Dairy Farmers of Canada

Charcutertree

This festive Charcutertree is the essence of holiday entertaining! A traditional charcuterie spread - just vertical, in a Christmas tree shape. Include all your favourite Canadian cheeses for this delicious addition to your holiday table.

  • Prep: 1 hour
Yields 15-20 servings
HOLIDAY_CHARCUTERTREE

Ingredients

  • Equipment:
  • Styrofoam Cone (18" x 4.75”)
  • Plastic Wrap or food-safe cellophane
  • Toothpicks
  • Ingredients:
  • 2 lbs (908 g) Canadian Cheese of choice (see tips section for more details)
  • 2 lbs deli meat of your choice
  • 1 lb Olives and/or pickles
  • 1 bunch of rosemary
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Preparation

Drain the brine from the olives and/or pickles. Cut your Canadian cheeses into bite-sized pieces, aiming for uniform shapes like small cubes. Prepare meats by rolling or cutting them to your desired size.

Wrap the entire cone with plastic wrap or food-safe cellophane, ensuring that none of the Styrofoam is exposed, even at the bottom.

Lay out your ingredients on a flat surface and insert a toothpick through each piece. Insert the toothpick so it goes through the entire piece but doesn't stick out on the other side.

Begin building the tree by placing the ingredients onto the cone using the toothpicks. Press the toothpick only enough to secure it, leaving a good portion sticking out for easy removal. Start from the bottom and work your way up.

For a spiral arrangement, create a bottom ring and start a spiral with a chosen item, continuing all the way up the cone. Add rows of ingredients on both sides of the spiral, keeping them close together to cover the Styrofoam.

As you work your way to the top, build the tree upwards, leaving only a small section at the top open.

Cut a thick slice of Canadian cheese or meat and use a cookie cutter or sharp knife to make a star shape. Attach the star to the top with a toothpick, inserting it from the bottom to hide it.

For a branch effect, securely press sprigs of rosemary onto the tree among the cheeses and meats.

Serve immediately and enjoy! If you're not serving it right away, wrap it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you're ready.

Tips

  • For the Canadian cheese, choose options firm enough to stay on a stick, avoid very soft cheeses. Some good options are Canadian cheddar, gouda, Swiss, or mini bocconcini.
  • To secure the cone, spread melted Canadian cream cheese on your serving surface before placing the cone down. This acts like glue.
  • The ingredient amounts provided are general guidelines. The quantity of garnish you'll need depends on the size of your tree and the number of people you're serving. This recipe is based on an 18" Foam Cone that was 4.75" at the base.
  • Feel free to make this recipe your own and add whatever you would like!

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