Give Your Gingerbread House A Savoury Makeover You Never Knew You Craved

Everyone loves a good charcuterie board. This year, give gingerbread the year off and treat your guests to a festive 3D version with this showstopping charcuterie chalet.

By Castello Cheese

Updated December 5, 2023

Give Your Gingerbread House A Savoury Makeover You Never Knew You Craved

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This season, we’re saying farewell to the gingerbread houses of Christmas past and welcoming a new house the entire family can enjoy. With bricks made from Castello’s aged havarti, a roof made of sliced pepperoni and Castello’s nutty Gouda Slices, snowbanks created with crumbles of mouth-watering Castello Danish blue cheese, and Tre Stelle’s fluffy Original Cream Cheese holding it all together, it’s quite literally a feast for the savoury snack lover.

To make this the star attraction at your next holiday event, follow these steps to create your own. (For a full step-by-step video tutorial, visit castellocheese.com.)

A variety of Castello Cheese brand cheeses with a miniature wood house.

Step 1: The ingredient prep

For the full list of ingredients, click here.

Ensure all the Castello cheese is well chilled for easier slicing and cut it into the required shapes for bricks, shingles, windows and bushes. Place the Tre Stelle Original Cream Cheese into a bag for piping.

Three photos of a miniature wooden house being decorated with cheese and cured meats

Step 2: The structure

Using your preferred chalet structure (purchased separately), slather a good amount of Tre Stelle Original Cream Cheese onto your structure and smooth it out evenly with a spatula. The cream cheese will hold the other ingredients to the house.

Step 3: The roof

Place the first row of Castello Gouda Slice shingles evenly on the roof, add the second row so that it slightly overlaps the first row, and repeat. Place the halved pepperoni slices on the lower roof one at a time and repeat to the top.

Step 4: Window and bricks

Prepare your windows by piping four small dots of cream cheese on a whole-wheat cracker and attaching four small squares of Castello Herbs & Spices Havarti Cheese to each. Place your Castello havarti bricks starting at the bottom centre and alternating as you move up to create the traditional brick pattern.

Two photos of a miniature wooden house being decorated with cheese and cured meats

Step 5: Garland pillars

Pipe a thick line of Tre Stelle cream cheese along all four corners of the house and attach a breadstick to each. Pipe thin lines on the breadsticks and add thyme leaves.

Step 6: Almond window and garland decorations

Pipe a circle of cream cheese around the window and place almonds evenly. Pipe more cream cheese to resemble snow and decorate as shown. Finish the house by placing half of the Castello Taste Mexico cream cheese ring under the windows to serve as bushes.

A completed charcuterie chalet.

Step 7: The finishing touches

Pipe a path to the front door and top with ground candied pecans, then have fun filling the space on the board with all your favourite charcuterie ingredients. Just before serving, grate everyone’s favourite cheddar cheese, the crunchy Castello Extra Mature Tickler, for the perfect snowfall effect.

For more cheese-inspired creations, check out castellocheese.com.

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