Delight your friends and family this year with the most amazing Thanksgiving turkey charcuterie board! Arranged to look like an actual turkey, this delicious cheese and meat tray takes the traditional charcuterie board to the next level. It’s decorated with an assortment of fresh fruits, cheeses, and sliced meats, making it the perfect appetizer for any Thanksgiving dinner.
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Best Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas
A charcuterie is a wonderful way to start any Thanksgiving dinner, but this turkey charcuterie board is so much more fun since it goes along with the whole Thanksgiving day theme!
The shape of the red pear is the perfect turkey body for this beautiful charcuterie board, and your whole crew will want to nibble their way through.
Although it looks fancy, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is! Just follow the step-by-step directions below for your own gorgeous Thanksgiving charcuterie board in no time at all.
Why We Love This Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Board
- Simple & easy: If you can cut, pour, or fold, you can make this Thanksgiving themed charcuterie board. It’s not nearly as complicated as you’d think! Just follow the simple steps below.
- Perfect for Thanksgiving day: This turkey themed snack board is an eye-catching appetizer that is so much fun to eat (and make). The gorgeous fall colors are perfect for the special day!
- Beautiful & fun fall snack board: Although the turkey design makes this perfect for Thanksgiving, you can really serve it any time during the fall or winter! It consists of seasonal fall fruits and delicious meats and cheeses, so this would be a wonderful fall charcuterie board for Halloween, Christmas, or any winter party!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Red pears
- Whole cloves
- Walnuts (or try these cinnamon honey roasted almonds)
- Kalamata olives (drained)
- Apricot jam
- Red pepper jelly
- Smoked gouda
- White cheddar cheese
- Muenster cheese
- Prosciutto
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Turkey deli meat
- Fuyu permissions (halved and sliced)
- Red grapes (in small bunches)
- Crackers
- Fresh sage
- Leaf-shaped cookie cutters (optional)
How to Make a Turkey Charcuterie Board – Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Pear Turkey
- Slice the pear in half lengthwise through the middle. On one half of the pear, place 2 cloves in the top skinny part of the pear for turkey eyes, and a small triangle shape of muenster cheese for a beak. Place this in the middle of the bottom ⅓ of your board, so you know how much space you need to build your turkey tail. Core and thinly slice the remainder of the pears, set aside.
Step 2: Cut out the Cheese
- Using small leaf shaped cookie cutters, cut out 3-4 leaf shapes per slice of muenster cheese.
Step 3: Prepare the Jam
- Place pepper jelly and apricot jam in small bowls or jars.
Step 4: Make the Turkey Feathers
- To build the turkey feathers, use rolled or fanned meats in a rainbow pattern around the turkey body, using varying colors to create a large turkey tail.
Step 4: Form the Turkey
- Remove the turkey body to place the final row of “feathers” closest to the turkey body. Replace the turkey body, making sure there is no dead space between the “feathers” and body.
Step 5: Fill in the Rest of the Board
- Once all the meat has been arranged, start filling in the empty space around the feathers with your cheeses, nuts, fruits, jams, olives and crackers, placing the largest items first and then filling in spaces with the smaller items. Tuck the muenster leaves and herbs. Keep in mind to vary the colors of items that are next to each other, and make the board look bountiful.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- Store any leftovers separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. If items have been left out at room temperature for over four hours, they should be discarded.
- This charcuterie board used a 13” x 18” wooden cutting board.
- You may not be able to fit all of the items on the board at once, which is ok. You can use the extras to restock the board as it gets low.
- Charcuterie boards are best served at room temperature. Boards can be made a few hours ahead of time and covered and kept in the fridge. Set out 30 minutes before serving to allow ingredients to come up to room temperature.
- Use your favorite meats, cheeses, jams and accouterments. You can make this board with whatever you love or can find at your local grocery store.
- If you use blue cheese, keep it wrapped separately until you are ready to serve, as the strong aromas can permeate the other cheeses.
- Plan to budget $75-100 for a board for a party of 12-15 people. You can save money by using less expensive fruits, nuts, and cheeses or shop at discount stores like Aldi that have a great selection of charcuterie board friendly foods during the holiday season.
- Get the adorable cookie cutters for cheese leaves here.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Although it’s traditional to use cured meats for your charcuterie boards, this Thanksgiving appetizer charcuterie board uses sliced turkey in addition to the salami, prosciutto, and pepperoni. The turkey ties it to the Thanksgiving celebration and adds a lighter color that is great for contrast. The main thing to remember is that since the turkey meat is not cured, it shouldn’t be at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Charcuterie boards are fantastic for Thanksgiving gatherings, and there are tons of options to make them your own! Start with savory meats, like salami, turkey slices, and pepperoni. Offer a variety of cheeses, like muenster, white cheddar, and smoked gouda.
Layer in several fall fruits, like red grapes, red pear, and fuyu permissions. Balance it all out with fresh herbs, nuts, jelly, jam, and crackers for a perfectly beautiful board your friends and family will devour! You can even arrange the meat into the shape of a turkey like the one pictured for a really fun display!
