Tips on how to make a fall appetizer board that is perfect for everything from holiday parties to cozy fall movie nights.
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This post is all about how to make a fall grazing board, cheese board, or charcuterie board.
Now that the holiday season is here, it’s time to think about parties and entertaining holiday guests. One of the basic themes this season is to consider what are the best party appetizers to make. You may find that appetizer boards are often popular.
Charcuterie boards, cheese boards, and grazing boards can all be great appetizers to make for a holiday party. If you have a small group of family or friends that you’re interested in entertaining this fall and winter, then consider making a fall cheese board, fall grazing board, or fall charcuterie board to accommodate many different tastes and preferences.
Tip: Find out ahead of time if any of your guests have food allergies, sensitivities, or preferences, and if you may be able to accommodate them. For example, if a guest has nut sensitivities, then you may want to leave nuts off the appetizer plate or board.
Fall grazing boards are easy to make, and they always look impressive at a party. A fall cheese board, fall charcuterie board, or fall appetizer tray is the perfect way to start a Thanksgiving meal, and it is also a great way to feed a crowd during fall movie nights or other fun fall and winter bucket list activities.
Here are some ideas on what to put on a fall charcuterie board, fall cheese plate, or fall grazing board to help you make the best fall appetizers of all this holiday season, along with photos and images to provide inspiration for making your best charcuterie boards this fall and winter.
1—Find a large platter or charcuterie board to use.
You can make a fall charcuterie board, fall cheese board, or fall grazing board using any large plate, platter, or cutting board. Look for a large, flat, food safe surface that is easy to clean (food grade mineral oil is a popular product to use for maintaining cutting boards).
You could also buy a charcuterie board that makes it easy to create your boards. Many of these boards come with dividers, sections, and storage that makes it easier to organize tools, like cheese knives, and present different types of foods.
A charcuterie board or grazing board also doesn’t have to be one board. You can create different stations to present and serve appetizer foods. For example, use one board to make a fall cheese board, and use a second board or plate to display charcuterie (meats).
Use serving bowls or a sectional chip and dip platter to serve things like olives, nuts, crackers, chips and dip. Be sure to have plenty of appetizer forks and spoons and serving utensils nearby for lifting food items from the tray.
2—Start with the basics.
Start with basics like cheese and crackers to fill up the board. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Cheeses like sharp cheddar cheese, gouda, burrata, and goat cheese are all great cheeses to start with, and you can often find them at the supermarket.
Good types of cheese that you can find at the supermarket to use for making a charcuterie board, cheese board, or grazing board may include:
- Blue cheese
- Brie cheese
- Burrata cheese
- Dubliner cheese
- Goat cheese log
- Goat cheese medallions
- Gouda cheese
- Manchego cheese
- Pepper Jack cheese
- Sharp Cheddar cheese
Often, appetizer boards will feature three different types of cheese, including a mixture of soft and hard cheeses. This post describes some types of cheese to include on a cheese board that are also great cheese to use when making a charcuterie board.
If you’re wondering how much cheese to serve per person when making a cheese plate or charcuterie board: in general, plan to serve about 1 to 2 ounces of cheese per guest—more (1 ½ to 2 ounces per person) for an appetizer board and less (1 ounce per person) for a dessert board.
In addition to the cheese, add about two or three kinds of crackers. The best crackers to use for making a cheese board include a variety of crackers that all pair well with different kinds of cheeses, jams, preserves, and spreads.
Multi grain crackers, herb crackers, and artisan crackers are popular choices for making cheese plates and charcuterie boards. In particular, herb crackers are great for serving with soft cheeses, spreadable cheeses, and dips.
Buttery crackers are good to serve with salty foods, like salami and other types of charcuterie. Pair strongly flavored cheeses with mellow crackers (like water crackers) to help balance out the flavors.
A special category of cracker to use for making fall cheese boards and fall charcuterie boards is the fruit cracker. Fruit crackers can be hard to find, but they are delicious for serving with soft cheeses and creamy fruit dips.
Look for hearty crackers, since the crackers will be used to carry ingredients like cheese, preserves, and fruits. Crostini, or sliced toasted bread, are great vessels to use for serving soft cheeses, jams, and spreads.
Finally, you may wish to add a selection of charcuterie, or cured meats, such as sliced sliced pepperoni, prosciutto, salami, or sopressata to the board. If serving charcuterie, then add a bowl of mustard or another savory condiment, to serve with the meat and crackers. Spicy mustard, stone ground mustard, and Mostarda are all delicious selections.
