Charcuterie Board Ideas For Thanksgiving
Use some shortcuts from the grocery store to put together everything on this Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board in 30 minutes or less, with the beautiful colors and flavors of autumn.
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas For Your Holiday Spread
With years of experience crafting beautiful, seasonally inspired charcuterie boards, I know that it’s all about getting the right combination of flavors and textures.
A beautiful Thanksgiving charcuterie board welcomes guests to the celebration and sets the tone for the rest of the meal.
Whether you’re a charcuterie enthusiast or beginner looking for ideas, I’ll guide you step-by-step through my approach to selecting, arranging and styling a charcuterie board perfect for Thanksgiving or any fall get-together.
Why You’ll Love These Thanksgiving Board Ideas
- Lots of fall flavors and colors!
- Easy to assemble and customize, and there’s something for everyone – sweet, savory, or a mix of both.
Thanksgiving Board Shopping Tips
My favorite way to shop for a charcuterie board is to go to a well-stocked (maybe upscale) grocery store and simply look around. I don’t make much of a list or a plan before I get there!
But, I do try to keep in mind the theme for that board. In this case, Thanksgiving (or just autumn in general is fine). To me, that mainly means focusing on fall colors, like oranges, reds, yellows and browns for this fall charcuterie board.
Luckily, lots of things that are in season right now, like persimmons and pomegranates, fit the color scheme for this Thanksgiving charcuterie board perfectly.
Most crackers and cheeses and meats blend right in here, too. And then I keep my eye out for any little special touches I can add that reinforce the theme, like maybe something shaped like a pumpkin or turkey or leaf?
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ingredients
- salami – my family loves love salami, so I created this board with three different types – Sopressata, Calabrese and Genoa. But this is where you could also incorporate things like prosciuttio or capicola.
- Parmesan cheese – sharp and crumbly, a perfecting pairing for the rich salamis.
- Cheddar cheese – this farmhouse cheese will definitely be a crowd pleaser on this fall charcuterie board.
- cheese curds – here in the Midwest, nobody is saying no to a Cheddar cheese curd!
- pickled cornichons and onions – I have to have something pickled on all my charcuterie boards, and this combo can’t be beat.
- Castelvetrano olives – these bright green beauties are mild and easy to enjoy.
More Items For Your Charcuterie Board for Thanksgiving
I also added some small seasonal touches in the spaces between the meats and cheeses on my Thanksgiving charcuterie board:
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- dried apricots – their bright orange color is perfect, but the flavor is what draws me to these.
- dried candied orange slices – a fun, sweet little pop of orange.
- persimmons – whole and sliced persimmons are seasonal and special.
- mandarin oranges – I peeled them and placed them on the board whole, and I kind of thought they resembled pumpkins. Wouldn’t you agree?
- apple slices – it wouldn’t be autumn here in Michigan without some apples!
- pomegranate seeds – my special weapon for making any fall or winter dish just a touch more beautiful.
- pecans – these add great crunch, but any type of nut you prefer is perfect.
- maple leaf cookies – I love to add a sweet nibble to my charcuterie boards, and maple leaf cookies couldn’t be more perfect. Buy them at Trader Joe’s or make your own.
- honey – so good for drizzling over any of the cheeses!
- Thanksgiving pie truffles – I couldn’t resist this adorable addition from Trader Joe’s.
- crackers – always great on a fall charcuterie board, or toasted bread works too!
Home Chef Tips for Thanksgiving Charcuterie
- Feel free to slice the meat and cheese in advance and keep them in airtight containers until you’re ready to assemble the board.
- Put anything wet, like olives in pickles, in small bowls so the liquids don’t seep into the rest of the items.
- If you have any extra fresh herbs (like rosemary, sage leaves or thyme) after prepping all of your Thanksgiving dishes, use them to garnish the board.
More Charcuterie Board Ideas for Thanksgiving
You don’t necessarily need to add anything else to your Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas other than what I’ve listed above. But, if you’re having a large gathering and want to bulk up your spread, I have a few ideas!
Instant Pot apple butter is a sweet addition that pairs wonderfully with charcuterie and cheese. You can offer it in place of the honey, or in addition to!
Phyllo cup appetizers are kind of like a modern take on cheeseball and crackers, and they’d nestle right into this fall charcuterie board perfectly.
Thanksgiving Board: Ideas on How to Serve
Serve this Thanksgiving charcuterie board the classic way, on one large cutting board or platter, or use the ingredients listed here and my method for charcuterie cups to make individual servings.
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board FAQs
While the options for a charcuterie board are basically endless, there are a few types of things you might want to avoid. For instance, overly pungent cheeses that could overpower the other flavors on the board, ingredients that spoil or melt quickly at room temperature, or really messy items that are difficult to eat without utensils.
The 3-3-3-3 rule is a guideline that will help you create a visually beautiful and flavorfully balanced charcuterie board. It suggests three types of meat, three types of cheeses, three types of carbohydrates (breads, crackers, etc.) and three types of accompaniments (mustard, honey, pickles, olives, etc.).
The 3-3-3-3 rule is a helpful starting point to keep in mind but don’t be afraid to customize based on your preferences and the size of your gathering!
To fold turkey slices for a charcuterie board, considering shaping them into small rosettes. Start by folding each slice into thirds lengthwise, and then rolling it up from one end to the other to form a rosette.
While I’ve skipped the turkey slices for this Thanksgiving charcuterie board (because you’ll be having turkey for dinner!), this is a fun idea to keep in mind for other boards throughout the year.
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Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 12 ounces sliced salami Calabrese, Genoa, Sopressata, etc.
- 12 ounces sliced/cubed cheese Parmesan, Cheddar, cheese curds, etc.
- 1 cup pickles cornichons and/or pickled onions
- 1 cup olives Castelvetrano recommended
- 8 maple leaf cookies
- 8 Thanksgiving pie truffles
- 3 mandarin oranges peeled
- 2 persimmons sliced
- 1 apple sliced
- 4 ounces crackers
- ½ cup dried apricots
- ½ cup sweetened dried orange slices
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup pecan halves
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Arrange all items on a large platter or cutting board.
- Serve immediately.
Hi! Where are these pie truffles from? I love them!
Thanks.
-Faith
Trader Joe’s!