A turkey board is a type of charcuterie board that includes at least one type of sliced turkey! This turkey charcuterie board with pear is arranged in the shape of a turkey’s body to make it even more fun for turkey day. You can use the same ingredients without the cute design if you prefer. It’s really customizable!
Storage Guidelines
It’s really important to consider food safety with charcuterie boards since you’re leaving a lot of perishable food out for a long time! This easy turkey-shaped charcuterie board will last a maximum of 4 hours at room temperature, although the sliced turkey meat should only be left out for 2 hours at most.
One great way to extend the life of your appetizer is to use a chilled charcuterie board or set your board over ice packs! They’ll help keep the foods cold for longer, although this isn’t foolproof either.
After 4 hours at room temperature, any leftover perishable foods should be disposed of. If you can put the leftovers away within 2 hours, they’ll last for up to 4 days in the fridge. Just cover the whole tray with plastic wrap or stash the leftovers in an airtight container.
Serving Suggestions
This easy turkey charcuterie board is the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table, and it pairs wonderfully with other appetizers like these:
- Easy Cucumber Appetizers
- “Caramel” Apple Skewers
- Grape and Cheese Skewers
- Mini Roasted Pineapples
- Cranberry Party Meatballs
Board Variations
- Adjust the cheeses: You can easily incorporate other cheeses, like your favorite Swiss cheese, goat cheese, blue cheese, and more. Have fun with it!
- Add veggies: Balance the fall fruit with some delicious vegetables like celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, baby carrots, and any other veggies you’d like. You might want to also add a dip, like this Sweet Potato Hummus!
- Try incorporating cranberry sauce: This is the perfect sauce to add to your own charcuterie board, as it fits the theme perfectly!
- Layer dried fruits: Raid your pantry for dried apricots, cherries, or blueberries for concentrated fruit flavor. They taste great with the meats and cheeses too.
More Similar Recipes
- Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
- Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Board
- Football Charcuterie Board
- Easter Charcuterie Board
- Rainbow Fruit Tray
- Christmas Fruit Wreath
- Christmas Wreath Salad
- Halloween Fruit Tray Ideas
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Thanksgiving Turkey Charcuterie Board {with Pear}
Ingredients
- 2 red pears
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives drained
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
- 1/4 cup red pepper jelly
- 8 ounces smoked gouda
- 4 ounces white cheddar
- 4 slices muenster cheese
- 4 ounces prosciutto sliced
- 8 ounces salami sliced
- 4 ounces pepperoni sliced
- 6 ounces turkey deli meat sliced
- 2 ripe fuyu persimmons halved and sliced
- 2 cups red grapes washed and separated into small bunches
- 4 ounce package of crackers
- 3/4 package of fresh sage
- Small leaf shaped cutters (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the pear in half lengthwise through the middle. On one half of the pear, place 2 cloves in the top skinny part of the pear for turkey eyes, and a small triangle shape of munster cheese for a beak. Place this in the middle of the bottom ⅓ of your board, so you know how much space you need to build your turkey tail. Core and thinly slice the remainder of the pears, set aside.
- Using small leaf shaped cutters, cut out 3-4 leaf shapes per slice of muenster cheese.
- Place pepper jelly and apricot jam in small bowls or jars.
- To build the turkey feathers, use rolled or fanned meats in a rainbow pattern around the turkey body, using varying colors to create a large turkey tail. Remove the turkey body to place the final row of “feathers” closest to the turkey body. Replace the turkey body, making sure there is no dead space between the “feathers” and body.
- Once all the meat has been arranged, start filling in the empty space around the feathers with your cheeses, nuts, fruits, jams, olives and crackers, placing the largest items first and then filling in spaces with the smaller items. Tuck the muenster cheese leaves and herbs as pictured. Keep in mind to vary the colors of items that are next to each other, and make the board look bountiful.
Notes
- Store any leftovers separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. If items have been left out at room temperature for over four hours, they should be discarded.
- This charcuterie board used a 13” x 18” wooden cutting board.
- You may not be able to fit all of the items on the board at once, which is ok. You can use the extras to restock the board as it gets low.
- Charcuterie boards are best served at room temperature. Boards can be made a few hours ahead of time and covered and kept in the fridge. Set out 30 minutes before serving to allow ingredients to come up to room temperature.
- Use your favorite meats, cheeses, jams and accouterments. You can make this board with whatever you love or can find at your local grocery store.
- If you use blue cheese, keep it wrapped separately until you are ready to serve, as the strong aromas can permeate the other cheeses.
- Plan to budget $75-100 for a board for a party of 12-15 people. You can save money by using less expensive fruits, nuts, and cheeses or shop at discount stores like Aldi that have a great selection of charcuterie board friendly foods during the holiday season.
- Get the adorable cookie cutters for cheese leaves here.
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