How to make a Charcuterie Wreath

Making a charcuterie wreath is fun, festive and easy when you follow a few simple steps.

To begin, pick whatever you want to build it on first.  Some ideas for foundations to build your wreath on are: a round cutting board, a round platter, a large plate, a large square/rectangular cutting board, etc.  

Once you have your foundation picked, you can start to assemble the pieces you’ll need to build your wreath.  The first thing you will need to assemble is greenery.  Some options for greenery include:  rosemary, citrus leaves, bay leaves or pine tree branches.  Whatever greenery you pick make sure it is clean/washed AND non-toxic.  Not all greenery is the same and some is very toxic!  Do you research before you make your guests sick.  

Next assemble the kinds of meats you’d like to include.  Charcuterie translates to the assembly of cooked or cured meats.  No meat,  not charcuterie.  Some of the meats you can assemble include pepperoni, salami, prosciutto or smoked salmon.  You can roll your meats like prosciutto into logs either whole or halved.  Meats like pepperoni or salami can be folded or made into the shape of roses for and extra special touch (**see bottom of page to see how to make salami roses).

If you choose NOT to include meat, that’s OK, too- you’re wreath just  becomes a snack wreath instead of a charcuterie wreath and and we still LOVE snack wreaths! 

The next step is to assemble all the cheeses you want to go with your meats.  Because this charcuterie is round, selecting a few round cheeses help go with the theme.  For this wreath, I chose to include a round of Boursin cheese and a round of Marin French Cheese, Co. breakfast brie.  In addition to the round cheeses, I included 2 of my favorite sharp cheddar cheeses:  Trader Joe’s Creamy Toscano cheese Soaked in Syrah and Old Amsterdam aged gouda cheese.  To add a different layered look, I sliced these cheeses into thin triangles.  

I also love including olives and pickles with a charcuterie. For this wreath, I chose pitted kalamata olives and placed them inside a round dish to keep with the theme of the wreath.  

I also love including a small jar of jam!  For this wreath, I included fig jam which pairs very nicely with the aged gouda cheese.  

I think a charcuterie is fabulous with a mix of fresh and dried fruits/veggies.  Add whatever you love- there are no rules!

For this wreath I included fresh carrot slices, snow peas and sugar snap peas which are all in season in fall/winter. 

I also like to include dried fruits, too!  For this wreath I included dried Asian pears, dried apricots, dried craisins as well as dried persimmons.  I love these for flavor, shape and color!

I also like to add some extra crunchies to my charcuterie.  For this wreath, I added some roasted cashews and some roasted edamame!  There are no rules to this- add your favorite kinds of crunchies!

The last part of assembling is choosing what crackers, flatbreads, pretzels, etc. you’d like to use!  These are the vessels you’ll use for your various cheese, spread and meats.  For this wreath, I choose to use crispy pita rounds and round water crackers.  There are no rules here, either- use what you like!  Sometimes I don’t include crackers in my charcuterie, but rather, I offer them on the side.  No right or wrong way!

Once you have all your pieces assembled, it’s time to start assembling your wreath!  I start with a upside down bowl in the middle of my board so that I can assemble everything around it and keep that wreath shape.  I will remove the bowl at the very end of the building process.

To start assembling, start with the greenery of choice.  You can use one greenery or a mix of greenery to give some depth and variation.  The greenery will serve as the base for this wreath so cut your stems to slightly larger to extend just beyond your all your toppings.

Next assemble away!  I started with the round cheeses!

Next, I added the meats.

Next, I added the crackers, the sliced cheese, the round dish of olives and the small round jar of jam.

Then I fill in with everything that is left- the dried fruit, the veggies and the crunchies, adding in anywhere it looks empty.  Add in any spoons, cheese knives, etc. that you’re items may need.  Remove the overturned bowl in the center and that’s it! You have yourself a charcuterie wreath or a charcuterwreath, if you will 😉

Salami Roses

How to make salami roses!  Start with a small glass jar or champagne flute with a small opening.  Take 3 pieces of salami and fold them over the mouth of the glass, slightly overlapping the pieces.  Take the next 3 pieces and repeat the process, moving slightly over from the original 3 pieces giving it a layered look.  These 2 layers will provide the fanned out petals of your rose.  With the last 3 pieces, repeat the process, but fold the pieces with a little more salami on the inside of the jar than the outside pushing further down the jar.  This final step will give you the top bud part of your rose.  When you are done, flip the jar over onto a plate or board and your rose is complete!