Charcuterie Chalets Are The Edible Holiday Houses You Didn't Know You Need
If you're the kind of person that prefers savory to sweet, it appears the 2020 holiday gods have decided to give you the holiday treat you deserve because instead of gingerbread houses, people are now making charcuterie chalets. That's right. We're talking edible houses dolled up with crackers and different types of deli ingredients either draped on top of one another or held together with cream cheese.
The Kitchn says the charcuterie chalet can be seen as the obvious next step in the evolution of the charcuterie boards which have become increasingly popular, and more complex as a result. The meat-and-cracker-themed log cabins can also be seen as a natural extension of the COVID-19 lockdown, where creative souls are taking salami, speck, and Slim Jims to heights their manufacturers likely neither envisioned nor intended. As Fox News points out, the charcuterie chalets began appearing around Thanksgiving this year, and there's still no word on whether they're meant to take up holiday residence next to your favorite gingerbread house this Christmas.
Constructing a charcuterie chalet takes as much care as building a gingerbread house
The experience of building a charcuterie chalet probably isn't too different from building a gingerbread house – you'll want to look for a design you're in love with, then make sure you have a blueprint to make sure your building has structural integrity. Better Homes and Gardens suggests starting off with a traditional charcuterie board. This makes it possible to add a dusting of grated Parmesan "snow" to your chalet.
From there, you can build up the walls of your meat cabin with crackers, pretzels, or anything that is sturdy enough that will take the weight of a structure that's primarily made with cured meats and cheese. If you're still not sure crackers, pretzels, breadsticks or Slim Jims can play a serious supporting role, you could create a sweet-and-savory fusion chalet by buying and building a traditional gingerbread base, then draping your favorite meats, cheeses, and vegetables over that.
However, you end up creating your meat mansions, it's important to remember that these trendy new chalets are perishable and should be stored in the fridge until you're ready to eat them. So you might want to take a picture of your edible wonder before consuming it as quickly as possible.