These individual charcuterie skewers with salami roses are the perfect appetizer for your next party. Skewers are stacked with cheeses, accompaniments, and the cutest mini salami rose that will wow the guests at your celebration!
In the past few years, the charcuterie board trend has really taken off. Picture-worthy platters have been gracing the internet with platters that look almost too pretty to eat.
But what exactly is a charcuterie board? Think of it as a fun and glorified meat and cheese platter that can consist of different cheeses, meats, nuts, fruits (fresh or dried), vegetables and/or sauces displayed in a beautiful, intentional way.
As a stay-at-home mom I have acquired a few side jobs that feed my passion for food. Besides The Darling Apron, I also work "on-call" for my sister-in-law and her charcuterie business, The Grater Good. She is a dairy farmer who is passionate about educating people about the farming and dairy industry. The Grater Good is her opportunity to combine these two loves with charcuterie platters as well as cheese education classes.
My experience working with her has inspired this recipe. Be sure to check her out here, and if you're local to MN be sure to order a board or book a class!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy entertaining - These little handheld skewers are the perfect individual appetizer for your next holiday or party. They are an easy grab and go item that isn't messy or difficult to eat.
- Beautiful presentation - A platter of these charcuterie skewers can become a beautiful edible centerpiece for your table.
- Customizable - In this recipe I'm teaching you the foundations for building these skewers. From there, you can switch up the cheese, meat or accompaniments to suit your tastes. The possibilities are endless!
- Scalable - This recipe makes 12 skewers but just double or triple the amounts to make more skewers.
Ingredient Notes
The ingredients listed here should be considered more of categories than specific ingredients. Remember, the various items throughout this list are totally customizable!
Cheese - Two different kinds gives some nice variety. You want a cheese that isn't too soft where it will fall apart, or too hard where it will crumble when you try to thread it on the skewer.
Some good options include: gouda, cheddar, Swiss, Colby, havarti, Monterrey jack, pepper jack, gruyere or manchego. I also love using ciliegine, which are the bite-size mozzarella pearls.
In these photos, I used a mild cheddar and mozzarella pearls.
Meat - My favorite thing about these skewers are the mini salami roses. They create so much visual appeal and are a fun way to display the meat on the skewer.
Hard or Genoa salami works great for these roses. You want the slices to be thin and no bigger than 2 ½ inches in diameter. I usually find these in the specialty meat and cheese section of my grocery store. Deli-sliced salami will usually be too big in diameter, and the roses won't fit nice on the skewer.
Slices of pepperoni or thinly sliced summer sausage would also work.
Olives - Plain or marinated black or green olives. Be sure they are pit-less. Look for ones that are larger so they are similar in size to the other items. I like using marinated Greek olives as they provide nice flavor.
Pickles - Depending on their size, cut baby dills into ½ or ⅓. Again, you are aiming for all the items to be a similar size on the skewer.
Bread & butter or spicy pickles are a fun way to switch things up.
Grapes - Seedless red or green grapes finish off these skewers. Fruit along with cheese can create a unique and surprising combination.
You can also add additional fruit if you prefer. A large blueberry, blackberry or strawberry half would also work.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Prep all ingredients - Taking the time to get all the ingredients cut up and ready to go will make these skewers come together so quickly.
I use these 6-inch bamboo skewers from Amazon. They are the perfect length and thickness to easily thread the items onto.
Since the salami roses will not stay together if not skewered, we are going to start the skewers then build the roses.
Step 2 - Skewer first cheese and olive - On 12 skewers thread the first cheese and olive. I like to use the harder of the 2 cheese first. Set these aside while you make the salami roses.
Step 3 - Make salami roses - Place 2 slices of salami on counter overlapping each other about an inch. Fold the pieces in half the long way. Starting on one end, tightly roll the pieces into a rose.
Thread each salami rose onto a skewer after making it (next to olive).
Step 4 - Finish skewers - Thread pickle, second cheese and grape on all 12 skewers. Voila, a charcuterie board on a stick! Place skewers on a pretty platter or tray for serving.
Expert Tips
- Choose 2 cheeses that are different from each other. One sharper flavor and one more mild creates a nice variety that will please a variety of preferences. Using one cubed cheese and a mozzarella ball creates some visual appeal just as using one orange and one white cheese does.
- Drain and dry the olives and pickles. This will prevent the brine from leaking onto the other items.
- Think about the order of items on the skewer as if you are eating it. Don't place the pickle right next to the grape as no matter how much to try, some pickle juice will leak onto the grape. Making charcuterie is more intentional of a process than making any meat and cheese board or skewer.
Recipe Variations
- This entire recipe is customizable. Have fun experimenting! This is a great time to branch out and try different kinds and flavors of cheeses.
- Make a kid-friendly version with some mild flavored cheeses. This is a great activity to get them involved with!
- Use decorative skewers and switch out the fruit and olive colors for a festive looking appetizer for any holiday.
FAQ
Skewers can be laid out on a platter, tray or nice wooden or marble cutting board. You can also display the skewers in an "O" shape to create a charcuterie Christmas wreath!
You can assemble your salami roses the night before, but you'll want store them on a smaller toothpick in a plastic airtight container in the refrigerator so they stay together. When you're ready to assemble, just move the rose to your skewer using the same hole.
Make sure the cheese cubes are at least 1 inch big, up to 1 ½ inches. Choosing a semi-soft to semi-hard cheese will help ensure it doesn't break apart when skewering. Hard, more aged cheeses will not work well for these skewers.
Assembled skewers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before serving.
Other Appetizer Ideas You'll Love
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Charcuterie Skewers with Salami Roses
Ingredients
- 24 cubes cheese see notes below for ideas
- 24 slices hard or Genoa salami 2 ½ inches in diameter
- 12 olives black or green
- 12 baby dill pickles pieces similar in size to other ingredients
- 12 grapes red or green
Instructions
- On 12 - 6 inch skewers, thread 1 cheese cube and an olive. Set aside to make salami roses.
- To make salami roses, place 2 slices of salami on counter overlapping each other about an inch. Fold the pieces in half the long way. Starting on one end, tightly roll the pieces into a rose.
- Thread each salami rose onto a skewer after making it (next to olive).
- Next thread a pickle piece, second cheese and a grape onto the skewer.
- Repeat to make 12 total skewers. Place on a serving platter to tray to serve.
Jen says
I love how easy and customizable this recipe is! Will be making again for the holiday season!
Ashley says
They will be perfect for the holidays!
Michelle says
This recipe was a total win for a High Tea birthday party that we hosted. The kids loved the range of flavors! My kiddos were excited that there were leftovers so that they could take them for lunch.
Very clear directions. Remarkably easy to assemble. Love how the little "roses" turned out.
Ashley says
So glad you enjoyed them, Michelle!