Good food and drink brings people together! Read on for tips and tricks on how to host a small cocktail and charcuterie board party for a few close friends. I’ve included a video showing how I put together a gorgeous charcuterie board with ease!
This post is sponsored by Walmart and contains affiliate links. Click the links to shop for barware, cheese boards, and holiday decor.
I love having people over during the holidays. I love making everything look, smell, and taste sensational! But, I also need entertaining to be as easy and stress-free as possible. Maybe you can relate? If the idea of hosting a large holiday party stresses you out, then make things more manageable! Simply invite a handful of your closest friends over and host a charcuterie and cocktails night! A large charcuterie board can easily feed up to six adults and can be served as an appetizer, or as the main course. It’s a fun way to dine, is easy to prepare ahead of time, looks beautiful, and keeps you out of the kitchen and with your guests where you belong!
Click play to watch the video below of me demonstrating all of the charcuterie tips discussed in this post!
Tip 1: Buy your groceries online at Walmart and take advantage of free pickup.
I bought all of the ingredients I needed for my charcuterie board without stepping out of my car! Almost all of my weekly grocery shopping is done online using the Walmart app with free pick up. This saves me so much time and keeps my spending on track. I’m much less likely to splurge on impulse buys and meal planning is easier for me when I can see everything in my virtual cart. I also love that I can approve any necessary substitutions beforehand. If on the rare occasion I have an issue with my order (i.e. a food item comes to me damaged), contacting customer service within the app is easy.
All of the food in this post was purchased online at my local Walmart! Here is the food I purchased for my charcuterie board:
- Pretzilla Soft Pretzel Bread Bites
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Triscuit Original Whole Grain Wheat Crackers
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Town House Flatbread Cracker Crisps
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Old Wisconsin Turkey Sausage Snack Sticks
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Galileo Italian Dry Salami Deli Thin Sliced, 7 oz
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Kraft Pepper Jack Medium Cheese, 8 oz Block
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Red Apple Cheese Apple Smoked Natural Gouda, 8 oz
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Roth Plain Chevre Log (rolled in jam and sliced into rounds)
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President Brie Soft-Ripened Cheese, 8 Oz
- Kiwi
- Red grapes
- Green grapes
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Pomegranate
- Lindt LINDOR Dark Assorted Chocolate Truffles
- Sam’s Choice Milk Chocolate Double Dipped Peanuts
- Frosted Star Pretzels
- Southern Comfort Eggnog
- Great Value Ginger Snaps
Wine Glasses | Acacia Tray | Black Taper Candle Holders | Martini Glasses | Three Wick Candle | Wreath | Wood Bead Garlands on Tree
Tip 2: Use a cookie cutter on a round of brie to create a festive design and fill cutout with jam.
One easy way to level-up your charcuterie board is with a cookie cutter, some jam, and a round of brie! Push the cookie cutter into the brie and carefully remove the rind cutout using a butter knife or spreader. Fill the cookie cutout with jam. If desired, bake the brie in a small baking dish at 400ยบ for 13-15 minutes.
Tip 3: Make salami roses for your tray!
Salami roses are incredibly easy to make. All you need are salami rounds and the rim of a glass. I like to use a champagne glass for my roses because the mouth of the glass is smaller, creating a smaller rose. Be sure to watch the video posted at the beginning of the post to see how I make the roses! Simply fold and layer slices of salami around the rim of your glass, overlapping the rounds until you’re unable to see the bottom of the glass. Once the mouth of the glass is filled with folded salami rounds, gently flip the glass upside down in the desired location on your charcuterie board.
Tip 4: Embellish your tray by cutting star fruits!
Attention to the small details is what separates the mediocre from the fabulous! Creating star fruit is easier than it looks and will really elevate your entire board. Simply cut kiwis, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, etc. in a zigzag pattern with a sharp paring knife and pull apart. The pattern is lovely and this little extra step will give your tray wow factor.
Tip 5: Fill in any gaps in your tray with berries, pomegranate seeds, and fresh herbs.
Never underestimate what a few well-placed pops of green can do to elevate your styling game! Fresh herbs add color and life to most styled food. My lavender and rosemary are still thriving in my garden, so I cut some and tucked it around the edges of my tray. I also sprinkled a few pomegranate seeds over the entire tray. They are like confetti for a holiday tray and look like shiny ornaments!
Wine Glasses | Acacia Tray | Black Taper Candle Holders | Martini Glasses | Three Wick Candle | Wreath
Tip 6: Serve your charcuterie tray with wine, beer, and/or cocktails!
I served my charcuterie with an assortment of wines and Gingerbread martinis! Stay tuned for the recipe for this easy and delicious dessert cocktail!
Shop my curated gift guide for my favorite barware and charcuterie supplies! I own the wine glasses, martini glasses, acacia tray, and copper shaker. A close friend of mine owns the gold bar cart and it is beautiful in person!
