Got friends coming over for a cheeseboard, but want to give it a festive spin? We've got just the ticket.
Creative souls on social media are ditching boring old gingerbread houses in favour of 'charcuterie chalets' - structures made using meat and cheese which are much more suited to a glass of wine - or two.
People have been left drooling after images of the edible structures were shared on Instagram, with many dubbing the treat the 'perfect' option for Christmas gatherings.
If you're keen to whip one up, use solid crackers or breadsticks to make the walls, add a prosciutto or salami roof, and finish it off with cheese and crudites for the details.
Then you can get extra creative - mozzarella makes a perfect snowman, and some nuts and seeds can be used for the window details. You can even grate a little parmesan on top to look like snow, or cut up a capsicum to make a winter sled .
The possibilities are endless.
If you're stuck, the hashtag '#charcuteriechalet' on Instagram offers more inspiration.
Commenters on social media went wild over the creations.
"I love this! We are planning a menu for Christmas and it would be so fun to make one of these (very mini version maybe)," one person wrote.
"I can't eat cow's milk products so a traditional gingerbread is hard to do. But a meat house with goat cheese to use as glue and flatbread crackers for stabilisation? Heck yes I can make that happen!" praised another.
But some weren't so keen.
"All I can think of is how much more every single piece of cheese and meat has been touched than on a normal charc board. Just covered in finger grease and sweating into the cheeses," wrote another person.
Of course, it might take a little more time to whip up than a traditional gingerbread house. But hey, it's almost the holidays. Pour yourself a glass of wine, pop a little Michael Buble on the speaker, and let your creative juices flow.
