Fall Charcuterie Board
Scrumptious snacks including 3 delicious kinds of cheese, crackers, nuts, grapes, and sweet and savory spreads, and more make up this fall charcuterie board, perfect for entertaining friends and family.
Fall is a busy season for entertaining. Whether you are hosting friends or family to watch a football game, hosting ghosts and goblins for Halloween or celebrating Thanksgiving, there are plenty of opportunities for gathering around a fall-inspired charcuterie board.
Feel free to go crazy with cheese and food pairings. I like to set out halved fresh grapes, bright and colorful sliced pears, salami, sliced bread with olives, crackers with fig or apricot jam, dried cranberries, dried apricots, whole almonds or walnuts, honey, and olive tapenade.
I picked up everything I needed for my fall charcuterie board at Safeway in the deli and the produce department.
The Best Cheeses for a Charcuterie Board
When selecting cheeses for a charcuterie board, it’s important to have a good variety. It’s nice to offer a hard cheese, a creamy, soft cheese, and a cheese with pungent flavors. There are no rules per se, obviously go with what you like, or with what fits your budget.
Hard Cheeses: Manchego, Gruyere, Cheddar, or Gouda
Manchego cheese hails from the La Mancha region of Spain. This is a firm sheep’s milk cheese with tangy, nutty, grassy flavors.
Gouda is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese originating in the Netherlands. With a nutty, buttery taste infused with notes of caramel, gouda cheese is an all-around crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for holiday cheese plates.
Originating in the English village of cheddar, cheddar cheese is a well-loved hard cheese with a nutty, sharp taste. It ranges from sweet and creamy to bitter and sharp in flavor. In general, the longer the cheddar has aged, the sharper the flavor.
Soft cheeses: goat cheese, brie Camembert, Chevre, Roquefort, and gorgonzola
I selected the Primo Taglio Garlic Herb Goat cheese – it’s a soft and spreadable chèvre cheese full of pungent flavors ranging from slightly grassy and sweet from the herbs.
Havarti – is a creamy cheese Native to Denmark, Havarti has presented itself as an original take on sliceable cheeses with a creamy body. Being a semi-hard cheese, it has a springy texture with subtle sweet and acidic notes. Lusciously smooth, Havarti is balanced and mild enough to suit all palates. It is available plain or accented with dried dill for a punch of extra flavor.
A triple cream brie is also a great option if you want a luxuriously creamy spreadable cheese. I prefer brie baked and not on a cheese board – but you can select whatever cheese you like.
Good Snacks for Charcuterie Board
I like to offer sweet and savory snacks on a charcuterie board to give everyone an option.
- nuts – almonds, walnuts, candied pecans seeds
- dried fruit – dried apricots, cranberries, cherries, figs
- spreads – fig jam is a must, honey, apricot jam,
- savory spreads – olive tapenade – Safeway has a Signature RESERVE Olive Tapenade spread and a Caponata spread that are amazing on a fall charcuterie board
- olives – green Casteverano olives are a perfect olive for a charcuterie board
- crackers, pretzels, cheese crisps – choose both flour and gluten-free options for your guests.
Ingredients in Fall Charcuterie Board
- Primo Taglio Goat Cheese with Garlic & Herb
- Primo Taglio Manchego Cheese
- Primo Taglio Uncured Pepperoni – or Salami
- Primo Taglio Danish Havarti Cheese with Dill
- Signature Farms Dried Apricots
- O Organics Apricot Preserves
- Open Nature Parmesan Crisps
- Open Nature Pretzel Thins
- Signature SELECT Vanilla Yogurt covered pretzels
- Signature RESERVE Olive tapenade
- grapes
- pears
- mixed nuts, dried fruits and snacks from the bulk produce bins
How to Put Together a Fall Charcuterie Board
Some people start with the cheese and build from the inside out, I like to start with the outside of the board and work my way into the center.
Be sure to take the cheeses out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before they will be consumed.
Start from the edges and set your grapes and sliced pears.
Then place the three kinds of cheese in the center of the board. Slice the Havarti to get it started for your guests
Layer the crackers, cheese crisps, dried apricots, and pretzels around the cheese to fill in the spaces.
Place the fig jam and the apricot jam in small bowls on the board along with spreading knives.
Extend your board by placing mixed nuts, olive tapenade and snack mix in small bowls around the edges of the main charcuterie board.
Ingredients
- Primo Taglio Goat Cheese with Garlic & Herb
- Primo Taglio Manchego Cheese
- Primo Taglio Uncured Pepperoni - or Salami
- Primo Taglio Danish Havarti Cheese with Dill
- Signature Farms Dried Apricots
- O Organics Apricot Preserves
- Open Nature Parmesan Crisps
- Open Nature Pretzel Thins
- Signature SELECT Vanilla Yogurt covered pretzels
- Signature RESERVE Olive tapenade
- red green and black grapes
- red and green Bartlett pears
- mixed nuts dried fruits and snacks from the bulk produce bins
Instructions
- Some people start with the cheese and build from the inside out, I like to start with the outside of the board and work my way into the center.
- Be sure to take the cheeses out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before they will be consumed.
- Start from the edges and set your grapes and sliced pears.
- Then place the three kinds of cheese in the center of the board. Slice the Havarti to get it started for your guests
- Layer the crackers, cheese crisps, dried apricots, and pretzels around the cheese to fill in the spaces.
- Place the fig jam and the apricot jam in small bowls on the board along with spreading knives.
- Extend your board by placing mixed nuts, olive tapenade and snack mix in small bowls around the edges of the main charcuterie board.
Wine pairings for Fall Charcuterie Board
With the cheeses and snacks I selected for my board, I would suggest the following wines for this fall charcuterie board.
The Manchego Cheese pairs beautifully with a fruity red Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.
Serve tangy goat cheese with a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir or Malbec. Set out a Hefeweizen beer or citrusy gin drink too.
Enjoy a good sharp cheddar with a bold Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
Serve young, mild gouda cheese with a Pinot Grigio or Reisling and set out a deeply flavored Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay with an aged gouda.
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