Easy Christmas Appetizer turns sandwich ingredients into star shapes and stacks them on toothpicks to form festive little Christmas trees. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s a quick and charming addition to any holiday spread.
Grab & Go Appetizer
This Christmas Tree Appetizer is an easy, festive way to present sandwich flavors. Bread, meat, and cheese are cut into star shapes and layered on toothpicks to create bite-sized trees that are both playful and tasty.
Each mini tree is finished with a halved cherry tomato as the base and a small star of Colby Jack cheese as the tree topper. The recipe is flexible — swap ingredients to suit your tastes and create a variety of options for guests.
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: All the familiar sandwich flavors in a festive form. Easily customizable.
Texture: Tender, crisp, and fresh.
Ease: 5/10
Pros: Swap breads, meats, or cheeses to match your crowd. Serve several varieties for more flavor options.
Cons: Cutting many stars takes some time.
Would I Make This Again? Yes — it’s a fun, grab-and-go appetizer that guests enjoy.
Ingredients For This Easy Christmas Appetizer
A quick grocery run will get you everything needed. For this recipe, gather:
- Bread – Sliced bread works best; wheat was used here, but any preferred bread is fine.
- Meat – Summer sausage, sliced about 1/4 inch thick.
- Cheese – Colby Jack is recommended, but any semi-firm cheese (Monterey Jack, Swiss, Provolone, Gouda, Pepper Jack) will work.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Halved and lightly blotted to remove excess juice.
- Butter Lettuce – Leaves add color and a fresh layer for the trees.
You’ll also need toothpicks and three sizes of star-shaped cookie cutters (large, medium, small) to create the stacked tree effect.
How To Make The Best Christmas Appetizer
- Slice the Colby Jack and summer sausage into approximately 1/4-inch thick pieces.
- Use large and medium star cutters to cut stars from the bread slices.
- Cut large, medium, and small stars from the cheese and summer sausage.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes and dab the cut sides on a paper towel to remove excess juice.
- Cut or gently tear butter lettuce into star shapes or small pieces. Chill all cut ingredients briefly in the refrigerator to keep them crisp.
- Assemble each tree by placing a tomato half cut-side down, then insert a toothpick through its center.
- Layer horizontally on the toothpick in this order: large sausage star, large cheese star, large bread star, large lettuce, medium sausage star, medium cheese star, medium bread star.
- Finish by placing the smallest cheese star vertically on top as the tree topper.
- Arrange the finished trees on a serving platter and enjoy. Use any leftover star cutouts to decorate the platter.
Rebecca’s Tips
- Keep cut ingredients chilled while you work; they can warm and wilt if left out. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes between cutting and assembling.
- Avoid preparing these more than a day ahead. Assemble the same day you plan to serve them to prevent tomatoes from softening and cheese from drying out. If assembled earlier the same day, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- For a lighter version, substitute cucumbers, fresh mozzarella, and tomato. Cut a pepper star for the topper if desired. Pat higher-moisture items dry with paper towels before assembling to reduce sogginess.
- Cutting lettuce with a cookie cutter can be tricky; tearing clean pieces works just as well and still looks attractive.
How To Store These Christmas Tree-Shaped Appetizers
Place leftovers on a plate, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. They will keep well for up to 2 days.
Use any extra star-shaped cutouts to decorate the serving platter for a festive presentation.
Grab another crowd-pleasing appetizer to serve up:
- Cranberry Orange Meatballs — A quick crockpot favorite.
- Shrimp Cocktail Sauce — Homemade sauce to complement shrimp.
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip — Serve creamy or hearty depending on preference.
- Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs — Sweet and tangy crowd-pleaser.
- Bacon-Wrapped Dates With Feta — Savory-sweet bites stuffed with feta and pecans, wrapped in bacon.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comments. Share photos by tagging @sugarandsoulco on social media or post in the community to show off your creations.
Christmas Tree Appetizer
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Tiered star-shaped cookie cutters (small, medium, large)
- Toothpicks
- Serving tray
Ingredients
- 8 slices wheat bread
- 6 slices Colby Jack cheese ¼ inch thick pieces
- 28 slices summer sausage ¼ inch thick pieces
- 6 cherry tomatoes halved
- 12 Leaves butter lettuce
- Toothpicks and star-shaped cookie cutters
Instructions
- Cut six slices of Colby Jack cheese and 12 slices of summer sausage, each about ¼ inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut 24 bread stars (12 large, 12 medium).
- Cut 36 cheese stars (12 large, 12 medium, 12 small).
- Cut 36 sausage stars (12 large, 12 medium, 12 small).
- Press the cutters firmly for clean edges. Dab tomato halves on a paper towel to remove excess juice.
- Cut or tear 12 pieces of butter lettuce (stars if desired) and chill all cut pieces for about 10 minutes before assembling.
- Assemble each tree starting with a tomato half (cut side down) and a toothpick. Layer horizontally in this order: large sausage, large cheese, large bread, large lettuce, medium sausage, medium cheese, medium bread. Top with the smallest cheese star placed vertically.
- Arrange on a serving tray. Use any extra star cutouts to decorate the platter for a festive presentation.
Notes
- Cutting and assembling can be a bit time-consuming at first, but the process speeds up once you have one or two made.
- Storage: Keep leftovers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Cheese alternatives: Any semi-firm cheese that cuts well with a cookie cutter will work, such as Monterey Jack, Swiss, Provolone, Gouda, or Pepper Jack.
- Make-ahead tip: Assemble the same day you’ll serve them. If you must prepare earlier, assemble in the morning and refrigerate loosely covered until serving.
- Healthier swap: Use cucumber rounds, fresh mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes as a lower-calorie option. For a topper, cut a bell pepper star. Pat high-moisture ingredients dry before assembling to avoid sogginess.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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