This easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board is packed with cured meats, cheeses, dips and Fall inspired goodies. Don’t forget some cute pumpkins and gourds! Perfect for holiday entertaining.
1-3cheeses****** See notes for detailed recommendations
2cured meats and/or seafood***
1-3crackers, pretzels, chips, popcorn, sliced bread or crostini***
1-3jam, jelly, sauce, dip or honey***
2nuts***
1fresh fruit***
1dried fruit***
2pickled items or other miscellaneous finger foods***
1-3pumpkins or gourds (decorative)
4-5springsthyme or rosemary (decorative)
Instructions
Build a Foundation
Place any bowls first. Then, place any larger blocks of cheese or large items (blueberry goat cheese, brie cheese, salami rose or smoked salmon piece). This sets your foundation. From there, you will want to arrange your items in descending order focusing on next heaviest or large items. The items should get gradually smaller and fill in the gaps.
Sample Order: (Start) Bowls, Cheese, Meats, Bunches of Grapes, Crackers, Smaller Dried Fruit and Nuts (Finish)
Create Movement on the Board
You want to utilize movement to create a beautiful board. Experiment with placing your bowls off-center in a variety of places on the board. When placing the foods, you can create a combination of wavy patterns or more uniform placements. Don’t be afraid to play.
Contrast your Colors
When placing your foods, contrast your colors indifferent areas of the board. For example, if you have white crackers, you might place them near green or red grapes instead of near a white cheese. This creates visual excitement.
Vary your Sizes and Cutting Techniques
Play around with placing larger items next to smaller items. You can also experiment with different sizes in your slicing. For example, you might cut some slices off a block of cheese and set it next to the remaining block of cheese for a beautiful contrast. You might do the same with a salami stick. You can also experiment with slicing patterns. You can cut things in a rustic way or you can do fun crisscross or dragon patterns. You can arrange meats in roses, slices or swirls.
Vary Flavors
Depending on your dietary preferences, it is always great to have a variety of flavors on the plate. Use different meats and cheese, veggies or fruits, different dips (sweet vs. savory). This variety is part of the fun of these appetizer boards.
Notes
Amounts: The amounts of each item will depend on the size of your board and your taste preferences. Don't be afraid to grab a few extras so you have a full and bountiful charcuterie board. Leftovers are always great!Thanksgiving/Fall Specific Items from Trader Joe's:
Fall Leaf Corn Tortilla Chips
Fig & Olive Crisps
Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps
Pumpkin Tortilla Chips
Pepita (Pumpkin Seed) Salsa
Mixed Corn Salsa
Other Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas:Cheese:
Triple Cream or Double Cream Brie
Goat Cheese: Plain, Italian herb or cranberry.
Cheddar Cheese
Gouda
Parmesan Reggiano.
Mozzarella
Meat:
Prosciutto
Salami
Hot Smoked Salmon
Cold Smoked Salmon
Deli Meats, hams, turkey, roast beef.
Jam, Jelly, Sauce, Dip or Honey
Artichoke Spread
Fig Jam
Yogurt Dip
Honey
Jams
Honey mustard or stone ground mustard
Nuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Walnuts
Pecans
Hazelnuts
Macadamia Nuts
Fresh Fruit
Green Grapes
Red Grapes
Raspberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Dried Fruit
Apricots
Mango
Figs
Dates
Candied Oranges
Pickled Items or Misc. Finger Foods
Olives (mixed, kalamata, castelvetrano or green olives)