We can assume that even this year, the charcuterie chalet holiday food trend will reemerge and be on everyone’s to-do list. This creation has been sweeping the internet, and it’s definitely an upgrade from the gingerbread houses you’re used to building at grandma’s house.
Related: 10 of the Most Epic Charcuterie Board Recipes
From salumi walkways and breadstick foundations, to snowmen made out of cheese, check out how people have been putting a twist on these savory gingerbread houses, like this TikToker @Sweetportfolio:
@sweetportfolio gingerbread houses are boring🥱🏡🍖🎄🧀 #HappyHolidays #charcuterie #charcuteriechalet #cheese
♬ Last Christmas (Remastered) – Wham!
What is a Charcuterie Chalet?
A charcuterie chalet, or a cheese house, is essentially a gingerbread house made from ingredients you would normally include on a cheese board. You can use a variety of nuts, cheeses, crackers, pretzels, appetizer meats and even vegetables. The best part about building a charcuterie chalet is that there are no rules or directions, so you can get creative and let your imagination do all of the work. To note: it’s best to use sturdier elements for the foundation, like breadsticks, pretzel rods or thicker crackers, and decorate with more fragile elements, like shredded cheeses, cured meats, veggies and smaller crackers.
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Charcuterie Chalet Ingredients
First, you’ll need to gather ingredients. Feel free to use any other ingredients you think would be great for your house. Remember: creativity is key! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pretzel rods or breadsticks and pretzel squares
- Cream cheese
- Matzoh
- Almonds
- Salumi (think Prosciutto, Bresaola, Capocollo, Mortadella, Soppressata, etc)
- Mozzarella balls
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Small and big crackers
- Cheese squares
- A few sprigs of rosemary
- Raw broccoli or carrots
- Toothpicks
How To Make a Charcuterie Chalet
Once you have your ingredients, it’s time to get to work!
- You want to start with your foundation by using pretzel rods or breadsticks. You’ll build this in a log formation, stacking the rods on top of each other and using cream cheese to stick everything together.
- Once a firm base is in place, add a sturdy roof, using a slice of matzoh. Break it in half, and mold the two halves together into a roof-life shape. Solidify in place with cream cheese, covering any creases.
- Use more matzoh to form the front of the house, ensuring you cannot see the inside of the structure.
- Cover the sides of the roof with more cream cheese, which will act as cement for your shingles. Take salumi pieces and arrange them onto the cream cheese in a shingle formation.
- Use the remaining ingredients to add details to your house. You can use Parmigiano-Reggiano for snow, crackers for step stones, cheese or mozzarella balls for snowmen, or even broccoli and rosemary for trees.
Best Charcuterie Chalet Recipes
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Fancy chalet: This chalet is on the fancier side and definitely requires more hands on deck. You can take this project as an opportunity to have a fun family or roommate night. Once you’ve finished your masterpiece, you’ll be glad you decided to put in the effort!
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Low-carb, keto chalet: This recipe is for all of those looking to skip the sweets and opt for a more low-calorie and keto option. A guilt-free and tasty recipe? Sign me up!
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Decorative and dainty chalet: This house is one of the more creative constructions. This recipe uses out-of-the-box ingredients and pulls together a simple, yet elegant house.
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Homestyle chalet: This chalet will bring a homier, comforting feel into the room. This version has a more DIY rustic vibe, and we are here for it.
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Tiny chalet: This cheese house is as minimalistic as it gets. If you don’t have a ton of ingredients on hand, you can work with what you’ve got!
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