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Festive Santa Cheese Platter

A fun, festive, and easy-to-assemble charcuterie board shaped like Santa Claus, perfect as a no-cook appetizer for Christmas parties.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 15 people
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Santa's Hat & Nose
  • 6 oz large pepperoni slices
  • 1 small salami ball or 1 large cherry tomato
Brim, Mustache & Eyes
  • 4-5 slices Provolone cheese
  • 2 pitted black olives
Face (Cheese Ball)
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup finely chopped salami or pepperoni
  • 0.25 tsp garlic powder optional
Beard & Jacket
  • 8 oz white cheese block e.g., White Cheddar, Provolone, Monterey Jack
  • 8 oz yellow/orange cheese block e.g., Mild Cheddar, Colby Jack
Garnish
  • 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
For Serving
  • Assorted crackers, pretzels, and breadsticks

Equipment

  • Large wooden platter or cutting board (approx 12x18 inch)
  • Sharp knives
  • Small mixing bowl

Method
 

  1. Select a large platter or cutting board to be your base.
  2. In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese and chopped salami/pepperoni. Form this into a rounded, face-like shape in the upper-center of your board.
  3. Above the cheese-ball face, arrange pepperoni slices in overlapping rows, tapering to one side to form a floppy Santa hat.
  4. Cut a wide strip of Provolone and lay it at the base of the pepperoni hat, on top of the cheese-ball face, to create the hat's brim.
  5. Cut two crescent shapes from Provolone and place them on the lower half of the cheese-ball face to make a mustache.
  6. Gently press the two black olives into the cheese ball for eyes, and the salami ball (or cherry tomato) for the nose.
  7. Cut the white cheese block into small cubes. Arrange them below the mustache in a fanned-out shape to create a full beard.
  8. Cut the yellow/orange cheese block into cubes. Use these to fill in the empty space on the board around the beard.
  9. Tuck the fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs under the 'chin' area to create a collar. Serve with crackers.

Notes

This is a no-cook assembly-only recipe. It's best to use a dark-colored platter to make the cheese and pepperoni colors pop. Can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator.