomegranate, halved
• 20 green olives
• 3 oz pistachios in the shell
• 12 cornichons
• 1/4 cup pepper jelly, in a small bowl
• 35 round crackers

How to make it

1. Coat the goat cheese. Spread the chopped cranberries on a plate and roll the chilled goat cheese log over them, pressing so they stick.
2. Center. Set the brie, the goat cheese log and the pepper jelly bowl down the middle of the board.
3. Red side. Fill one side with the salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, red grapes, strawberries and pomegranate halves.
4. Green side. Fill the other side with the green grapes, olives, pistachios, cornichons and cheddar cubes.
5. Crackers. Tuck the crackers in rows along both long edges. Build it up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; add the crackers right before serving.

Where to get it

Pepper jelly is near the jams or by the specialty cheese; goat cheese logs are with the specialty cheeses.

5. Soft Pretzel and Cheese Dip Board

Warm soft pretzel bites and browned smoked sausage around a bowl of homemade cheddar dip, cozy food for a cold Christmas Eve. Serves 8.

What's on the board

• 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 24 inches, with a heat-safe bowl
• 2 boxes (12 oz each) frozen soft pretzel bites
• 1 smoked sausage (14 oz), cut into 1/2-inch slices
• For the cheese dip: 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour, 1 cup whole milk, 8 oz sharp cheddar (a block), shredded, 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard, in a small bowl
• 1/4 cup honey mustard, in a small bowl
• 10 cornichons
• 1 lb green grapes

How to make it

1. Make the cheese dip. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, stirring, without letting it brown. Slowly whisk in the milk and keep stirring over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until it thickens. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheddar a handful at a time, with the garlic powder, until smooth. Shred the cheese from a block, since bagged shreds can make the dip grainy.
2. Brown the sausage. Cook the slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and hot all the way through.
3. Heat the pretzel bites as the box directs (most frozen soft pretzel bites heat at 400°F for 3 to 5 minutes).
4. Build. Pour the warm dip into the heat-safe bowl in the middle of the board. Pile the pretzel bites and sausage around it and add the mustards, cornichons and grapes.
5. Keep it smooth. If the dip thickens as it sits, microwave it for 20 seconds and stir.

Where to get it

Frozen soft pretzel bites are in the freezer snack aisle; smoked sausage is with the packaged hot dogs and sausages.

6. Christmas Eve Chocolate and Cheese Fondue Board

A pot of melted chocolate and a pot of melted cheese, with dippers for each. A cozy tradition for the whole family. Serves 6.

What's on the board

• 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 24 inches, with 2 heat-safe bowls or pots
• For the cheese pot: 8 oz shredded Swiss, 8 oz shredded Gruyere, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tbsp lemon juice
• For the chocolate pot: 8 oz semisweet chocolate chips, 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 24 baby potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb), boiled
• 1 small crown broccoli, cut into florets and steamed
• 18 strawberries
• 24 large marshmallows
• 1 pound cake (about 12 oz), cut into cubes
• 8 fondue forks or skewers

How to make it

1. Cheese. Toss the cheeses with cornstarch. Heat the broth and lemon juice to a simmer (the acid keeps the cheese smooth instead of stringy), then stir in the cheese a handful at a time over low heat until smooth.
2. Chocolate. Heat the cream until steaming, pour over the chocolate chips, wait 2 minutes and stir until glossy.
3. Build. Set the two pots at opposite ends of the board, with the bread, potatoes and broccoli near the cheese and the strawberries, marshmallows and pound cake near the chocolate.
4. If either pot thickens, pour it into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it 20 to 30 seconds (or warm it over low heat), stirring until smooth.

Where to get it

Gruyere is in the specialty cheese case; pound cake is in the bakery or freezer aisle.

Family Christmas Eve boards

7. Pajama Movie Night Charcuterie Board

Movie-night snacks on a meat and cheese board: salami, cheese cubes, crackers and a pile of popcorn, plus a little chocolate. Serves 6.

What's on the board

• 1 tray, about 14 x 20 inches
• 3 oz sliced hard salami (about 12 slices), folded
• 3 oz sliced deli pepperoni (about 18 large slices)
• 6 oz cheddar (a block), cubed
• 8 oz pepper jack (a block), cubed
• 1 mini bag (about 1 oz) microwave popcorn, popped
• 10 round crackers
• 20 mini pretzel twists
• 12 oz red grapes
• 3 oz dark chocolate (a bar), broken into pieces
• 8 mini candy canes

How to make it

1. Pile the popcorn at one end of the tray.
2. Fold the salami and pepperoni into groups and add the cheese cubes beside them.
3. Fill in with the crackers, pretzels, grapes, chocolate and candy canes.
4. Set out small cups so everyone can make a movie mix.

