A Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board is visually stunning and tastes delicious. Consisting of cheeses, salted meats, olives, breadsticks, crackers, or whatever your heart desires! Your guests will be impressed with your artsy food display and their taste buds will be tantalized.
Holiday Appetizer
If you aren’t sure what to serve at a holiday gathering, consider a festive charcuterie board. Charcuterie boards can consist of whatever you please. If you haven’t invested in one yet, you use any platter or purchase a specific charcuterie board with all the things. However, most people expect to see cheese on a charcuterie board. Because let’s face it, cheese pairs well with just about everything. And who doesn’t love cheese?
For Thanksgiving appetizers, a huge hit is always a cracker and cheese platter with different varieties of crackers, and, of course, cheeses. I always loved serving my cheese plates with pepperoni and olives to give it more of an appeal.
Nowadays, charcuterie boards are so trendy and have really allowed cheese plates to be taken to a whole new level of awesome. I love to turn a regular cheese plate into a fantastic display of salted meats, sweet treats, bringing in spreads, and of course the basics of crackers and cheeses. And for this yummy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board, this is anything, but a basic appetizer.
Cheeses
The cheese is the standout on any charcuterie board. I love to mix up different colored cheeses as well as different tasting cheeses. A must have is always an Extra Sharp NY Cheddar Cheese. The sharper, the better! Seeing that this is a white colored cheese, I love adding in an orange color like Cheddar Cheese and/or Monterey Jack Cheese which is a marble color cheese. Seeing that I’m a huge fan of Gouda cheese (also an orange-color), I felt compelled to include this cheese into the amazing Thanskgiving Charcuterie Board.
These are my favorite ways to select the perfect cheeses. However, if you prefer different cheeses or a different way of organizing your platter, go for it! Other amazing offerings are brie, blue cheese, flavored cheese (buffalo, habanero, etc etc etc).
Salted Meats
Salted meats are probably everybody’s favorite types of meat. Well, maybe not their absolute favorite because a great steak surely beats pepperoni and cheese! I should rephrase my statement to say that salted meats are everyone’s affordable types of meat.
Salted meats can mean a few different things. Back in the day, people would preserve meat with salt or brine in order to extend the life of meat. After refrigeration came about, salting meat was not as widely used as before. However, there are still many types of meat that we know and love today that are cured with salt such as the popular meats called pepperoni, proscuitto, salami, chorizo, and bacon.
Any of these meats would add an amazing taste and texture choice on a Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board. These salted goodies are not the healthiest choices of meat, but for a holiday appetizer, they will be eaten in small quantities and are, therefore, perfectly fine to indulge in! Further, these aren’t salted meats that guests eat on a regular basis. What better day to dig into delicious meats with yummy cheeses and all the other must-haves than on Thanksgiving?? The biggest eating day of the year!
Additional Pairings
Besides cheese, crackers, and meats, you can offer whatever sweet, spicy, savory items you desire! Mixing and matching is ideal as it gives your guests plenty of options that they will love. Let’s face it, not every person has the same tastes as everyone. Therefore, variety is key for the perfect Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board!
Some other delightful offerings to add to your cheese, crackers, and meat board could be:
- Olives
- Black
- Kalamata
- Spanish
- Stuffed olives
- Spreads
- Fig
- Hummus
- Flavored Cream Cheese
- Crackers
- Triscuits
- Wheat Thins
- Breadsticks
- Veggies
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Artichokes
- Marinated Mushrooms
- Fruit
- Cranberries
- Figs
- Apples
- Nuts
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pecans
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Ingredients
- 3-4 types Cheeses different flavors and colors are appealing
- 2-3 types Salted Meats like Prosciutto, pepperoni, salami
- 2-4 Spreads Figs, hummus, flavored cream cheese
- 1 handful Roasted Red Peppers
- 2-3 handfuls Olives black, kalamata, spanish, stuffed olives
- Breadsticks and assorted crackers
Instructions
- Remove the cheese from the fridge 15 – 30 minutes before serving.
- Arrange the cheeses on different areas of the charcuterie board or large platter.
- Next, add the salted meats like proscuitto and pepperoni to fill in more of the charcuterie board.
- Then, start working in the spreads, olives, roasted red peppers, and fruits (if using).
- Add the breadsticks and crackers so as to fill in the entire board/platter.
- Rearrange any items as necessary to achieve the desired wow factor.
- ENJOY!
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