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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

    Published: Oct 10, 2022 · Modified: Mar 11, 2024 by Krista Stechman · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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    Thanksgiving charcuterie board with meats, cheeses, pumpkin goat cheese whip, cranberry sauce, yellow mums, grapes and olives.

    This Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board is the perfect appetizer for your special occasion. The best part of this beautiful board is the combination of pumpkin goat cheese whip, cranberry orange sauce, meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, and crunchy crackers and nuts.

    Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board with cheese, meat and jams.

    Serving this board as a small family dinner or an appetizer before your Thanksgiving meal is the perfect way to kick off your holiday season.

    Nothing says "happy thanksgiving" like delicious food. Making a gorgeous fall charcuterie board is a fun idea to add to the days line-up.

    I think I may actually enjoy Thanksgiving sides and snacks more than the main dish. Having one of the best charcuterie boards along with Homemade Sweet Potato Au Gratin, Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes, Glazed Shallots, Traditional Bread Stuffing and Southern Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole would make me a very happy girl.

    This meat and cheese board will make the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table and leave your hungry guests happy!

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How To Build A Charcuterie Board
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Love
    • 📖Recipe
    • Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • The smaller items on this board are great portions for an appetizer for your Thanksgiving feast.
    • Serve this board for brunch or lunch before Thanksgiving dinner or try a breakfast charcuterie board in the morning.
    • This charcuterie board Thanksgiving is an easy main course for dinner all week. It's simple to prepare and a great crowd-pleaser.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Thanksgiving Charcuterie board with blue cheese, grapes and pears.
    • Pumpkin Goat Cheese Whip - Goat cheese, cool whip, pumpkin butter.
    • Cranberry Orange Sauce - Cranberries, sugar, apples, walnuts, raisins, orange juice, lemon juice, spices.
    • Meats - Chorizo slices, salami, and prosciutto make a nice selection and are found at your local grocery store. Choosing a variety of meats gives a variety of flavors. 
    • Cheeses - Blueberry goat cheese, blue cheese wedge, Artikaas gouda, yellow cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese. Use any of your favorite cheeses, these are some of my favorites.
    • Additional Ingredients - Crackers, candied pecans, grapes, figs, green olives, cornichons. See my favorite crackers for a charcuterie board. There are so many options!
    • Optional Additions - Bosc pear, pomegranate arils.

    See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    Substitutions & Variations

    There are so many fun Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board ideas and ways to make a traditional charcuterie board. Here are some other options for this Thanksgiving version.

    • Honey: I love Local Hive Honey. They have a lot of different varietals that have unique tastes. Try adding Smoked Cream Cheese with hot honey to your board!
    • Peppadew Peppers: These peppers are slightly spicy but not so much that they'll blow anyone away.
    • Hummus: Be creative and pick your favorite flavor. Some options include olive, lemon, roasted garlic, or roasted red pepper.  
    • Jam: Add your favorite jam. I like raspberry, orange, or fig jam. 
    • Fresh Berries: Try fresh fruit like raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries. You can also add some dried fruits such as cherries, cranberries, apricots, or figs.
    • Marinated artichokes: These have a lot of flavor and go really well with meats and cheeses.
    • Seeds: Add a small bowl of pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
    • Cheese: Whipped goat cheese is one of my favorite additions on a cheese board. Use your favorite cheeses!

    This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

    How To Build A Charcuterie Board

    • Step 1: Choose what board you will use based on the look you're going for.
    • Step 2: Start building by placing the largest items on the board first. If you have a circle of brie, small dishes with olives, jams, etc. then set them on the board first. Space them out so it doesn't look cluttered. Do the same thing with a Valentine's Board but make it a dessert board.
    • Step 3: Slice meats and cheeses into circular, square or triangular shapes. Arrange meats and cheeses around the larger items. Make them flow in curves and waves to achieve a look of movement.
    • Step 4: Add any fresh fruits or crackers, artfully arranging them around the other items. The key here is to create patterns and layers for a beautiful charcuterie board. This will quickly become one of your favorite things to serve at your Thanksgiving gathering.
    Goat cheese, whipped cream and pumpkin butter.

    Blend all 3 ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until fully combined, light and fluffy. Scoop it into a small bowl and place it on the holiday charcuterie board.

    Cranberry sauce in a black dish with orange slices and star anise.

    Follow the simple steps to make this delicious Cranberry Orange Sauce. Scoop a small bowl full and place it on meat and cheese board. The cranberry sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

    Expert Tips

    • Use any assortment of cheeses you like. Variety is good. Try soft cheeses and hard cheese with added flavors and different colors.
    • Make sure you're buying Spanish dried chorizo, not raw Mexican chorizo.
    • Serve this Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board at room temperature for best flavor. Cheese is best served this way!
    • Using fall colors when building this cheese board is a fun way to stick with the Thanksgiving theme.
    • Make the Cranberry Sauce and Pumpkin Dip several days ahead of time then just build your board the day of!
    • Have fun with it, and make a salami rose!
    • If you run out of room on your board, you can always add the crackers and toast to a side plate. My favorite boards to use are these French Charcuterie Boards or a round board.
    • Try garlic confit on your own Thanksgiving charcuterie board!
    • I use Artikaas Gouda cheese on this board.

    Recipe FAQs

    How To Serve A Charcuterie Board?

    Serve this board as an easy Thanksgiving appetizer before your big meal or throughout the day for people to munch on.

