I’ve been busy lately, prepping my Thanksgiving menus. I always like to try something different and fun for each occasion, but one thing is certain – I always have a charcuterie board on the table when guests arrive! I feel like these are even more popular over the winter holidays – it’s just so festive to enjoy a delicious and pretty charcuterie board, paired with wine or your drink of choice!
I thought I’d show you all some photos of charcuterie boards that I’ve prepared in the past for various holidays, as well as a few of my favorite sources for boards and accessories. I hope that this is a fun read – and a little inspirational! – as we plan for the holiday season and beyond.
Thanksgiving
For Thanksgiving and Christmas, I love using a pomegranate and its seeds for my table, to add some texture and rich color. You can also find miniature pumpkins, goat cheese, figs, local honey, and seasonal fruits. I like to use various dishes for berries, nuts, and anything that needs to be contained, just to add some visual interest. I also love to accessorize the board with fresh herbs – whatever is in season. Below, I used some pretty sprigs of rosemary.
I like to take a few shortcuts when I can! Chances are, if I’m serving charcuterie, I have many other items on the menu and there’s a lot going on! Some of my favorite hacks for a beautiful spread include a pre-made Brie wheel from Fresh Market or rose-shaped salami displays. I also like to take cookie cutters and use these to cut the cheese slices or fruit into cute shapes. This is especially fun for holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day!
For a colorful and pretty touch, I love to drizzle local honey over goat cheese, or pepper jelly over cream cheese. This is so easy and delicious with crackers!
CHRISTMAS 
Christmas is a great time to go crazy with a theme! I love the Christmas-tree shaped boards (I’ve linked a couple of my favorites below) and I’ve put my cookie cutter to use on the Brie wheel below. Buying cubed cheese at the deli counter is a great way to save time and fill in the board. The rosemary sprigs are a pretty addition here, as well.
The pre-made baked Brie makes a beautiful centerpiece here. Just add a few colorful berries or grapes to garnish! You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to get creative! 🙂
This was a really fun board to use and comes in handy when you are using various types of cheese. Everyone wants to know the name of a new variety!
Valentine’s Day
So easy and fun to use a heart-shaped cookie cutter for this one! I also loved the addition of the wasabi peas – they add some unexpected color to the reds and purples, and pack some savory heat!
The cheeses, mustard, and sausage – speared with heart-shaped toothpicks – added plenty of savory elements that paired really well with the fruit. It would be fun to add chocolate to a Valentine’s Day board, as well!
Below, I’ve linked a few of my very favorite charcuterie boards – some specific to holidays, and some that can be used anytime! I hope you’ll share some photos of your beautiful spreads as you entertain during the holidays – I’d love to see them!
Happy Entertaining!
