Description
This easy fall charcuterie board is made with cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruit, crackers, nuts, olives, jam, and seasonal touches like mini pumpkins. It is a simple appetizer for fall parties, Thanksgiving, Halloween, or any cozy gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese
- 8 ounces brie
- 8 ounces Havarti, cheddar, or Colby Jack
- 8 ounces mozzarella balls, goat cheese, or Camembert
- Optional: 4 ounces blue cheese, Roquefort, or another stronger cheese
- Meat
- 8 ounces salami
- 8 ounces prosciutto
Fruit
- 1 to 2 bunches grapes
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 cup dried apricots or dried figs
- Optional: sliced apples, pears, figs, or plums
- Crackers and Bread
- 1 box water crackers or assorted crackers
- 1 baguette, sliced
Fillers
- 1 cup mixed olives
- ½ cup cornichons
- ¼ cup pistachios, almonds, or walnuts
- ¼ cup fig jam or apricot jam
- ¼ cup grainy mustard or Dijon mustard
Optional Seasonal Garnish
- Mini pumpkins
- Fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme
- Candy eyes or fake spiders for a Halloween board
Instructions
- Place 2 to 4 small bowls on a large serving board. Fill them with olives, cornichons, jam, mustard, or nuts. Add mini pumpkins or seasonal decorations around the board, if using.
- Add the cheeses next, spacing them around the board. Slice or cube firmer cheeses and leave soft cheeses whole with a small knife nearby.
- Place the largest bunch of grapes near the center of the board. Add blackberries, dried fruit, and any other fresh fruit in smaller piles around the board.
- Arrange the crackers and sliced baguette in small stacks or curved lines around the cheeses and fruit.
- Fold, roll, or layer the salami and prosciutto into open spaces around the board.
- Fill any remaining gaps with nuts, olives, dried fruit, cornichons, herbs, or additional crackers until the board looks full.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate loosely covered until ready to serve. Add crackers and bread shortly before serving so they stay crisp.
Notes
- For a smaller board, use 2 cheeses, 1 cured meat, 1 fruit, 1 cracker, and 2 to 3 fillers.
- For a Halloween board, add dark fruit, candy eyes, fake spiders, or a brie “coffin” topped with jam.
- Plan on about ¼ to ⅓ pound of cheese per adult and a little less than ¼ pound of cured meat per adult if serving as an appetizer.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
