Grinch Charcuterie Board

Holiday appetizers are often overlooked in favor of the impressive main course or the cute Christmas dessert, but this Grinch charcuterie board might just steal the spotlight. The Taste of Home Test Kitchen worked hard to make a spot-on Grinch look-alike completely out of food—mimicking even his signature malicious grin. Simple ingredients keep the charcuterie board easy and approachable, so that even kids will want to pick at it. Save this one when you need an easy holiday appetizer at a Christmas party, movie night or Christmas cookie exchange!

How to Make a Grinch Charcuterie Board

Foods to include

• Cheddar cheese: Use two slices of cheddar cheese to make the Grinch’s eyes. The darker the color, the more villainous they’ll look!
• Olives: Buy a jar of olives stuffed with pimientos, slice up one olive and use it for his irises and red pupils.
• Grapes: Use green grapes to fill in the Grinch’s head. Be sure to wash the grapes well before arranging them, and dry them so they don’t make the board all wet.
• Rosemary sprigs: The Grinch’s bushy eyebrows are made from fresh rosemary sprigs. You can straighten the leaves for a more unformed look or leave them bushy for a slightly chaotic look.
• Mozzarella cheese pearls: Grocery stores normally sell cheese pearls, which are tiny balls of mozzarella that are even smaller than ciliegine. You’ll use them to make the band for the Grinch’s Santa hat.
• Pepperoni and sausage: Purchase very red pepperoni to really make the Santa hat stand out. Sliced sausages are placed all around the bottom half of the head to fill out the plate with more satiating foods. You can leave them off, if desired, since they’re not critical to portraying the Grinch’s look.

How to build a Grinch charcuterie board

Step 1: Start with the eyes

Cut the two cheddar cheese slices into two eye-shaped pieces. Place them just above the center of a large serving platter or cutting board.

Place a slice of green olive with pimento over each slice of cheddar, forming the iris and pupil.

Step 2: Finish the face

Arrange the green grapes into a Grinch face shape around the eyes. You don’t have to fully form the top of the head since you’ll be adding a Santa hat.

Place two large sprigs of rosemary for eyebrows, pointing them slightly downwards to complete his villainous look. Arrange thin slices of red pepper for the mouth, saving the curled ends for the sides to recreate his signature grin. Use a rounded piece of red pepper for the nose.

Step 3: Make the Santa hat

Arrange the mozzarella pearls above the grapes for the Santa hat’s band. Layer the pepperoni above the mozzarella pearls to create a hat shape. Fill out the remainder of the platter with sliced sausage or salami, as desired.

Step 4: Serve your Grinch charcuterie board

Hit play on How the Grinch Stole Christmas and let guests dig in! Serve your Grinch board with crackers or chips in case anyone wants to pile their meat and cheese onto an edible vessel. Put the leftover olives in a little bowl with toothpicks so everyone can enjoy them.

Tips for Making a Grinch Charcuterie Board

Can you make a Grinch charcuterie board ahead of time?

Yes, you can make a Grinch-themed charcuterie board ahead of time. The ingredients on this board won’t change color from oxidization, so they should be OK out of their packaging for a bit. Arrange everything on the board, cover it tightly with storage wrap and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. I would only prepare this a few hours ahead of time.

What else can you use for a Grinch charcuterie board?

Need other Grinch charcuterie board ideas? You can make the Grinch’s face out of guacamole, similar to how we do it in our Halloween guacamole recipe to depict Frankenstein’s monster. To make a Grinch charcuterie board with guac, form the Santa hat with cherry tomatoes or slices of chorizo, and make the hat band out of cubed pepper jack cheese. Replace the salami or sausage filler with tortilla chips for scooping.