3—Use seasonal foods to create tasty autumn vibes.
Add fall seasonal foods to give the board an autumn vibe. Ideas include adding sliced apples or pears, fig halves, or grapes to the tray. Pomegranate seeds and clementines, satsumas, or mandarin sections also make good fall and winter seasonal produce to add to an appetizer tray.
Tip: Dip sliced apples and pears in lemon juice to help keep them from browning.
Dried fruits, including apricots, dates, and figs, are perfect for adding sweet and tangy flavors to a fall appetizer board.
Crunchy sliced vegetables, like carrots and radishes, are also great to include on a fall cheese board or fall grazing board. Their crunchy texture makes the perfect contrast to softer foods like cheeses, olives, dips, and spreads.
Finally, add nuts and olives, or other briny foods, for a crunchy, salty finish. Plain almonds or smoked almonds, candied pecans or toasted pecans, and buttery cashews are popular nuts to use for making a fall charcuterie board, grazing board, or cheese plate.
When it comes to olives, Casteveltrano olives, Kalamata olives, and Niçoise olives are all good olives to use for making a charcuterie board or appetizer tray.
Look for fresh seasonal fall fruits and vegetables at your local farmer’s market or in the produce section at your supermarket.
Dips and spreads are an important part of making a fall charcuterie board or other type of fall appetizer board. Hummus is a good choice to serve with crackers and vegetables. For a fall touch, consider making beet hummus or pumpkin hummus.
To keep things simple, you could always serve your favorite hummus from the grocery store. Or combine maple syrup or honey, soft cream cheese, and plain Greek yogurt to make a creamy fruit dip with fall flavors.
Apple butter and pumpkin butter make delicious, sweet, and savory spreads to serve on a fall cheese board, fall charcuterie board, or fall grazing board.
Fall appetizer board dip and sauce ideas include:
- Apple butter
- Beet hummus
- Creamy pumpkin dip
- Honey
- Maple flavored fruit dip
- Mostarda
- Pumpkin butter
- Pumpkin hummus
For a dessert board, add a small selection of fall candy. Candy corn, candy pumpkins, autumn mix candy, and similar types of candy are all good to use. Add some chocolate bars or chocolate truffles to the board for a sweet finish.
4—Decorate the board with fall season produce for an autumn aesthetic.
Mini pumpkins and gourds are a fun way to decorate a fall appetizer board to give it a great autumn aesthetic vibe. Look for mini pumpkins and gourds at the farmer’s market or in the produce section at the supermarket each fall.
You can also dot the board with fresh cranberries—just don’t eat them. Raw cranberries are very sour, and generally not good to eat. Instead, use fresh cranberries to make cranberry muffins, cranberry sauce, or rustic cranberry pie.
Be sure to wash any fresh produce and food items that you’ll be using on the charcuterie board with soap and warm water before adding them to the board.
5—Add finishing touches.
Fall cheese boards and grazing boards that feature crackers, nuts, fresh produce, briny or pickled vegetables, and other types of foods are popular to serve as fall appetizers. You can also add a small amount of charcuterie to round things out.
Look for charcuterie selections at your local deli or supermarket, or buy and add simple charcuterie dishes, like sliced pepperoni, prosciutto, salami, or sopressata to a charcuterie board, plate, or tray.
Add a sweet note by placing a small selection of chocolate bars or festive fall candies on the appetizer board. Sweet dips and sauces, like apple butter, honey, and maple flavored fruit dips, are perfect for adding to a fall charcuterie board.
When it comes to drinks and beverages, choosing just one can be hard. Prosecco is a popular choice, since it pairs well with so many flavors. Sparkling grape juice and sparkling water are also good and refreshing drinks to serve with a fall cheese board or charcuterie board.
For a cozy note, serve fall and winter drinks, like hot apple cider, hot chocolate, or mulled cider. Hot apple cider bars, hot chocolate bars, and coffee bars are especially popular for holiday parties and entertaining during this time of the year.
This post was all about how to make a fall grazing board, cheese board, or charcuterie board.
Credits
- Featured title photo by Brooke Lark / Unsplash
- Additional photos by Stories / Unsplash and Brooke Lark / Unsplash
- Photos and images are for illustration purposes only.