Festive Antipasto Skewers Christmas Wreath

How gorgeous is a bright, colorful antipasto wreath packed with cured meats, cheeses, olives, and more? This is my favorite way to arrange antipasto skewers during the holidays! I’ve been doing this for years, since we started hosting my husband’s work Christmas parties. In between the Christmas cocktails and stuffed mushrooms and bacon-wrapped figs, the centerpiece at our appetizer table is always this festive antipasto platter shaped like a wreath.

After these parties, my husband and I book a hotel, wake up late the next day, have brunch, and finish the last of our Christmas shopping, just the two of us. We’d make it home just in time to bake Christmas cookies with the kids. It’s glorious! Just as glorious as these EASY antipasto skewers.

My Favorite Way to Serve Christmas Antipasto Skewers

• Festive and fun. This playful Christmas antipasto platter looks fancy and gets so many compliments every year!
• Quick to put together. The best part is, these appetizer skewers are super easy to assemble. Your wreath is ready to enjoy in 30 minutes or less.
• Customizable. I use a variety of my favorite antipasto, including salami, olives, cherry peppers, and mozzarella balls. But you can be as creative as you’d like!

What Is Antipasto?

Traditionally, antipasto is the first course of an Italian meal. It’s a selection of small snacks, like olives, cheese, artichokes, marinated mushrooms or vegetables, and cured meats. You’ll often find antipasto on charcuterie boards and cheese boards, but I love turning it into skewers! Today, I’ll show you how to thread these antipasto ingredients onto cocktail skewers and arrange them into a festive wreath.

Choose Your Ingredients

First, select the ingredients you’d like to use for your antipasto. I try to keep the colors on theme, with an assortment of red, green, and white, but that’s optional! These are some antipasto ideas:

• Cured meats. Good options are salami, cured ham, prosciutto, and pepperoni. You can also use deli meats, such as turkey and roast beef.
• Various cheeses. I use mozzarella balls, but you can choose a variety of cheeses, like cubed cheddar, Gouda, Havarti, and Provolone.
• Vegetables. These can be fresh, like cherry tomatoes, or marinated vegetables, like marinated artichokes, cherry peppers, pickles, etc.
• Fillers. These are add-ons like olives and fresh basil that complete the skewers and add some aromatics.

How to Make Antipasto Skewers

Once you’ve gathered your antipasto ingredients, assembling them on skewers is very easy. I’ll even do this a day ahead of time, and then serve them as-is or arrange them into a wreath (see below) when it’s time to entertain.

To assemble your antipasto skewers:

• Mise en place. This is a French term for “everything in its place”. Lay all of your ingredients out in front of you so they are easily accessible.
• Thread the antipasto. On a skewer, alternate the antipasto ingredients. A good rule of thumb is to have a combination of sweet (tomatoes and peppers), savory (meats and cheeses), and tangy or briny (olives and artichokes) on every skewer. Alternate the colors, too, so they have some variety.
• Store or serve. Cover the skewers and place them in the fridge for up to one day, or serve right away.

Make an Antipasto Christmas Wreath

Once you’ve assembled your antipasto skewers, you can add them to a cheese board, or, for a festive touch, arrange the skewers to look like a wreath. When I posted a picture on Instagram, I had so many people asking for a tutorial! Here’s how I create an antipasto wreath for my holiday parties:

1. Take out a round serving platter.
2. Lay the skewers in a ring around the outside edge of the plate. Depending on the size of your platter and the number of skewers, you can double up the layers.
3. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs tucked into the gaps and underneath the skewers to make it extra Christmassy.

You can use this same method to arrange your skewers in the shape of a Valentine’s Day heart, a 4th of July firework, or even a Thanksgiving turkey.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

• Make-ahead. You can assemble your antipasto skewers up to 24 hours in advance and keep them covered in the fridge. The only time I don’t advise prepping your skewers ahead is if you’re using a lot of marinated vegetables and cheeses, which tend to lose their flavor with time. In this case, prepare the skewers before serving.
• Store leftovers. If you have leftover skewers, you can store them airtight in the fridge for another day or two. I’ll sometimes take the leftovers off the skewers and toss them with fresh greens and lemon vinaigrette to make an antipasto salad.

Bon appetit, friends!

More Christmas Appetizer Recipes

• Burrata Caprese
• Spiced Candied Nuts
• Baked Brie with Fig Jam
• Baked Goat Cheese Dip
• Mini Quiches