Shake up tradition this holiday season with this Charcuterie Chalet, A.K.A. Savory Gingerbread House. Get creative with things like cheese, crackers, pretzels, herbs and veggies!

A savory gingerbread house (charcuterie chalet) on a wooden stand, with holiday lights decorating the scene.

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know that I’m not much of a baker or a dessert maker.

Every once in awhile, I’ll get inspired and bust out an apple rose tart or some cute little cupcakes, but the ratio of savory recipes to sweet recipes on this blog is probably about 10 to 1.

Savory food is my thing, whether I’m developing new recipes, or ordering food at a restaurant. Offer me a cheese course instead of dessert, and I am here. for. it. Heck, give me a breakfast charcuterie board or a Halloween themed charcuterie board!

So, it should come as no surprise that I created this Charcuterie Chalet (think gingerbread house, but with CHEESE instead of frosting, and CHEESE CRISPS instead of cookies).

If you’re also on #TeamSavory, try making a savory gingerbread house of your own this holiday season. Just like with charcuterie cups ideas, there’s no right or wrong way to construct one – let your imagination run wild!

Closeup photo of a charcuterie chalet on a wooden stand.

To make a Charcuterie Chalet A.K.A. Savory Gingerbread House, you will need:

  • Shredded fontina cheese
  • Crispbread crackers
  • Cheese crisps
  • Square pretzels
  • Pretzel dipping sticks
  • Wasabi peas
  • Pomegranate arils
  • Pepperoni
  • String cheese
  • Prosciutto
  • Fresh herbs, like rosemary and thyme (use any extra rosemary to make grapefruit vodka cocktails with rosemary or cranberry rosemary cocktails)
  • Mushroom caps
  • Black olives
  • Carrots
  • Whipped cream cheese
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Pine nuts
  • Brussels sprouts

How I built this Savory Gingerbread House A.K.A. Charcuterie Chalet:

I built my Charcuterie Chalet out of crispbread crackers, and used a layer of cheese crisps as the roof “shingles.”

Herbs and green veggies like brussels sprouts work great to form wreaths, bushes and plants to “landscape” the house. Every home needs a little curb appeal, right?

Pretzels are helpful for things like windows and doors, and yes, that IS a piece of prosciutto-wrapped cheese as a chimney.

The literal glue holding this savory gingerbread house together? Melted cheese, of course. I used melted fontina cheese to build this house.

A savory gingerbread house on a wooden stand, with holiday lights decorating the scene.

Charcuterie Chalet (Savory Gingerbread House)

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Shake up tradition this holiday season with this Charcuterie Chalet, A.K.A. Savory Gingerbread House. Get creative with things like cheese, crackers, pretzels, herbs and veggies!

Ingredients

  • Shredded fontina cheese
  • Crispbread crackers
  • Cheese crisps
  • Square pretzels
  • Pretzel dipping sticks
  • Wasabi peas
  • Pomegranate arils
  • Pepperoni
  • String cheese
  • Prosciutto
  • Fresh herbs, like rosemary and/or thyme
  • Mushroom caps
  • Black olives
  • Carrots
  • Whipped cream cheese
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Pine nuts
  • Brussels sprouts

Instructions

  1. Working with a small amount of fontina cheese at a time, place cheese in microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high 20 to 25 seconds to melt. The melted cheese will be the "glue" for the charcuterie chalet.
  2. Use crispbread crackers and melted cheese to build house.
  3. Use melted cheese to glue cheese crisps to roof as shingles.
  4. Glue square pretzels to house to make windows, and pretzel dipping sticks to form a door.
  5. Use wasabi peas and pomegranate arils to decorate roofline.
  6. Use pepperoni and cheese crisp to make decoration for front of house.
  7. Use string cheese wrapped in prosciutto to make chimney.
  8. Use herbs to make a wreath for the front door. Use herbs and mushroom caps to make planters for the front yard.
  9. Use black olives, carrots and cream cheese to form a penguin.
  10. Use cream cheese to decorate top of house with snow.
  11. Use shredded Parmesan cheese for more snow on top of house and in yard.
  12. Use pine nuts to create a walkway.
  13. Use brussels sprouts as bushes.

Notes

This is how I made my house, but use your imagination to create our own masterpiece!

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 292mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g

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