    You want your meats and cheeses to be around room temperature for the best flavor. Use toothpicks or a cheese knife set for easy serving.
    Make sure **most** of the items are bite size and easy to pick up with your fingers if needed.

    How Do I Store A Charcuterie Board?

    If there are any leftovers after turkey day, you can store meats, cheeses, fruits, and jams in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also cover the entire board in plastic wrap then store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    How Much Food Should I Buy?


    How much food should I buy when making a Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board?
    It may seem daunting to buy food for a charcuterie board, but it's actually very easy. Buy 2-4 types of each category (meat, cheese, crackers, crunchy bits, jams). I usually shoot for 3oz per person if I don't want leftovers. I prefer to make sure I have enough, so usually I do a little more than that because sometimes people end up snacking on it again after dinner or the next day. In the case that you want a little extra then aim for 5oz per person.

    What Are Must Haves On A Charcuterie Board?

    When making a charcuterie board, the foundation is usually centered around sliced meats and a variety of cheeses, along with crackers, fresh fruits, and dips. This Old Fashioned Pimento Cheese recipe is a must! I can't go without some type of olives or jam either! I almost always use grapes too, whether it's red, green or concord.

    Thanksgiving Charcuterie board with blue cheese, grapes and pears.

    More Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Love

    • Creamy Sweet Potato Pudding with brown butter, sage and toasted marshmallow.
      Sweet Potato Pudding
    • Kale Apple Salad with goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, red onions and vinaigrette.
      Harvest Kale Apple Salad
    • Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker crust in a pie dishes with a few slices removed.
      Pumpkin Pie With Graham Cracker Crust
    • Glazed Shallots topped with fresh thyme in a cast iron skillet.
      Glazed Shallots

    Have you tried this recipe? Share it with me! Tag @inkristaskitchen on Instagram & Facebook and leave a star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐review below! Sign up for our Newsletter to follow along with new recipes & news!

    📖Recipe

    A beautifully arranged board with meats, cheeses, cranberry sauce, pumpkin goat cheese whip, crackers and fruits. Sitting on top of a linen with flowers and a glass of white wine next to it along with a whole pear and a few thin apple slices.

    Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

    Krista Stechman
    This Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board is packed with meats, cheeses, and little bites for grazing before the big meal! Homemade cranberry sauce and pumpkin goat cheese dip are the perfect fall accompaniments.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course appetizer
    Cuisine american
    Servings 12 people
    Calories 615 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 medium bowl
    • 1 electric hand mixer
    • 1 serving board
    • 1 cheese knife set with forks & spoons

    Ingredients
      

    Pumpkin Goat Cheese Whip

    • 4 oz goat cheese room temperature
    • 4 oz cool whip refrigerated or room temperature, not frozen
    • 3 tablespoon pumpkin butter

    Cranberry Orange Sauce

    • 1 https://inkristaskitchen.com/cranberry-orange-sauce/ you can make ½ the recipe if you don't want leftovers

    Meats

    • 8 oz dried chorizo slices
    • 4 oz salami thinly sliced
    • 6 oz prosciutto thinly sliced

    Cheeses

    • 4 oz blueberry goat cheese
    • 6 oz blue cheese wedge
    • 6 oz vintage lot-36 artikaas gouda
    • 5 oz aged yellow cheddar cheese block
    • 6 oz extra sharp white cheddar sliced

    Additional Items

    • 6 oz assorted crackers/toast
    • 4 oz candied pecans store bought or homemade
    • 10 oz concord or red grapes
    • 6 fresh fig cut in half lengthwise
    • 4 oz green olives
    • 2 oz cornichons

    Optional Additions

    • 1 bosc pear sliced
    • 1 pomegranate quartered or seeded

    Instructions
     

    Making the Pumpkin Goat Cheese Whip

    • Blend all 3 ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until fully combined, light and fluffy. Move into a serving bowl and add to the board

    Making the Cranberry Orange Sauce

    • https://inkristaskitchen.com/cranberry-orange-sauce/
    • Make the cranberry sauce 1-3 days ahead of time. Place it in a serving dish and add it to your board

    Building an Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

    • Arrange the pumpkin goat cheese whip, cranberry sauce, green olives, cornichons and pecans in small dishes on the board
    • Add meats, cheeses and additional items to the board in any pattern you like
    • Add cheese knives, mini spoons and forks to the board for easy serving

    Notes

    • Use any assortment of cheeses you like. Variety is good. Try soft cheeses and hard cheese with added flavors and different colors.
    • Make the cranberry sauce and pumpkin whip a couple days ahead of time then just build your board the day of!
    • Make sure you're buying Spanish dried chorizo, not raw Mexican chorizo.
    • Serve this Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board at room temperature for best flavor. Cheese is best served this way!
    • If you run out of room on your board, you can always add the crackers and toast to a side plate.
    • Toss apple or pear slices in lemon or apple juice to keep them from browning, or slice them closer to the time you're serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 26gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1180mgPotassium: 346mgFiber: 4gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 1227IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 433mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tammy Cruse

      October 10, 2022 at 5:53 am

      5 stars
      I had the opportunity to try this amazing appetizer. It was so delicious! Very easy to put together and very elegant! This is a perfect addition to any dinner party, especially a holiday dinner party. Your family and guests will be impressed!

      Reply
      • admin

        October 10, 2022 at 7:38 am

        Thank you!! So happy you liked it!

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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