The Meat:
Charcuterie means cooked or cured meats in French. It makes sense — charcuterie boards of the past were made up of a wide selection of cured meats. Today, you’ll see a lot of other ingredients used, but that doesn’t make your choice of meat any less important. Some of our favorites to include on our Thanksgiving charcuterie board are:
CapicolaSalamiPepperoniProsciutto
The Cheese:
These days, charcuterie boards are so much more than just meat. The other star of the show is clearly the cheese. There are so many different directions you can go with cheeses. Our advice? Make sure to have a few different types, ranging from hard to semi-soft to soft. Beyond the cheeses we used on our board, here are some other ideas to inspire you:
PecorinoAged white cheddarSmoked goudaHerbed BoursinMascarpone
French baguette – diced into cubesWater crackersWheat ThinsCrostinisArtisan crackers
The Seasonal Add-Ons:
Now that you have your meats, cheeses, and breads sorted, it’s time to move on to some of the other add-ons. Seeds, nuts, fruit, and jellies are also important. Some seasonal suggestions include:
Pepper-pumpkin jellyPepitasCranberry jellyPears or figsHoney
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Make-Ahead Instructions:
Feel free to set up your charcuterie board for Thanksgiving up to 24 hours in advance if you want to save a little time. Arrange your meats and cheese, tightly wrap the board in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge. Determine which type of bread and crackers you want to serve, although it’s best to cut any bread and take the crackers out of the package right before serving. The same goes for the sliced fresh fruit — hold off on cutting anything up until Thanksgiving day. If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious Thanksgiving recipes:
Juiciest Turkey Recipe EverEasy Greenbean Casserole (No Cream of Mushroom!)The Creamiest Mashed PotatoesHow to Make Gravy — The Ultimate Guide
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