Fall Charcuterie Board that Takes Only 5 Minutes to Put Together
This fall-themed charcuterie board brings together some of the classic flavors associated with the season. It has lovely yellow, red, and brown colors. It also has plenty of complimentary sweet and savory pairings.
From fall foods like apples to the creamy pistachio-cranberry-honey goat cheese log, there’s so much to get excited about. Serve it at birthdays, at holiday gatherings, or with friends as you watch an October or November sunset.
How to Put Together a Fall-Themed Charcuterie Board in 5 Minutes
Ingredients
To make my fall charcuterie board, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Goat Cheese Log (store-bought, plain or cranberry-flavored, or this homemade Cranberry Pistachios Honey Goat Cheese Log)
- Gruyere Cheese
- Ossau-Iraty Cheese
- Salami
- Prosciutto
- Sourdough crackers
- Breadsticks
- Kalamata Olives
- Sundried Tomatoes
- Apples
- Pistachios
- Cranberries
Ingredient Notes and Suggestions
Best Cheeses for the Board
A variety of cheeses is best for a charcuterie board. Alternatives to goat cheese could include other soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.
Alternatives to Gruyere cheese could include cheeses like Comte, Emmental, Edam, and Beaufort.
Ossau-Iraty is cheese made from sheep’s milk. It pairs well with apples, prosciutto, and olives, making it a fantastic choice for this board, alongside the other cheeses. Manchego would be a good substitute for it.
Best Meats for the Board
There’s a reason Prosciutto crudo and salami are common choices for charcuterie boards. They are delicious and pair well with most things on a board (including apples, most cheeses, and most nuts).
Other cured meats that would go well on a charcuterie board are Soppressata, Capicola, Speck, Bresaola, and Lomo.
Apple Pairings
The Granny Smith apples pair well with the cranberry-pistachio-honey goat cheese log and the Ossau-Iraty cheese, as well as with the prosciutto and salami.
Apples that would pair well with all three cheeses as well as cured meats include Honeycrisp, Pink Lady (or Cripps Pink), Golden Delicious, and Fuji.
How to Keep Apple Slices (and Other Fruit Slices) from Browning on a Charcuterie Board
To keep the apple slices from browning, add some fresh lemon juice to the slices (brushing the entire surface with it). Use this tip with any fruit that browns easily, like pears and peaches. You could also use fresh orange juice.
Ingredients You Can Add to this Fall-Themed Charcuterie Board
Additional fall produce you can add to the board includes grapes, pears, figs, blackberries, kiwi, grapefruit, mandarins, oranges, and pomegranate seeds. You can also add nuts and seeds like pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, chestnuts, and pumpkin seeds.
Tips and Flavor Pairings
As this was a 5-minute recipe, I didn’t really have the time to make some dips. The dips would have made the board even better. If you have the time, here are a couple of suggestions for dips you can add to the board:
- Baba Ganoush: As eggplants are in season through October in the U.S., this dip is perfect to add to a fall board. If you make this dip, add some warm pita to the board, as it’s delicious with the baba ganoush.
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: This hummus will put your breadsticks to good use. You could also serve it with warm pita bread.
- Lemon Basil Aioli: Technically, a mayo flavored with garlic, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper. So many things dipped in this flavored mayo are delicious, including bread, pita, breadsticks, raw vegetables, and fries. If you make roasted vegetables (based on the suggestion below), you can drizzle this on the vegetables instead of drizzling tahini sauce.
- Tapenade: This tapenade recipe takes only 10 minutes, and it would really enhance a charcuterie board.
You could also serve this board with some additional pairings like this fresh fig and goat cheese flatbread, these roasted vegetables with tahini sauce, these cheddar corn fritters with lime and cilantro, or any of these crostinis.
For a drink pairing, I have this lovely Fall Sangria recipe (with Apple Cider, Apples, Oranges, Lemon, and Cinnamon) for you to try.
Enjoy the colors and flavors of fall with one charcuterie board, and let me know in the comments which pairings your guests loved the most.
