15 Festive Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards for Easy Elevated Entertaining
Fun and festive Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas! These easy Thanksgiving appetizers are perfect for guests to munch on before dinner, or to bring to your Friendsgiving celebration.
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There’s just something everybody LOVES about a charcuterie board.
It might be the variety of snacks, or how lovely common foods can look when arranged on a wooden board. Or just how downright delicious charcuterie is.
They just put people in a happy mood!
Charcuterie boards are especially great to serve on Thanksgiving, because everyone can happily snack while you finish making dinner, without feeling the pressure of hungry guests.
And they’re a super fun and easy dish to bring to a Friendsgiving gathering or Thanksgiving potluck – no cooking required!
Plus, charcuterie boards make for really easy entertaining, because you can:
- Customize it for your event
- Make the perfect size for your guest list
- Not wind up with too much food (or too little!)
- Get LOTS of compliments on the menu, without anyone knowing how simple it was
The best part is that there are no strict rules!
With a little planning, a fun haul of festive goodies from Aldi, Trader Joe, or your local grocery store, and a wooden cutting board or charcuterie platter …
… you’ll create an amazing appetizer or snack tray, not to mention the perfect centerpiece for your table!
💡 If it’s your first time making a charcuterie board, I’ve included some handy tips and tricks at the bottom of this post.
Let’s dive into these fun Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas!
Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas
Turkey Charcuterie Board
A Turkey Charcuterie Board is a fun and delicious way to kick off Thanksgiving Day festivities!
Dinner guests of all ages will appreciate how fun and tasty this board is.
Plus, it’ll look beautiful on your table!
20 Minute Thanksgiving Cheese Board
Looking for the best (and easiest) Thanksgiving charcuterie board? This recipe can be made and ready to serve as your Thanksgiving appetizer in just 20 minutes.
Full of fall flavors like cranberries, walnuts, fig jam, and more, it’ll look stunning on your table.
If you're in search of an easy appetizer that everyone will love, you have to whip this up!
Vegetarian Charcuterie Board
If you have vegetarians coming to your Thanksgiving dinner, they’ll really appreciate you serving this meatless charcuterie platter.
It is super customizable, and can be served as a fancy appetizer, a delicious side dish or even as a light main course.
No cooking skills required!
Autumn Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board
Full of ALL the Fall flavors, this simple Thanksgiving charcuterie board is equal parts elegant and delicious.
It makes the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer or light lunch before the main meal.
Gluten Free Charcuterie Board
If you have gluten free guests coming to dinner, you’ll want to set out this lovely board.
The gluten-eaters will never know they’re enjoying gluten free snacks, and those with dietary restrictions will greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Turkey Veggie Tray
Make or bring this adorable turkey veggie tray for any Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving gathering.
Kids and adults alike get a kick out of snacking on this fun appetizer, and it’ll make sure everyone gets a little something healthy before the big meal.
Serve it alongside a veggie dip or hummus, and watch it disappear!
Friendsgiving Cheese Board
This fall-inspired cheese board will be a hit at any Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving event.
Building an unforgettable cheese board with autumn accents is actually easier than you’d think!
Fall Harvest Charcuterie Board
Always a crowd-pleaser, this Fall harvest board doesn’t take long to put together and is a no-brainer for Thanksgiving entertaining.
Cranberries, pumpkin, figs, and apples lend that harvest touch, so simply mix and match your favorite cheeses and meats to this platter for a tasty appetizer everyone will love.
Sweet & Salty Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board
How to create a stunning Thanksgiving charcuterie board filled with your favorite sliced meats, different types of cheeses, crackers, fruit, nuts, and a few festive and sugary holiday treats.
It’s perfect for hungry guests on turkey day or anytime during the holiday season!
Thanksgiving Breakfast Charcuterie
Thinking of hosting a Thanksgiving brunch instead of dinner? This gorgeous autumnal breakfast charcuterie board is perfect!
Or set it out on Thanksgiving morning while you watch the parade and get started on dinner.
Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Board
If you’d rather serve a lighter, snack-y type Thanksgiving dinner, this charcuterie board is ideal.
With slices of turkey, cranberry walnut brie (in the shape of a turkey), cheeses, cranberries and more, it’s chock full of Fall flavors.
It’s also perfect to serve the day after Thanksgiving as a use-up for your leftover turkey!
Turkey Dessert Board
Kids and adults alike will have so much fun with this turkey dessert board.
It looks super festive on your dessert table, is totally customizable to your favorite sweet treats, and is super easy to make.
Autumn Cheese Board
For a meatless charcuterie option, you’ll want to try this autumn cheese board.
Filled with a variety of fresh fruit, crackers, dips, and cheese, it pairs beautifully with wine and looks absolutely gorgeous.
