Santas Beard Hat Board (Print View)

Festive holiday board with creamy cheeses and vibrant cured meats for a joyful gathering spread.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Beard

01 - 7 oz brie cheese, sliced
02 - 7 oz goat cheese, crumbled
03 - 5 oz white cheddar, cubed
04 - 5 oz mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
05 - 3.5 oz cream cheese, shaped into small balls (optional)
06 - 7 oz assorted white crackers (rice crackers, water crackers, etc.)

→ Hat

07 - 5 oz sliced Genoa salami
08 - 3.5 oz prosciutto, rolled
09 - 3.5 oz pepperoni slices
10 - 2 large roasted red bell peppers, sliced into strips
11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes or mini red peppers

→ Garnishes

12 - Fresh rosemary sprigs for decoration
13 - 1 black olive for Santa's pom-pom

# Method:

01 - On a large wooden board or platter, outline a triangle at the top to define the hat area and a rounded section below for the beard.
02 - Fill the bottom half generously with white cheeses by arranging brie slices, goat cheese crumbles, cheddar cubes, and halved mozzarella balls to resemble a fluffy beard. Distribute cream cheese balls throughout for texture.
03 - Arrange rows of assorted white crackers along the base and sides of the beard section to frame it.
04 - Layer Genoa salami and pepperoni slices within the triangular hat area, overlapping to create a vivid red appearance. Add rolled prosciutto and strips of roasted red bell pepper for color and variation.
05 - Place cherry tomatoes or mini red peppers at the tip and scattered along the hat to brighten the presentation.
06 - Outline both the hat and beard sections using fresh rosemary sprigs for a festive garnish.
07 - Position a single black olive at the tip of the hat to represent Santa’s pom-pom.
08 - Serve immediately, replenishing the board as needed during your gathering.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks so impressive and festive that guests assume you spent hours in the kitchen, when really you've got it assembled in twenty minutes
  • There's something about a charcuterie board that makes everyone feel like they're at a fancy gathering, even in your own home
  • You get to eat while you're arranging it, which is honestly half the fun
  • It works for vegetarians and meat lovers without any awkward substitutions or separate boards
02 -
  • Assemble this no more than two hours before serving—soft cheeses start to weep and crackers lose their snap if it sits too long. I learned this the hard way when a board spent four hours at room temperature before a dinner party.
  • Buy your meats from the deli counter sliced to order, not pre-packaged. The difference in flavor and how they lay on the board is remarkable once you notice it.
  • Room temperature cheese tastes infinitely better than cold cheese—take everything out of the fridge thirty minutes before you start arranging. This is the secret that changed everything for me.
03 -
  • Buy your mozzarella balls the day of serving—they dry out faster than other cheeses and lose their tender texture if stored too long.
  • The secret to a board that looks professionally arranged is creating height variation—don't lay everything flat. Let cheeses stand at angles, roll some meats, prop pepper strips against each other. This catches light and creates visual interest.
  • If your black olive won't stay at the tip, secure it gently with a small dot of cream cheese on the back—no one will notice and Santa's pom-pom won't roll away at a crucial moment.
Go Back