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How to Make a Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

With Thanksgiving dinner just around the corner, I especially love planning the Thanksgiving charcuterie board that my family loves! These snack boards provide the perfect appetizer for your family and guests as they gather for the Thanksgiving meal.

nuts and cheese and jam on a wooden charcuterie board

It’s so much fun to start meal planning all of our family’s favorite dishes, and this is such an easy Thanksgiving charcuterie board to put together!

Your local grocery store should have everything you need for the variety of flavors, seasonal produce, and all the favorite things that you’re collecting for your fall board.

Thanksgiving day is a favorite time of year for friends and family to give thanks, share delicious food, and joyful fellowship.

This themed charcuterie board is a favorite for my family!

If you are looking for other great recipes for this Thanksgiving, be sure to check out my delicious chicken and dumplings, easy brunch quiche, or the best cinnamon rolls for a yummy start to your holiday.

nuts and cheese and jam on a wooden charcuterie board.

What is a Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

A Thanksgiving charcuterie board is a great option for delicious appetizers because it provides a variety of meats, slices of cheese, fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, crackers, and dips.

You can buy different shaped boards, whether it’s a wooden rectangular board, a circular board, or even one shaped like a fall leaf; they are special to use for a holiday meal.

A charcuterie board filled with much food is the perfect way to bring people together to socialize and make memories.

Since it is a fall charcuterie board, you can make it look very festive for the Thanksgiving holiday season with a few fun ideas.

snack foods laid out on a white counter top.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • You can make a beautiful board with just a few great ideas. All it takes is a little creativity!
  • A charcuterie board takes minimal time or preparation. Very few dishes/utensils are needed as well!
  • It is a Thanksgiving appetizer which everyone will love!
thanksgiving charcuterie board full of yummy snacks.

Tell Me About This Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

  • Taste– There will be savory meat, possibly sweet treats and fruits, salty crackers and nuts, and creamy cheeses.
  • Texture– The best part of a charcuterie board is the variety of tastes, flavors, and crunchy, smooth, and creamy textures.
  • Ease– The easy part of a charcuterie board is that it can be done with no cooking at all, just preparing finger foods!
  • Time– From start to finish you can have a beautiful charcuterie board completed in about 30 minutes!
ingredients for a Thanksgiving charcuterie board.

Ingredients for Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese Cubes– Sharp cheddar has a strong and tangy flavor as compared to mild cheddar. The cubed shape is easy to pop in the mouth!
  • Brie Cheese– Brie is great for a charcuterie board because it goes well with bread and fruit.
  • Cranberry Specialty Cheese– This cheese has a sweet and fruity taste due to the cranberries.
  • Apple or Pumpkin Butter– Apple or pumpkin flavor with fall spices can’t be beat as a dip for your food item.
  • Fig Jam– Sweet and delicious, this tastes great with crackers and breads!
  • Toasted Almonds– Nuts are always a good choice for an appetizer.
  • Candied Pecans– Crunchy and sweet candied pecans hit the spot!
  • Dried Apricots– Chewy sweet dried apricots are a perfect complement to all the flavors and textures.
  • Green Grapes– Grapes are a common and flavorful fruit that both kids and adults enjoy!
  • Honeycrisp Apple– Nothing says fall like a crisp fall apple!
  • Sweetened Dried Orange Slices or Fresh Orange Slices– Oranges are so good for you, and are a beautiful fall color with a juicy and sweet flavor!
  • Fresh Fig– Figs are sweet and chewy and a good complement to the savory meats and cheeses.
  • Salami– Salami is an Italian meat and only mildly spicy.
  • Prosciutto– This meat is actually from pork and has a slightly sweet and salty flavor.
  • Pepperoni– Pepperoni is spicier than salami.
  • Stone Ground Wheat Crackers– Crackers are a good choice to eat with the meats and cheeses.
  • Peppered Crackers– Yummy and spicy crackers are wonderful with delicious meats.
  • Flat Pretzels– Salty and crunchy pretzels are fun just on their own!
  • Na’an Bread Slices or Pita Bread– Na’an or pita bread are soft breads and taste great with the dips and jams.
a white pumpkin and fresh fruits and salami on a wooden cutting board.

Make Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board in 3 Easy Steps

  1. Create the base– Add the bowls with dips and cheeses first.
  2. Add all the ingredients– Add the nuts, meats, and crackers in the empty spaces.
  3. Finish off the charcuterie board– Add serving spoons, knives, toothpicks, and tongs to the dips and cheeses.

