This Thanksgiving charcuterie board idea is the easiest way to enjoy all the flavors of a full feast without all the cooking and clean-up! Whether you’re spending Thanksgiving with family or hosting a Friendsgiving, bring this Thanksgiving charcuterie to serve as a grazing board or appetizer. People love grazing for meals because they can customize their plates, come back for all the different flavor pairings, and it prolongs the duration of the meal.

For more festive fall boards, check out my Thanksgiving Turkey Board, Turkey Shaped Cheese Ball, Thanksgiving Cheese and Dessert Board, Thanksgiving Kids Snack Board, and Elevated Fall Cheese Board.

What’s On My Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board?

To be honest, this board is very cheese-centric. What else did you expect from me!? I’ve officially started calling the holiday Cheesegiving! Jokes aside, I made sure this board is full of the flavors and ingredients you’d find on a traditional Thanksgiving spread, just with a cheese board twist on them. I’ll take it section by section below!

Cheese for Thanksgiving Charcuterie

As you know from my Cheese Board 101, it’s best to choose a mix of hard and soft cheeses. I leave the soft cheeses intact and pre-cut the hard cheese to make it easier for guests to grab a slice.

• Mimolette is the bright orange cheese that really pops on the board, giving it an especially autumnal feel. It’s an aged hard cheese with a sharp bold flavor and hints of butterscotch. This is one of my favorite French cheeses (as seen on my French Cheese Board). I tend to use it on many fall boards because of the pretty color, including my Thanksgiving Cheese & Dessert Board. 
• Brie is easily the most popular French cheese. It’s universally loved and commonly referred to as “The King of Cheeses.” It’s a very soft cheese, spreadable on almost anything. Its creamy texture and mellow flavor will go well paired with almost anything else on the board. If you want to do a cut-out with a mini brie wheel, the sky’s the limit!
• Comte is another hard cheese that is mild but bold in flavor. It has sweet, nutty notes. I added a leaf-shaped cut-out (with a cookie cutter, same as I have on some kids boards) of the Comte for an extra boost of Fall flair! 
• Bleu d’Auvergne is a pungent blue cheese that goes really well with fresh fruit and sweet flavors. 

Thanksgiving Tastes for Your Board

The Turkey

I love these deli turkey skewers as a replacement for cooking a whole bird. Doing turkey this way creates loads of opportunity for adding your own flavor twist.

To build these pretty turkey kabobs, peel off the bottom leaves from a rosemary sprig. Then use the twig-like stem to pop on a cranberry for the beginnings of our cute little meat sticks. From there you want to grab a piece of turkey, fold it in half, then slowly roll it into a pretty cone.

You could substitute turkey meatballs instead of deli turkey. Add prosciutto, or salami to your spread (or both!). Or find a plant-based meat alternative to put out for the veggie-friendly folks. 

The Carbs

I added a few baguette slices to the board. While crackers are usually my jam, I figured that toasted French bread would more easily evoke the feelings of the holiday. It’s no stuffing, but makes the rest of the meal feel complete. I always have more in a bowl off to the side. Substitute, or add crackers or pretzels to the mix if you prefer. 

Maple leaf cookies are a fantastic way to make this board feel like a special Fall treat. Plus they are super yummy and pair well with the fruit and cheese. 

The Produce

Add fruit that’s in season—in November grapes, pears, apples, persimmons, pomegranates, and cranberries. They will taste better and be more affordable. Fruit is a great way to add more colors to your board. 

I love adding dark purple grapes to fall boards. They are a great seasonal fruit and the rich dark color is a perfect addition to the spread. 

In lieu of my typical olives, I made it a mission to find The pickled veggies on this board really kick it up a notch. I have both pickled green beans and pickled Brussels sprouts. The pickle flavor adds a tart acidity which breaks up the rich flavors of the meat, cheese, and bread. 

Where I would usually put honey, I substituted cranberry jam (so Thanksgiving!) and these adorable sugared cranberries to the board. Alternatives to these include dried cranberries, the classic cranberry jelly from a can, or a very simple cranberry relish. 

The Accoutrements

Place mini pumpkins and gourds on the board or interspersed with your table spread. I love #BoardsWithGourds because they add the perfect Autumnal touch. Make sure to place these on the board first with larger-scale items first (like anything in a ramekin and large blocks of cheese). 

Nuts! I’ve included candied pecans here. Other nuts that would be great include walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or chestnuts. 

As always, add a garnish to your board. I chose fresh rosemary sprigs pinned into whole raw cranberries. You could also add pomegranate seeds, or thyme sprigs.

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Substitutions

The best part about any board is the ability to make it your own! If there are any flavors you don’t like or prefer over others that I’ve included, make a swap–or two! 

Additionally, for folks who are gluten- and/or dairy-free, there are some great options…

Cheese

• Nuts for Cheese Smoky Gouda Style 
• Treeline Herb Garlic French-Style Cashew Cheese
• The Uncreamery Crimson King

Crackers

• Better with Buckwheat Cinnamon Maple Crisps
• Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed Crackers

Make This Thanksgiving Board Extra Festive 

You really can’t go wrong with how you build this meal board. All of the ingredients should pair fairly well together in an updated version of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. 

Choose your items within the fall color palette: orange, yellow, red, and purple are my favorites this time of year. 

Above all make sure you’ve included the items you really love. Thanksgiving is all about celebrating with the ones you love, whether you’re in the same room or eating cheese boards over a Zoom call. 

If you have young kids to feed too, make them their own kids’ snack board! 

Thanksgiving Wine Pairing

When it comes to Thanksgiving, there’s a huge variety of wines to choose from thanks to all the spices and flavors! According to Wine Folly, here are some of the best wines to pair with your feast:

Reds

• Zinfandel
• Pinot Noir
• Beaujolais

Whites

• Sancerre

Show Me Your Thanksgiving Boards

I hope this post inspires you to create a new Thanksgiving tradition this year! Nothing makes me happier than seeing the festive spread and snacks you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!

And, If you liked this board recipe, please rate & review.