I've Been Making Charcuterie Trees for 5 Years—Here's the Best Way to Do It

Jeanette Donnarumma and her charcuterie trees

Holiday party season and ever-so-popular charcuterie go hand in hand. Rightfully so, as nothing says “let’s get jolly” quite like your favorite meats and cheeses beautifully arranged and displayed and ready for snacking.

I’ve been a charcuterie fan for a long time (and an antipasto fan for longer), but five years ago my charcuterie life changed forever. I worked for the Rachael Ray Show for 16 years, starting as an intern and working my way up to Supervising Producer. In 2018, I had a viral moment when I created, produced and demo-ed an Antipasto Christmas Tree for a snack tree segment on the show—and the rest is history.

Ever since then, I’ve gotten hundreds of DMs and tags a week on my social platforms with people sharing everything from charcuterie chalets to New Year’s Eve charcuterie ball drops to very large accounts and brands making their own (somewhat suspect) charcuterie trees.

Over the years, I’ve made hundreds of antipasto trees and other charcuterie-based creations and have learned a thing or two about the best way to build these meaty, cheesy showstoppers. Here's all you need to know about how to make a charcuterie tree.

Related: 50 Best Christmas Party Appetizers

How to Make a Charcuterie Tree

1. Take a look in the fridge. Unless you’re making your tree right before your party, you’ll need to store the it in the fridge, which might mean taking out a shelf or two, or calling a neighbor to see if they have some extra space.

2. Your first stop is the craft store. You might think this project starts at the grocery store, but your local craft store should be your first stop. You’ll need to pick up 24-inch or 18-inch styrofoam cones for a show-stopping centerpiece tree and 5-inch cones for a personal-sized version. If you don't already have one, also pick up a hot glue gun (more on that later). And back to tip #1: Before you toss that giant cone in your cart, make sure you have space for it in your fridge.

3. Next stop? The dollar store. You’re going to need a LOT of toothpicks and they have the best price. Trust me, I’ve shopped around.

4. Grab a sturdy base. You’ll need something sturdy to secure the tree. I recommend going to a Home Sense or T.J. Maxx (or a thrift store) and grabbing an inexpensive wood cutting board to make your “tree board”. You can use it over and over again for charcuterie tree-making—just pull off the cone and scrape off the hot glue the best you can. A sturdy base is important because you don’t want your tasty tree to topple over when someone grabs a cube of cheese and the base is also key if you’re traveling with your tree.

5. Prep your cone. After the cone is hot glued to your board, wrap it thoroughly in plastic wrap—now you’re ready to add the goodies.

6. Choose your style. I’m an Italian-American from Northern New Jersey, so classic antipasto is the way I like to trim my charcuterie tree. I love using a combination of pepperoni, salami, Prosciutto di Parma, cherry-sized mozzarella balls, provolone cubes, green and black olives, pepperoncini and my favorite “ornaments”—sweet and sour sweety drop peppers.

But this is the moment to make the tree your own. Are you a Francophile? Do a combo of mini brie bites, cornichons and French ham. Vegetarian? Skip the meats! Vegan?! Go for pickled and marinated veggies and vegan cheeses (I’ve done it and I absolutely love them!).

7. Fold and stack—and mind the gap! Now it’s time to build! Start by creating your meat and cheese combos and threading them on toothpicks. I fold circular meats (i.e. salami) in half and half again, pinch the middle and secure with a complimenting cheese and toothpick. For longer meats (i.e. Prosciutto), I roll and secure with a sweety pepper drop and toothpick. Next, it’s time to arrange. My pattern is usually meat and cheese, meat and cheese, olives, more meat and peppers. Be sure to work in rows around the cone, making sure the rows are touching, leaving no gaps. Don’t be a Grinch! Pack the snacks on your cone!

8. Store it smartly. Your tree can be made two to three days before your party. I recommend my favorite food styling tip I learned working in the prep kitchen at Rachael Ray—cover the tree with damp paper towels and then wrap in plastic wrap to prevent the meats and cheeses from drying out.

9. Put something under the tree. No tree is complete without presents—and this edible tree is no exception. I serve mine with garlic knot “presents” that I arrange beneath the tree, but sliced bread, crackers, breadsticks and crostini are all great choices.

AND if all else fails and you live in the New York metro area, you can order a tree directly from me

Charcuterie Tree Shopping List

After you’ve done this a few times you’ll be able to eyeball the amounts, but here's what you need to pick up for a 24-inch charcuterie tree.

? 1 ? pounds of salami
? 1 ? pounds pepperoni
? 1 pound prosciutto
? 4 cups mini mozzarella balls
? 4 cups pepperoncini
? 1 cup provolone cubes
? 2 cups black and green olives
? 1/4 cup sweety drops