9 Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas for Festive Holiday Snacks
Get inspired by these creative holiday snack boards—our favorite way to welcome guests to any meal.
No matter what your Thanksgiving gathering looks like this year, we've found an Instagram idea you'll want to try: the Thanksgiving charcuterie board. In fact, if you're celebrating with just a few people this year, a big grazing board could even replace the big traditional dinner. And even if you are planning a classic turkey dinner, you and your guests will need something to munch on while everything cooks. These Thanksgiving-themed boards won't disappoint.
Each year, thousands of posts pop up under #thanksgivingcharcuterie on Instagram; so it seems we're not the only ones intrigued by these delectable holiday displays. We've rounded up a few of our favorite images to help inspire your own holiday snacking. Follow these steps to build your own Thanksgiving charcuterie board, and borrow inspiration from these gorgeous photos to give your board a festive holiday spirit.
Say it with Cheese
We're always thankful for a good cheese tray, and this Thanksgiving charcuterie board from With Love and Brie has it all. It's got the traditional meats and cheeses, but it's topped with tasty treats like golden berries and kumquats, and even a cinnamon and maple syrup whipped goat cheese that has our mouths watering. To make your board extra festive, use miniature alphabet cookie cutters ($14, Amazon) to cut a word or phrase out of cheese.
Related: How to Make a Cracker and Cheese Tray Your Guests Will Swoon Over
Make it Festive
There's no wrong way to make a holiday grazing board: Our favorite method is to pile it with as many of our favorite goodies as possible. We love how Ashley from Sorrenteaux Boards adds festive flair by carving fall leaf shapes into her cheese. To get the look, use a set of leaf-shaped cookie cutters ($10, Amazon).
Redefine Turkey Dinner
Move over, roast turkey! This adorable Thanksgiving charcuterie board is the only bird we'll be eating this year. Not only is it much easier to prepare than a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, but it's also the perfect alternative for a small-scale celebration. To make your own, layer cheese, fruit, and crackers on top of a round wood board ($17, Amazon) in color-coordinating rows to mimic the feathers of a turkey.
Stick to a Theme
Set this year's holiday board apart by sticking to a theme. We love how Meg Quinn from Ain't Too Proud To Meg carried a fall leaf theme throughout her board by pairing leaf-shaped chips, cookies, and cheese cutouts with her meats and fruits. And the addition of chocolate turkeys takes the board from fall to Thanksgiving in one quick step. Check out the post on her website to see all of the ingredients she used on her board and learn how to make a perfect brie cutout.
Related: How to Make Baked Brie en Croute for a Cheesy Appetizer Delight"
Keep it Sweet
If you're celebrating with just a few people this Thanksgiving, save table space by skipping full-size pies. Instead, get your pie fix with this genius idea from Amy of A Little Love Designs, who put together a pie-themed dessert board topped with mouthwatering mini pies. This way, guests can snack their way through the dessert table without portioning out whole pies. With the addition of pretty fruits and florals, this might just be one of the most beautiful dessert spreads we've seen.
Related: 8 Colorful Dessert Board Ideas for a Sweet Spin on Charcuterie
Make it Simple and Seasonal
You don't need to become a master baker to wow your family this Thanksgiving. Take a few tips from Eden Passante of Sugar and Charm, who created a gorgeous Thanksgiving appetizer spread using seasonal produce and some of her favorite fall flavors. To find out exactly what ingredients she included on the board, check out her blog post with all the details.
Work with What You Have
Don't have a real cornucopia for your Thanksgiving display? Grab your cutting board and let the ingredients do the work. Maegan Brown of The Baker Mama is the queen of charcuterie boards, and her Thanksgiving-inspired cornucopia (made from chips, pretzels, and crackers) is the perfect way to deck out a traditional meat and cheese board. Once you've finished laying everything out, add a few pretty cheese knives ($12, Amazon) and serving utensils so guests can help themselves.
Send a Message
Brooke Dunigan's Thanksgiving creation is almost too pretty to eat! She paired the typical fruit, cheese, meat, and crackers with festive elements like leaf-shaped cookies, mini pumpkins, and an edible, ''Give thanks" message. With its bright red fruits and green rosemary sprigs, you could even recreate this design again at Christmas—with an updated holiday phrase, of course.
Get in the Spirit
Thanksgiving is the season to reflect on what we're grateful for—and a gorgeous grazing board is definitely on our list! This spread of orange, red, and yellow snacks arranged atop The Giving Board ($30, Love Paper Creations), has us in the Thanksgiving spirit already.
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