You Can Make a Charcuterie 'Gingerbread' House for the Holidays

Because you've done everything else there is to do in your house this year.

charcuterie house instructions
Photo courtesy of Niman Ranch
Photo courtesy of Niman Ranch

It's that time of the year where you're encouraged to play with your food. 

Gingerbread houses are a staple of the holidays, especially in a year where we're leaving the house a lot less. But this year, you can shake-up the tradition with something that looks a little more appetizing when it moves from the craft table to the dinner table. You can get a kit (or at least part of a kit and some instructions) to build your own charcuterie chalet. It's a little absurd, but it isn't likely to go bad and you've done every other activity in your house six times this year.

Niman Ranch, which sources its meats from family farms in the midwest with an aim of encouraging humane treatment to animals and a focus on sustainability, has worked with chef Samantha Buyskes of Culinary Adventures to create instructions for taking your charcuterie board to the next level. (Assuming you started with a single-floor shanty.)

It's become a bit of a social media trend to give this a go, but Niman has made it a little easier than flailing around covered in salami slices and cream cheese on your own. The instructions aren't easy, and you're going to have to do a little shopping to make it happen. It requires the Niman Ranch Charcuteries set, of course. That, however, just covers the meat. You'll still need to gather more supplies, including cream cheese, pretzels, rye crackers, mustard, pickles, and more. The charcuterie set comes with one package each of uncured pepperoni, uncured hot sopressata, uncured genoa salame, uncured summer sausage, uncured summer sausage with garlic, uncured prosciutto, and uncured cappicola. 

It's no small endeavor, but the results look like they'll be an architecturally-pleasing dinner for at least a couple of nights. 

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Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow Dustin Nelson on Twitter.