How To Make A Fall Charcuterie Board

A fall charcuterie board is the perfect show stopper for your next fall party! Filled with delicious finger food, this will be a hit for every guest who attends.

My husband and I recently hosted a fall harvest party. Let me tell you, it was so much fun! We featured a fire surrounded by hay bales for seats, hot cider, loads of food and a hayride. I even had my stovetop simmer pot going all day to make our home smell festive! On top of that, the weather was absolutely perfect and made for a lovely night.

Honestly, my husband did most of the set up. My domain was, of course, the kitchen. As I was thinking about what I wanted to make, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a fall charcuterie board. What’s not to love about them?! They are so simple to put together and look beautiful as well.

Also, I love how you can be very versatile when making a charcuterie board. We didn’t have a solid veggie dish, so I knew I definitely wanted to incorporate vegetables. A variety of cheeses and meats along with crackers and dips make great combos as well. Really, you can get as creative as you want!

Obviously, I was sticking to a “fall” theme so I added in some mini pumpkins and fresh pine clippings. I think this really added to the charcuterie board and the harvest party overall. By the end of the night, almost all of the food was gone!

FAQs

What should go on a fall charcuterie board?

Layer your charcuterie board with a variety of fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, crackers and spreads. To go along with the fall theme, add decor such as mini pumpkins, pine clippings or cinnamon sticks.

What are 5 tips to making a charcuterie board?

Add a variety of cheese. You can add 2-3 kinds of cheeses with varying tastes and textures. Use some that are soft and spreadable alongside harder aged cheese. A variety of cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s cheeses also make for great combinations.
Make it colorful. Part of the “hype” around charcuterie boards is that they are so eye-catching. Choose colors that will complement one another and throw in a few bold ones as well.
Carbs are necessary. Cheeses and dips pair so well with several kinds of crackers. Think sweet and salty, too!
Veggies and dip. While carbs are necessary, I also think some charcuterie boards can be too carb heavy. Add in some fresh veggies and dip for extra health benefits! Carrots and broccoli are personal favorites of mine.
Fresh fruit goes a long way. Fresh fruit adds another level of variety, color and taste. It’s a perfect way to add sweetness to the salty. Choose what’s seasonal to match the theme of your board. For example, for fall, concord grapes, pomegranates, cranberries and pears are great options.

Do vegetables go on a charcuterie board?

Vegetables are a great addition to charcuterie boards. Try to pick veggies that are easy to pick at and go well with dip. Some options are broccoli, baby carrots, peppers, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes.

What finger foods go with a charcuterie board?

Finger foods that go with a charcuterie board include cheese, salami, bologna, crackers, baby carrots, cucumbers, nuts, dried cranberries and dates.

What do you garnish charcuterie boards with?

Rosemary sprigs
Fresh thyme
Drizzles of honey
Nuts
Fresh fruit
Peppermint leaves
Cinnamon sticks
Lavender
Basil
Seasonal items like pine clippings, flowers, dried citrus fruits, berries, etc.

Ingredients you may need

Cheese

Fresh fruit

Crackers

Dried fruit

Nuts

Dip

Veggies

Garnishes

Supplies you may need

Parchment paper

Tape

Long table or large cutting board

Chopping knife

How to make a fall charcuterie board

First, you are going to gather all of your ingredients. I didn’t end up using all of the items in this photo. But, the necessities are 2-3 kinds of cheese, 2-3 different crackers, veggies, fruit, nuts and one or two dips. I also did a bowl of olives. Prep your veggies by chopping if needed and slice/cube the cheese.

Second, prepare your charcuterie table or board. Since we were hosting a large crowd, I opted to use the food table and simply tape down a piece of parchment paper. This makes clean up easy and effective.

Additionally, you’ll want to create some focal points. Here you can see that I used 3 pumpkins with one in the middle and two at either corner. Fresh greenery also added a pop of color and went along with my fall theme. Focal points are helpful to assemble your food because it’s what everything is centered around.

To begin, I added my nuts and dried fruit. As you can see, I centered them around each pumpkin to create a sort of flow. Try to vary what colors you are using together so things stand out.

Next, I added several rows of crackers. These tend to take up a lot of space so you’ll want to add these sooner rather than later. Use the crackers to make curved lines rather than straight ones to give a softer look. Since my bowl of olives was quite large I also found a spot for that. Bowls featuring food or dips can also create good centerpieces to work around.

Then comes the fun part!

I started added cheese, meat and veggies. Make sure to cut your cheese a couple of different ways. Personally, I cubed one and sliced the other into triangles. I added the veggies into leftover pockets of space which brought in lovely vibrant colors. A bowl of dip was also added to the lower right corner. Again, make sure to orient everything around your centerpieces to create eye-catching focal points. You could also go back in and add some garnishes throughout if you’d like (rosemary sprigs, pine clippings, etc.).

And it’s time to enjoy!

At the end of all of your hard work you’re left with a beautiful masterpiece. Enjoy it now because it won’t stay this way for long! Your friends and family will love digging into this marvelous spread.