Where to get it

Mini candy canes are in the seasonal candy aisle from November.

8. Cookies for Santa Board

A full board of cookies, milk and carrots for the reindeer, set out by the tree before bed. Serves 1 Santa and 9 reindeer, with plenty left for the kids.

What's on the board

• 1 round board with a short handle, about 18 inches across
• 18 assorted Christmas cookies (5 sugar cookies with sprinkles, 4 chocolate chip, 5 gingerbread men and 4 peanut butter cookies with a chocolate kiss)
• 1 glass of milk
• 9 small whole carrots, peeled, with 1 inch of green top left on (one for each reindeer)
• 7 mini candy canes
• 8 foil-wrapped red and green chocolates
• 10 red grapes
• 3 oz whole almonds
• 1 oz pecan halves
• 1 oz walnut halves
• 2 oz dried cranberries

How to make it

1. Let kids pick and arrange the cookies on the board in groups.
2. Lay the 9 carrots in a row for the reindeer and tuck the candy canes, wrapped chocolates, grapes, nuts and dried cranberries around the cookies.
3. Set the glass of milk beside the board by the tree before bed.

Where to get it

Use any cookies you baked or bought; carrots sold in bunches with their green tops are in the produce section.

9. Classic Meat and Cheese Tray

The old-fashioned party tray: rolled ham and turkey, salami and three cheeses with crackers, pickles and mustard. Easy to make ahead for Christmas Eve. Serves 12.

What's on the board

• 1 large round tray or board, about 16 inches across
• 6 oz thin-sliced deli ham, rolled
• 6 oz thin-sliced deli turkey, rolled
• 3 oz sliced hard salami (about 12 slices), folded
• 6 oz sharp cheddar (a block), cut into thin squares
• 6 oz Swiss cheese (a block), cut into thin squares
• 6 oz pepper jack (a block), cut into thin squares
• 32 round butter crackers
• 6 dill pickle spears
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, in a small bowl
• 6 oz green grapes (three small clusters)
• 6 cherry tomatoes

How to make it

1. Set the mustard bowl in the center of the tray.
2. Lay the rolled ham, rolled turkey and folded salami in wedges around it like the spokes of a wheel, with a wedge of cheese squares between each one.
3. Overlap the crackers in a ring around the outside edge.
4. Tuck in the pickles, grapes and tomatoes. Build it up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; add the crackers right before serving.

Where to get it

Thin-sliced ham and turkey are at the deli counter or in the packaged lunch meat case.

10. Kids' Christmas Eve Charcuterie Board

Rolled turkey, cheese cut into stars, crackers and fruit, a mini charcuterie board for little hands. Serves 4.

What's on the board

• 1 tray, about 12 x 16 inches
• 4 oz thin-sliced deli turkey, rolled (about 8 rolls)
• 2 oz sliced pepperoni
• 10 slices cheddar, cut into 10 stars with a 2-inch star cutter (save the scraps for snacking)
• 4 oz mild cheddar (a block), cubed
• 15 round crackers
• 20 mini pretzel twists
• 12 oz green grapes
• 8 strawberries

How to make it

1. Press the star cutter into each cheese slice to cut 10 stars.
2. Roll the turkey slices into tubes and fan the pepperoni.
3. Arrange the stars, cheese cubes, meats, crackers, pretzels and fruit in small groups so little hands can pick easily.
4. Cut the grapes in half for toddlers.

Where to get it

Star cookie cutters are in the baking aisle in December.

11. Late-Night Gift Wrapping Board

Easy, grabbable snacks for the grown-ups wrapping presents after the kids are asleep. Serves 4.

What's on the board

• 1 board, about 12 x 16 inches
• 8 oz aged white cheddar (a block), cut into about 30 cubes
• 3 oz sliced salami (about 12 slices), folded
• 3 oz dark chocolate (a bar), broken into pieces
• 12 oz red grapes
• 3 oz cashews
• 16 pretzel crisps
• 8 shortbread cookies

How to make it

1. Put everything in neat groups so it's easy to grab with one hand.
2. Keep it in the fridge until the kids are asleep.
3. Keep the board away from the wrapping paper and tape.

Where to get it

Everything is in the cheese, deli and snack aisles.

Sweet and cozy boards

12. Cheese and Dessert Board

Sweet and savory for after dinner: brie, aged gouda, dark chocolate, figs and Christmas cookies. Serves 8.

