Halloween Charcuterie Board

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You're already going to have plenty of sweet candy and chocolate for Halloween, so balance it out with savory salumi, cheeses, and fresh vegetables on an epic Halloween Charcuterie Board.

As with sandwiches, salads, and bowls of cereal, I am of the belief that cheese and charcuterie boards don't require an actual recipe. Grab some cheese. Get some crackers. Put them on a board. Maybe for the sake of Mindy Kaling there's a 12 paragraph introductory story about how your great grandfather wore shoes made out cheese rinds to walk 40 miles to school.

But other than that, you don't really need a recipe.

That being said, visual guides and grocery shopping lists are always helpful when planning and putting together a charcuterie board for holidays and parties. Use the photos here as idea starters and visual guides. Download the grocery shopping list to your own excel spreadsheets. I categorized by color and category so you can sort and filter the ingredients as you like. If a Recipe format works better for you, scroll down. Print whichever version works best for you, get shopping, building, and partying!

What You Need for a Halloween Charcuterie Board

Your Halloween Charcuterie Board can be as cozy or epic as you want/need. Here are the high-level categories of ingredients you need:

• charcuterie, of course!
• cheeses
• crackers, bread, and chips
• olives and pickled things
• fresh fruit and vegetables
• dried fruit
• candy, as a garnish!

Best Types of Charcuterie for Halloween

Any charcuterie works for this board so use your favorites. If you need some ideas, these are some all-around crowd pleasers that I include on most of my boards:

• capicola or coppa
• prosciutto
• Genoa salami
• bresaola
• spicy sopressata

Best Cheeses for Halloween Charcuterie Board

For a Halloween Charcuterie Board that is built by color, look for orange cheeses. Though the orange color isn't technically "natural," aged Gouda, Cheddar, and mimolette all fall in this color category.

Because it's Halloween, here's an extra treat: an all sweet candy board shaped like, what else, a Jack-o-lantern. For that, you really don't need a recipe. The cute Halloween-themed gummies can be found at most grocery stores around this time.

Printable Grocery Shopping List

The Grocery Shopping List includes a brainstorm of orange, green, purple, and black ingredients to get you started. Not everything on the Grocery Shopping List appears on the board in the photo above. It is... a lot.

Copy and paste the table below into your own spreadsheet or grab the downloadable shopping list here

Charcuterie Board FAQs

How much charcuterie should I buy/serve?

If your charcuterie board is an appetizer or part of a larger spread, estimate 2-3 ounces of charcuterie per person. If the charcuterie board is the main attraction along with the usual accompaniments like bread and crackers, estimate 5-6 ounces of charcuterie per person.

How much cheese should I buy serve?

Estimate 5 ounces of cheese per person, give or take 2 ounces based on how much of the other non-cheese accompanying ingredients there are.

How far in advance can you assemble a charcuterie board?

You can assemble the charcuterie board up to 24 hours in advance, as long as you cover it and keep it refrigerated until just before serving. You can leave the assembled charcuterie board out at room temperature (serving) for up to two hours.

Pro-Tip: If you plan to have your charcuterie board out for more than two hours, assemble it with only half the cheese and charcuterie to start, and keep the remaining half in the refrigerator. After two hours, replenish the board with "fresh" cheese and charcuterie from the refrigerator.

Tools and Equipment for Halloween Charcuterie Board

• extra large 16x28-inch wooden cheeseboard
• Halloween cookie cutters (includes jack o'lantern, ghost, bat, and more)
• favorite multi-purpose small condiment bowls
• favorite all-purpose 7-inch chef's knife (expensive but worth it!)
• gold-toned cheese serving set (use fork to crumble the aged cheeses)

Prep for the Fall Season and Upcoming Holidays with these Boards

• Game Day Board for Your Football Game and Tailgating Parties
• What Wine Pairs with a Cheese Board
• Christmas Charcuterie Board with everything red and green!
• Latkes and Smoked Salmon Platter for Hanukkah
• Dessert Charcuterie Board for the Holidays
• Every Charcuterie Board Accompaniment You Need
• Healthy Cheese Board to get started on the New Year, New You!