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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a festive charcuterie board featuring pesto Gouda and shamrock-shaped cheese. Perfect for parties or a fun holiday treat!
Just as I made fun Valentine’s Day charcuterie boards and Halloween charcuterie boards, I decided to make a festive platter to honor St. Patrick’s Day.
To add a pop of green to this board, I used a pesto Gouda shaped into shamrock shapes. I served it with an avocado cream dip in a hollowed-out green bell pepper that looks like a shamrock “bowl”! It’s cute, and it’s a tasty, keto-friendly dip for pork rinds and breadsticks.
Ingredients
For this festive board, I used pesto Gouda to add the beautiful green color so characteristic of this holiday. To give it an Irish flair, you could also incorporate Irish cheddar with the other cheeses.
For the meats, I included salami and prosciutto because that’s what I had at home. But you could add a bit of Irish cuisine by using corned beef.
kiwi, cucumber slices, sugar snap peas, and green bell pepper strips. For crunch, I added herb-seasoned crackers and pistachios.
I served an avocado cream dip, also green, in a hollowed-out green bell pepper for a fun shamrock theme. I carefully chose a symmetrical bell pepper that would look like a shamrock when cut, and that would stand up on its own so I could use it like a “bowl”.
The avocado dip pairs nicely with pork rinds and breadsticks, making it a great keto-friendly addition to a meat and cheese board.
You can add other green treats like grapes or pistachios to complete the board. What you choose to use is entirely up to you!
Assembling your St. Patrick’s Day charcuterie board
Start by shaping your cheeses. You can use shamrock-shaped cookie cutters to create festive cheese shapes. (For charcuterie boards, I recommend using small cutters when possible.) For more tips, check out my post about how to cut cheese into shapes using cookie cutters.
For a 3-D look, candy molds are perfect for shaping cheeses into fun shapes. For this St. Patty’s Day charcuterie board, I molded the green pesto gouda in shamrock-shaped molds. I used the microwave to melt the cheese this time (vs. my air fryer on low) and found that the cheese separated when melted too quickly. Melt the cheese gently so it doesn’t separate. Otherwise, the molded cheese shapes will be hard and tasteless. Check out my post for more tips for molding cheese shapes.
Once you’ve added the cheeses to the board, add some cured meats. You can roll the meats into small rolls or slices and arrange them evenly across the board. You could even add some salami roses!
At the last minute, I decided to add a fun centerpiece. I cut the top off a green bell pepper, removed the seeds, and filled it with a creamy avocado dip. I served it with pork rinds (and breadsticks, mostly just for the pictures), but my son and husband ate it with organic nacho chips.
To fill small spaces, scatter small grapes or pistachios, or whatever your heart desires. The important thing is to have fun with it!
FAQs
Yes! You can prepare most of the ingredients a few hours in advance. Just wrap cheeses and meats tightly and refrigerate until serving. If using avocado dip, store it with plastic wrap pressed against the surface to prevent browning.
Blend an avocado with sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lime juice, garlic, salt, and a bit of olive oil until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
If you can’t find Pesto Gouda, try Sage Derby, Wasabi Gouda, or a mild blue cheese to add a pop of color.
Of course! We’re mostly meat-based at my house, so our charcuterie boards are generally keto. But feel free to make whatever you like! Swap out the meats and cheeses for green treats like matcha cookies, pistachio macarons, mint chocolates, or whatever you can find.
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