What's on the board

• 1 board, about 14 x 20 inches
• 8 oz brie (a small wheel)
• 6 oz aged gouda (a wedge), sliced
• 3 oz dark chocolate (a bar), broken into pieces
• 3 dried figs, halved
• 12 shortbread cookies
• 4 large gingersnaps
• 1 lb red grapes
• 3 oz candied pecans
• 1/4 cup honey, in a small bowl

How to make it

1. Set the brie, gouda and honey on the board.
2. Add the cookies and chocolate in groups.
3. Fill the gaps with figs, grapes and pecans.

Where to get it

Dried figs are in the dried fruit section; candied pecans are near the salad toppings.

13. Panettone and Coffee Board

Slices of panettone with mascarpone, berries and chocolate, for coffee after Christmas Eve dinner. Serves 8.

What's on the board

• 1 board, about 14 x 20 inches
• 1 panettone (about 1 lb), cut into 6 thick slices
• 8 oz mascarpone, mixed with 2 tbsp honey, in a bowl
• 6 oz raspberries
• 12 strawberries
• 2 oz blueberries
• 8 oz red grapes
• 7 dried apricots, in a small bowl
• 6 dried figs
• 2 oz almonds
• 1 1/2 oz walnut halves
• 1/4 cup blackberry jam, in a small bowl
• 2 dark chocolate bars (3 oz each), one left in squares and one broken into pieces
• 6 butter cookies
• 10 biscotti

How to make it

1. Cut the panettone into 6 thick slices with a serrated knife.
2. Set the honey mascarpone, jam and apricot bowls on the board and lay the slices in an overlapping row beside them.
3. Add the berries (a few in a small bowl), grapes, figs, nuts, chocolate, butter cookies and biscotti.
4. Toast the panettone slices for 2 minutes at 350°F if you like it warm.

Where to get it

Panettone is in many grocery stores in December, often in the bakery or seasonal aisle.

14. Peppermint Chocolate Board

Brownies, peppermint bark, chocolate-dipped pretzels and candy canes in red and white. Serves 8.

What's on the board

• 1 board, about 12 x 18 inches
• 8 brownie squares, dusted with 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 13 pieces peppermint bark
• 5 chocolate-dipped pretzel rods with crushed candy cane
• 8 mini candy canes
• 8 strawberries
• 12 white chocolate-covered pretzels

How to make it

1. Dust the brownies with cocoa powder, then stack the brownies and peppermint bark in groups.
2. Lay the pretzel rods side by side.
3. Fill the gaps with candy canes, strawberries and white chocolate pretzels.

Where to get it

Peppermint bark is sold in the seasonal candy aisle in December, or make it at home.

15. Christmas Eve Grazing Table for 15

One extra-large board with four cheeses, three meats, fruit and sweets for a big family gathering. Serves 15.

What's on the board

• 1 extra-large board, about 18 x 30 inches
• 16 oz sharp cheddar (a block), sliced
• 1 lb brie (a medium wheel)
• 8 oz pepper jack (a block), half cubed and half left as a wedge
• 4 oz Colby (a small block)
• 4 oz sliced salami (about 16 slices)
• 4 oz prosciutto (about 8 slices)
• 4 oz sliced pepperoni
• 2 lb red and green grapes
• 1 pomegranate, halved
• 3 clementines, peeled
• 8 strawberries
• 4 oz pistachios
• 1/2 cup fig jam, in a small bowl
• 1 box round butter crackers (about 8 on the board at a time)
• 18 Christmas cookies

How to make it

1. Place the jam bowl and the four cheeses first.
2. Add the meats in three areas.
3. Fill in with fruit, pistachios and crackers, saving one end of the board for the cookies.
4. Keep the cracker box nearby and refill the crackers as they run low.

Where to get it

Larger blocks of cheese and bigger packs of salami keep a board this size affordable.

Christmas Eve charcuterie board FAQ

What do you serve on Christmas Eve?

Many families serve a relaxed meal: a charcuterie board with meats, cheeses, bread and fruit, plus something warm like meatballs or soup. Italian-American families often serve the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a seafood dinner with several kinds of fish.

Can I make a Christmas Eve charcuterie board ahead of time?

Yes. Build the meat, cheese and grape part in the afternoon, cover it tightly and refrigerate. Add crackers, bread, cut fruit and anything warm right before eating.

How long can a charcuterie board sit out?

Perishable foods like meat, cheese and dips shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours (USDA FSIS). Keep extras in the fridge and refill.