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

Coming up with fun charcuterie board ideas is something about my job that I simply never tire of. I’ve already done everything from a Halloween charcuterie board to an Easter charcuterie board to a huge platter of Valentine’s snacks, but I’m not nearly out of new boards to create.

While many of my existing ideas, including jarcuterie and the wine and cheese board (and even my butter board) are already quite perfect for Thanksgiving appetizers, I wanted to create a fall charcuterie board that was truly specific to this holiday.

Below, I’ll walk you through how I shop for and build this lovely Thanksgiving charcuterie board. I guarantee you it’s easier than it looks!

Thanksgiving Board shopping tips

My favorite way to shop for a charcuterie board or even a brunch buffet 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

• Sopressata salami – made with pepper and garlic, it’s so savory with just a little heat.
• Calabrese salami – this one is for the spice lovers!
• Genoa salami – this mild salami is loved by all ages.
• Parmesan cheese – sharp and crumbly, a perfecting pairing for the rich salamis (and shredding on top of chicken parm soup).
• 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. Love these on a football charcuterie board.
• 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:

• 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! Keep my apple mug cake in mind for an easy dessert this fall.
• pomegranate seeds – my special weapon for making any fall or winter dish just a touch more beautiful, including my Thanksgiving green salad, lamb lollipop recipe and vegan lentil curry.
• 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 or make your own.
• honey – so good for drizzling over any of the cheeses!
• Thanksgiving pie truffles – I couldn’t resist this adorable addition.
• crackers – always great on a fall charcuterie board, or toasted bread works too!

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