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thanksgiving charcuterie board recipe
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Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

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.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 320kcal
Author Aubrey
Cost $30

Equipment

  • Charcuterie board, various smaller bowls

Ingredients

  • 1-3 cheeses*** *** See notes for detailed recommendations
  • 2 cured meats and/or seafood***
  • 1-3 crackers, pretzels, chips, popcorn, sliced bread or crostini***
  • 1-3 jam, jelly, sauce, dip or honey***
  • 2 nuts***
  • 1 fresh fruit***
  • 1 dried fruit***
  • 2 pickled items or other miscellaneous finger foods***
  • 1-3 pumpkins or gourds (decorative)
  • 4-5 springs thyme 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)
  • Pickles
  • Roasted Red Peppers
  • Hearts of Palm
  • Grilled or Marinated Artichokes

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg