‘Ti the season to turn on a classic film, make your favorite bourbon cocktail and whip up this stunning Autumn charcuterie board. Sharing all the delicious meats, cheeses, dried fruits or veggies that would be beautiful during the upcoming the holiday season. Serve the perfect charcuterie board or charcuterie cones at your next party
The temperature is dropping, the leaves are changing color and everyone’s favorite time of the year has arrived! Early fall means more of us will be opening up our homes for the holiday season. I have some amazing Autumn recipes to share with you – that will help make this season one not worth remembering. Now is the perfect time to have some fall favorites in the back of your mind, and this ultimate fall cheese board is the best way to impress with just a little bit of effort.
This post is full of suggestions, with the hope that once you read the recommendations, you’ll feel confident to make your own fall charcuterie board. You should be able to find all of these fall produce ingredients at your local grocery store. For many, Autumn is the favorite food season of the year!
Charcuterie is often served as an appetizer board, but a little secret of mine? I love to serve them for dinner or date night with pinot noir on the regular. They feel so elegant, they’re like a mini buffet of different varieties of high quality cheese and delicious meats. It’s a great idea to serve this on a busy week night, since all you need to do is put out your favorite little special additions on a cheese tray in a thoughtful way and you can have a gorgeous fall charcuterie board. Last week I served charcuterie two nights in a row. My kids love that they get to choose their favorite things and it makes dinner so much fun. Give it a try!
What is charcuterie?
Charcuterie (pronounced “shar – koo – tuh – ree”) originated in France as a display of cured meats. The term and dish later evolved to display an assortment of meat products, cheese, pickled foods, crackers, bread, dips, olives, dried and fresh fruit, and nuts. Charcuterie boards are notoriously arranged on beautiful boards (often a wooden board) and highlight a variety of different flavors and different shapes.
Charcuterie flavors ar often broken down into main categories, which I keep in mind when creating the perfect fall these board. A charcuterie board should be well balanced with sweet, savory and salty flavors and plenty of texture. I always try to play on seasonal flavors and use seasonal produce when possible. In Autumn and winter I do make a point to use some dried fruits and nuts, whereas in summer you may find mostly fresh fruit on my cheese platter.
In summary, you will usually find a variety of the following on a charcuterie board:
- Dried or cured meats
- Hard and soft cheeses
- Fruits, fresh or dried
- Spreads or dips
- Pickled foods (olives, pickles, cornichons, cocktail onions)
- Bread, chips, crackers
- Sweets
- Garnishes
Tips for a putting together a perfect charcuterie board:
Use small bowls for “wet” foods like jam, honey, maple syrup, fermented foods, olives, and more. Keeping these specific items off of the actual board will prevent other items on your board from getting wet. In Autumn, many people use small pumpkins as their bowls. This also helps “break up” the heights on the board keeping it interesting and visually appealing.
Different types of cheeses recommended for the perfect fall cheese board:
Try a variety of hard and soft cheeses:
Goat cheese logs:
You can’t forget about goat’s cheese on an Autumn inspired charcuterie board. It has a unique, tangy flavor that goes well with your sweet grapes, and spreads right on breads such as the French baguette!
Apple Smoked Cheddar
If you aren’t as fond of softer cheeses, then why not try Cheddar with a difference? Apple Smoked Cheddar cheese has all the familiarity of a Cheddar with a smoky flavor and is perfect for Autumn boards.
Aged gouda
Gouda is the perfect cheese for an autumn charcuterie.
The rich, tangy flavor of this hard yet chewy cheese pairs perfectly with Autumn flavors.
Fresh fruit
- Red apples
- Concord grapes
- Bosc pears
- Mini pumpkins, cleaned and filled with dips and spreads, are also a popular choice.
Dried fruit + nuts
I use these for their taste and texture, but also to “fill the gaps” in my charcuterie board in-between my larger items. I love to use dried fruit that was ripe last season. In Autumn I love dried apricots. In winter I love dried apples. Just a quirk! You do you 🙂
- dried figs
- dried cranberries
- raisins
- dehydrated orange slices
- pumpkin seeds
- walnuts
- candied pecans
SWEET ITEMS FOR AN AUTUMN CHARCUTERIE BOARD:
In addition to fruit, you may also consider:
- fruit preserves
- chocolate covered pretzels
- dark chocolate
- maple candies
- honey comb
- hot honey
SAVORY ITEMS FOR A CHARCUTERIE BOARD
- cornichon pickles
- green olives
- black truffle french salami
SALTY ITEMS FOR A CHARCUTERIE BOARD
- crackers
- cured meats
- smoked salmon
- capicola
- prosciutto
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