Thanksgiving Butter Board
If you haven’t seen butter boards going viral on TikTok, let me explain.
A butter board is where softened butter is spread on a board or platter, then topped and flavored with whatever your heart desires, and served with crostini or rolls.
(A soft cheese like mascarpone, goat cheese, or whipped feta can also be used.)
This Thanksgiving butter board gets topped with autumn foods like butternut squash, maple syrup, sage, and walnuts.
It looks stunning!
Charcuter-Wreath
This wreath shaped holiday charcuterie board will look beautiful on your Thanksgiving table.
Set it out as an appetizer or pass it around the dinner table, and let the compliments roll in. You’ll feel like a hostess with the mostest!
Charcuterie FAQ
What finger foods go on a charcuterie board?
Use different textures with an assortment of cheeses, from semi-soft cheeses like goat cheese, spreadable cheese, or blue cheese, to hard cheeses such as cheddar or Parmesan Asiago. Traditional meat options include prosciutto, genoa salami, sopressata, chorizo, and cured sausage.
Add in complementary snacks including crackers, jam, nuts, green olives, pickles, and dried or fresh fruit such as apples, grapes, or cranberries.
How do you arrange a Thanksgiving charcuterie board?
Now that you’ve purchased the ingredients and have the board, it’s time to start arranging!
To make a charcuterie board for Thanksgiving, arrange the ingredients step by step so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
The best way to arrange a charcuterie platter is:
- Place your spreads. Start your board by placing small bowls for your spreadable and juicy food items.
- Add the cheese. You can even use small cookie cutters to cut hard cheeses into fun Thanksgiving shapes.
- Arrange a variety of meats and fruit around the bowls and cheese.
- Place crackers, bread slices, and other crunchy snacks.
- Decorate your board with festive decorations to create a Thanksgiving theme or spooky twist.
How do you make a charcuterie board ahead of time?
Prep the ingredients the night before by slicing meats and cheeses and storing them in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can arrange and set up the charcuterie board a few hours in advance, but leave off the crackers, bread, and nuts.
Wrap the board tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
About 30 minutes before serving, take out the board, add crackers and nuts, and let it come to room temperature.
5 tips for Making Charcuterie
1. Choose the right board
You’ll want to get the appropriate size board for your event, and the amount of food you plan to present.
Here are 5 popular boards and pretty ways to present charcuterie:
- Charcuterie board with bowls, cheese knives, and serving forks included
- Classic charcuterie platter with handle
- Extra large board (for a large gathering)
- 3 tier serving tray
- Collapsible charcuterie serving board
Be sure to set out cheese knives as well. And you can use these cute toothpick flags to label the different foods if you’d like.
2. Use little bowls
Small bowls help contain and organize spreadable, loose, or juicy ingredients, such as jams, pickles, olives, and nuts.
They also make sure there are no empty spots in your board.
Set the bowls down first, then arrange the other foods around them.
3. Use easy to find ingredients
To make your charcuterie-making experience as low stress as possible, don’t hunt everywhere for specific, hard to find food items.
Stores like Aldi and Trader Joe’s work well for seasonal snacks and accents, but your regular grocery store should also have everything you need.
Purchase pre-sliced and pre-portioned ingredients to make it even simpler!
4. Use a picture for inspiration
Use this list of Thanksgiving-themed board recipes for specific ideas of what to create.
Or if you’re more experienced with charcuterie board creation, these ideas can be general inspiration for your customized platter.
5. Combine flavors and textures
When planning and shopping for ingredients, be sure to include an assortment of flavor profiles.
You’ll want a combination of savory, sweet, salty, and spicy flavors.
Include different textures, with a variety of hard, soft, crunchy, and chewy.
The perfect charcuterie board has:
- 2-3 types of meat
- 2-3 kinds of cheese (at least one soft and two hard)
- Minimum 2 crunchy snacks, such as crackers, nuts, or raw veggies
- 2-3 savory ingredients, like nuts, pickles, and olives
- At least 2 spreadable dips or spreads, ideally a mix of sweet and savory
Pro-tip: Put your charcuterie board on a lazy susan so it’s easy for guests to access everything.
Ready to try making a Thanksgiving charcuterie board?
I hope this list of Thanksgiving board ideas has given you lots of inspiration to make this autumn season!
With everything from cute turkey-shaped boards to a classic cheese board and veggie charcuterie board ideas, there are really endless options!
Your favorite part will be that it’s a great way to feed a crowd in fun ways with one simple platter.
Your Thanksgiving dinner or Friendsgiving party will be such a huge hit with these fun appetizers and snack tray ideas.
Which of these Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas will you make first?
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