Santa's Beard Hat Board (Printable)

A festive board combining creamy white cheeses and cured meats with colorful peppers for holiday charm.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beard

01 - 7 oz brie cheese, sliced
02 - 7 oz goat cheese, crumbled
03 - 5 oz white cheddar, cubed
04 - 5 oz mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
05 - 3.5 oz cream cheese, shaped into small balls (optional)
06 - 7 oz assorted white crackers (rice crackers, water crackers, etc.)

→ Hat

07 - 5 oz sliced Genoa salami
08 - 3.5 oz prosciutto, rolled
09 - 3.5 oz pepperoni slices
10 - 2 large roasted red bell peppers, sliced into strips
11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes or mini red peppers

→ Garnishes

12 - Fresh rosemary sprigs for decoration
13 - 1 black olive for Santa’s pom-pom

# How to make it:

01 - On a large serving board, draw a triangle at the top for the hat and a rounded bottom section for the beard.
02 - Fill the bottom half liberally with white cheeses by arranging brie slices, goat cheese crumbles, cheddar cubes, and halved mozzarella balls to resemble a fluffy beard. Distribute cream cheese balls throughout for added texture.
03 - Place rows of assorted white crackers at the base and sides of the beard area.
04 - Within the triangle, layer the sliced Genoa salami and pepperoni with some overlap for rich color. Add rolled prosciutto and strips of roasted red bell pepper for contrast and variety.
05 - Position cherry tomatoes or mini red peppers at the tip and scattered along the hat for vibrancy.
06 - Outline both the hat and beard with fresh rosemary sprigs to enhance the festive presentation.
07 - Place the black olive at the tip of the hat to represent Santa’s pom-pom.
08 - Present immediately and replenish ingredients as needed during your gathering.

# Recipe Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that gets people talking before they even taste it—your guests will be charmed by the whimsy before they're delighted by the flavors.
  • Zero cooking involved means you can put together something absolutely stunning without stress, perfect for the busiest time of year.
  • Customizable to your crowd, whether you need vegetarian options or have guests with specific preferences, the board adapts beautifully.
02 -
  • Arrange your board no more than 2 hours before serving—while these ingredients keep beautifully, the longer they sit, the more the softer cheeses begin to separate slightly and lose that pristine appearance that makes this dish so visually striking.
  • Keep everything cold until the last moment; a well-chilled board not only looks better but tastes better too, and the textures remain crisp and intentional rather than getting melted together.
  • Trust the visual rather than trying to be perfectly geometric—Santa's beard is gloriously uneven in real life, and your board should feel organic and inviting, not like it was measured with a ruler.
03 -
  • Arrange your board on a wooden surface if possible—the warm tones make the cheeses and meats look even more inviting and festive, and wood photographs beautifully if your guests want to capture the moment.
  • Quality matters with the simple things: choose brie and cheeses that are genuinely good, not budget versions, because with such minimal preparation, the ingredients themselves become the stars of the show.
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