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This holiday season, I have the perfect appetizer for those New Years Eve and holiday party. No, it’s not a gingerbread house, it’s a meat and cheese house!
A traditional gingerbread house is great, but let’s be honest, no one actually eats it. So, that is why I decided to take this in a savory direction.
What is a Charcuterie Chalet?
A charcuterie chalet combines a traditional charcuterie board and a gingerbread house. Charcuterie chalets have walls that are made out of homemade cracker and then is decorated with cold cuts cured meats like salami and pepperoni and cheese like garlic cheese or cheddar cheese.
Then the board will be decorated too look like a snowy landscape with grated cheese such as Parmesan cheese.
Constructing The Meat and Cheese House
When making crackers, there are 2 main types. The flaky, buttery, fragile kind like Ritz and the more sturdy, pita-like crackers. We will be using those kind of crackers today.
I used this type of dough because we will be building with these crackers and they need to support the weight of decorations and not crack. However there are no crackers In the shape that you need. So we have to make homemade crackers. But never fear, I made a template!
Making the dough is super simple. The biggest thing to remember is to add water to the dry ingredients just until it forms a dough. Don’t add too much.
To make the walls you can also use pretzel rods or pretzel logs to make it look like a log cabin. But I decided on this route because it is sturdier.
Putting The House Together The Meat and Cheese House
To put the house together and to adhere decorations to the house, I used cheese wiz. However, this is not your only option. You can also use cream cheese. I chose cheese wiz because for one it comes in an aerosol can, making it easy to use and work into the cracks of the chalet and also it hardens like the icing of a regular gingerbread house would.
I left my house to dry and for the cheese wiz to harden before decorating. I made a pepperoni or you could do a salami roof, and then a door made out of cheese. I then went ahead and used pretzels as windows.
Lastly, I just decorated the board with salami and broccoli florets to make pathway coming from the front door of the house and then as I said before grated cheese to look like snow.
Other Appetizers To Pair with is Meat and Cheese House
This chalet will definitely not be enough for all your guests at your party. So on the side you can serve an extra small christmas charcuterie board with all the elements that are on the board.
If there are any question, please let me know but and that’s pretty much it! That’s how to make a Charcuterie Chalat.
Thank you so much for joining me today. These are tons of other christmas recipes to try out on this blog as well like these Christmas Tree Brownies. There are a lot more recipes on my main menu as well. Just go to the search bar and type in “Christmas” or “Holiday”. You are sure to find something you love.
Leave me a comment for any questions that you might have or any suggestions for anything you want to see next. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, pinterest, twitter and snapchat to see what I’m up to next.
Remember, don’t be afraid to “bake” a mess and Ill see you next time. Bye.
Charcuterie Chalet (Savory "Gingerbread" House)
a house made of cracker dough that is decorated with meat and cheeses.
Ingredients
Cracker
- 2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
- 1 TBSP of Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tsp of Salt
- 1/2 Tsp of Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tsp of Onion Powder
- 1/2 Tsp of Parsley
- 2 TBSP of Olive Oil
- Enough Water To Make The Dough Come Together
To Decorate
- Sliced Pepperoni
- Sliced Salami
- Sliced Cheese
- Cheese Wiz
- Broccoli Florets
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Pepper Corns
- Gingerbread House Template
Instructions
Cracker
- Sift all the dry ingredients together.
- Add in the olive oil and mix to incorperate.
- Add water little by little until a dough forms.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough relax for a half an hour.
- Roll the dough out to about 1/3 of an inch thick.
- Cut out the pieces of the house.
- Poke holes in each with a fork.
- Arrange the piece on a parchment paper lined sheet tray.
- Freeze the peices for 1 hour.
- Bake at 400• for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Let cool completely.
Decorate
- Put the house together using cheese wiz as glue.
- Leave the house out for a minimum of 2 hours to overnight to dry.
- Use the meat and cheese to make the decorations for the house.
- Use the brocolli florets and sausage slices to make a path in front of the house.
- Sprinkle the parm on the board around the house.
- Enjoy.
If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below, message me on instagram, facebook or leave me an email.