Tips for Making Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

  • While assembling your own charcuterie board, keep in mind that you can be as creative as you like, and literally make it look like a piece of art with the colors, textures, and the way you display the food items. There is no wrong way to do it!
  • You can purchase charcuterie boards of all different shapes and sizes!
  • You can even use cookie cutters to cut slices of cheese into different shapes such as turkeys, acorns, or leaves.
  • Think about adding pops of color to your board with different festive foods or fall items.
  • Make sure you use small bowls to contain messy food items. An organized and well-laid out charcuterie board is appealing and appetizing! You can also use parchment paper or foil on the top of the charcuterie board to avoid messy clean-up.

nuts and cheese and jam on a wooden charcuterie board.

Add-Ins for Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

  • Candy Corn– Candy corn is a treat with fall colors of orange and yellow, perfect to add to the festivity.
  • Cranberry Sauce– This traditional sauce is perfect and colorful, especially if it has whole cranberries in the sauce. It can actually be used as a dip or jam on your crackers or bread.
  • Pumpkin Seeds– These crunchy seeds can be placed in a small bowl on your board and many people love to snack on them!
  • Cookies– Sometimes it’s fun to add sugar cookies cut into fall shapes, or add the leaf-shaped maple cookies from Trader Joes.
  • Sourdough slices– If you prefer, you can add slices of sourdough that are delicious with many of the items on the board.
  • Mini pumpkins– These mini orange or white mini pumpkins add interest and festivity and dress-up a more traditional charcuterie board.
  • Vegetables– Carrot slices, celery sticks, and cherry tomatoes are healthy and help fill your guests as they wait for the big Thanksgiving meal!
  • Fresh Flowers– Flowers can be used to fill in any extra spaces on your board.
nuts and cheese and jam on a wooden charcuterie board.

How to Store Leftover Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

Be sure to store your perishable leftovers from your charcuterie board in either glass airtight containers, ziplock bags, or cover them with plastic wrap.

Make sure that the non-perishable items are also stored in air-tight containers or ziplock bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t have a charcuterie board?

That’s ok! You can use other tray-like surfaces such as cake stands and various serving platters! Remember, it doesn’t have to be a wooden board designed for charcuterie. Shop your kitchen cabinets and counters and use your imagination!

How long can I keep a charcuterie board on the table or counter?

It’s safe to keep it out for up to 2 hours, so don’t take it out of the refrigerator until the party starts. Refrigerate again after 2 hours.

How soon before the party can I assemble the charcuterie board?

You can assemble it a few hours before the party!

My Favorite Kitchen Things

Cooking Pans

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Recipe

nuts and cheese and jam on a wooden charcuterie board.

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

Liz Quick
With Thanksgiving dinner just around the corner, I especially love planning the Thanksgiving charcuterie board that my family loves! These snack boards provide the perfect appetizer for your family and guests as they gather for the Thanksgiving meal.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 10 people
Calories 100 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 charcuterie board or wooden cutting board
  • serving spoons and knives
  • small serving bowls

Ingredients
  

  • 1 block sharp cheddar cheese cubed
  • 1 pkg brie cheese
  • 1 cranberry specialty cheese

Dips

  • 1 jar apple or pumpkin butter
  • 1 jar fig jam

Nuts

  • 1 pkg toasted almonds
  • 1 cup candied pecans

Fruit

  • 1 bag dried apricots
  • 1 green grapes container
  • 1 red grapes container
  • 1 honey crisp apple sliced
  • sweetened dried oranges slices or fresh slices
  • 1 fresh fig cut in half

Meats

  • 1 pkg salami
  • 1 pkg prosciutto
  • 1 pkg pepperoni

Crackers

  • stone ground wheat crackers
  • peppered crackers
  • flat pretzels
  • Na'an bread slices (or pita bread)

Instructions
 

  • Start by creating the base and structure of your board with the dips in bowls and the cheeses.
  • Next, add in your nuts and meats, working in a diagonal to create visual beauty with your board.
  • Lastly, fill in space with your crackers and fruit. Lay your crackers so they can be easily grabbed one-by-one.
  • To finish off the charcuterie board, place the serving spoons and knives with the dips and cheeses. Have toothpicks or tongs for people to use to grab their items.

Notes

  • While assembling your own charcuterie board, keep in mind that you can be as creative as you like, and literally make it look like a piece of art with the colors, textures, and the way you display the food items. There is no wrong way to do it!
  • You can purchase charcuterie boards of all different shapes and sizes!
  • You can even use cookie cutters to cut slices of cheese into different shapes such as turkeys, acorns, or leaves.
  • Think about adding pops of color to your board with different festive foods or fall items.
  • Make sure you use small bowls to contain messy food items. An organized and well-laid out charcuterie board is appealing and appetizing! You can also use parchment paper or foil on the top of the charcuterie board to avoid messy clean-up.
Keyword Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

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