Ingredients:

  • 8 oz Brie or Camembert, sliced into wedges
  • 6 oz Sharp Cheddar, cubed
  • 6 oz Goat Cheese, rolled into a small log
  • 4 oz Cream cheese, whipped
  • 6 oz Prosciutto, ribboned
  • 6 oz Genoa Salami, folded into quarters
  • 4 oz Pepperoni, sliced thin
  • 2 cups assorted crackers
  • 1 cup roasted almonds
  • 1 cup pretzel twists
  • 1 cup red grapes
  • 1 cup sliced cucumber
  • 1 cup baby carrots
  • 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives
  • 1/2 cup cornichons
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions:

  1. Place small bowls on the board first. Put one for the whipped cream cheese, one for olives, and one for cornichons. Note: These act as anchors to prevent food shifting.
  2. Arrange the sliced Brie, cubed cheddar, and goat cheese around the bowls. Place them in a triangular pattern. Continue until the cheeses are spaced evenly to create visual balance.
  3. Place the assorted crackers in curved 'rivers'. Flow them from one cheese anchor to another. Note: Curves look more natural than straight lines.
  4. Fold the salami into quarters. Loosely bunch the prosciutto into ribbons. Pile them in small mounds to create height and volume on the platter.
  5. Scatter the roasted almonds and pretzel twists in the larger open areas.
  6. Fill the remaining gaps with red grapes, sliced cucumber, and baby carrots. Press them into the voids so no part of the board is showing.
  7. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top. Note: This adds the final festive pop of red.
  8. Add the pepperoni slices in small overlapping fans between the meat and cheese.