Quick 30-Minute Festive Fall Charcuterie Board

Learn how to make a festive fall meat and cheese board in only 30 minutes! This fall charcuterie board is easy to put together and always crowd-pleasing thanks to its colorful mix of autumn produce, comforting cheeses, and salty meats.

Indulge in comforting, seasonal flavors with an easy fall meat and cheese board

Whether it’s Thanksgiving or a cozy afternoon in, this fall meat and cheese board is a must-make when the cold weather arrives. Not only is it quick and easy to put together, but it’s a true celebration of the best produce that the autumn season has to offer.

I’m no stranger to an impressive meat and cheese board. With over 10 years of experience in the culinary field, I’ve learned how to think of fun flavor pairings that may not pop into other people’s minds as easily. That’s why I’m thrilled to share my expertise in this charcuterie guide and help you assemble your own impressive fall-themed cheese plate!

Just like my spring, summer, and winter meat and cheese boards, this charcuterie board for fall features festive produce and a myriad of cheese and meat pairings. Put it out as a party appetizer for the holidays, make it for friends during cozy nights in, or as a post-pumpkin patch meal!

What should be on a meat and cheese board for fall?

Searching and shopping for fall charcuterie board ideas is almost as fun as eating the board itself. Instead of testing this recipe, I took a trip to the farmer’s market to pick out great fall produce. That helped me find meat and cheese to complement the seasonal flavors rather than overpower them.

Scroll through these ingredient suggestions to find out what you should put on a fall cheese board: 

Cheese

The crisp fall air calls for comforting cheeses with heavier textures and deep flavors. You can find a variety both at your local grocery store and specialty cheese shop. Use what works for your budget and taste buds!

For this fall meat and cheese board, I used 4 kinds of cheese, each from a different category: aged, bloomy, blue, and fresh.

These are my favorite choices when highlighting fall flavors:

• Aged cheese: Trader Joe’s 1,000 Day Gouda is nutty, creamy, and semi-hard. It’s wonderful with dates and sliced pears. If you don’t want to use Gouda, try Cheddar, Gruyere, or Havarti instead. 
• Bloomy cheese: Camembert features buttery, milky, earthy, and sweet flavors with a bloomy edible rind. French Brie, Mt. Tam, and Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk are all wonderful substitutions.
• Blue cheese: Stilton is a mild blue cheese. With its signature blue veins, even blue cheese-skeptics will enjoy its rich flavor and crumbly, semi-soft texture. If you can’t find Stilton, use the equally mild Point Reyes Original Blue instead. For a stronger choice, turn to Gorgonzola or Roquefort.
• Fresh cheese: Goat cheese is always a nice choice for fall cheese boards because its creamy and tangy flavors complement fall produce so well (as proven in my Pear and Goat Cheese Tarts). If you prefer something more salty and/or rich, use Feta, Ricotta, or Cotija instead.

Fruits and vegetables

This is the fun part. There are endless kinds of fruits and vegetables that are in season during fall, which means you can make the board as colorful and festive as you like!

• Apples are a must on any fall meat and cheese board because this is when they’re at their peak season. I like red apples for a pop of color, like Braeburn, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, and Empire. 
• Crab apples are also perfect here. They’re safe to eat, as long as you don’t mind their intense tart flavor (you can always use them for decoration!).
• And if you love apples on a fall snack board, you’ll love pears, too. Both green and red pears fit in well.
• Lastly, you’ll always find pomegranate seeds on my fall and winter charcuterie boards. They’re super juicy, a little crunchy, and bursting with tart and sweet flavors. Pour them into small bowls or sprinkle them around the board to make it sparkle!

Need more ideas? Check out these other fall fruits and veggies that pair well:

• Persimmons 
• Radishes
• Grapes
• Celery
• Figs
• Green beans
• Dates
• Marinated artichoke hearts

Serving this a meal? Garnish the board with a mix of cooked vegetables, like maple-glazed carrots, sauteed broccoli, roasted butternut squash, or sauteed Swiss chard. A few of these Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts would be perfect for dessert.

Meat

The type of meat on a meat and cheese board is referred to as “charcuterie” or cured meats. They’re sliced thin and are delightfully salty and fatty. 

I picked two for this fall board: soppressata and prosciutto. Both are inexpensive, easy to cut and fold, and pair well with the rest of the ingredients.

You can make your board with as many different varieties of meat as you like. It’s always comforting to use a meat you know you already like, but why hold back? Use this as an opportunity to try something new or pick a meat that you’ve always wanted to try.

Snacks and spreads

You need a few last-minute additions to complete your board, like:

• Crackers and bread: Fill the last pockets of space with a variety of crackers (Trader Joe’s fig and olive crackers are my favorite), homemade crostini, breadsticks, and bowls filled with nuts or seeds, like roasted pumpkin seeds and rosemary Marcona almonds.
• Spreads: Fill small bowls with honey, fig jam, and cranberry sauce to bring layers of extra flavor to every bite. Use a variety of sweet and savory spreads or just one kind if you have a theme in mind.
• Briny things: A briny element is always welcome on a meat and cheese board. Include a small bowl of olives, pickled vegetables, or cornichons.

How to assemble a fall meat and cheese board

These step-by-step instructions will show you how to assemble your board in the most appetizing way possible:

Equipment recommendations

To assemble a meat and cheese board, you need:

• Board: If you don’t have a fancy wooden board on which to present your charcuterie and cheeses, use a serving tray or even a dinner plate. 
• Small bowls: To hold the little things, like nuts, seeds, olives, spreads, pomegranate seeds, and so on.
• Cheese knives: These make slicing the hard and stiff cheeses a breeze.
• Cutlery: Include some butter knives on the side for the spreads and have a few spoons ready for scooping up the briny things, nuts, or pomegranate seeds. And for the guests who don’t want to eat with their hands, keep some cutlery on the side.

Tips and tricks

Take a look at these helpful tips before you put your charcuterie board together:

Room temperature cheese

While you can assemble this cheese board ahead of time (see the FAQs below for instructions), I recommend taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before your guests arrive. This gives the cheeses time to come down to room temperature, making them easier to slice.

Give it a festive look

Once it’s assembled, fill the empty gaps in the board with festive ingredients or decorations. Use fresh herbs, like thyme or rosemary, extra nuts and seeds, more crackers or pieces of crusty bread, and even small pumpkins, squash, or gourds.

Pair it with cocktails

Make you and your guests’ snacking experience complete with the right cocktails! A large batch of Pear and Gin Prosecco Cocktails, Orange Pomegranate Sparkling Cocktails, or Cranberry Orange Prosecco Punch is always welcome.

Craving a mocktail instead? Whip a few of these Cranberry Ginger Mocktails together in a flash!

Frequently asked questions

Recipe

Recipe

NEED SOME MORE PARTY READY RECIPES THIS FALL?

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