Use some shortcuts from the grocery store to put together everything on this Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board in 30 minutes or less, with the beautiful colors and flavors of autumn.

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas For Your Holiday Spread

With years of experience crafting beautiful, seasonally inspired charcuterie boards, I know that it’s all about getting the right combination of flavors and textures.

A beautiful Thanksgiving charcuterie board welcomes guests to the celebration and sets the tone for the rest of the meal.

Whether you’re a charcuterie enthusiast or beginner looking for ideas, I’ll guide you step-by-step through my approach to selecting, arranging and styling a charcuterie board perfect for Thanksgiving or any fall get-together.

Get a head start on holiday cooking with this Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole. No marshmallows in sight, just a perfect balance of sweet and savory with pecans, orange zest, black pepper and cinnamon.

“Ohhhhhh, this was sooo delicious! The grated orange zest was a subtle surprise that I absolutely loved! I took the dish to our annual friends’ Thanksgiving potluck and received great reviews. It was a nice alternative to the more traditional super sweet marshmallow-topped dishes that I’m not a fan of. Great recipe!”

—Cindy

This Easy Sweet Potato Casserole has Gourmet Flair

Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows has never been my cup of tea. If you love it, I love that for you! But, if you feel the way I do, keep reading for another option.

Once I decided to make a sweet potato casserole where the marshmallows were out of the equation, I was free to experiment with flavors and textures that are a little bit different than most sweet potato casserole recipes, but in my opinion, much better.

First, I eliminated the eggs in the potato mixture. Eggs are traditionally added to make the mashed sweet potatoes fluffy, but when I tested it this way, I wasn’t a fan. I prefer the mashed sweet potato mixture to be creamy, smooth, and not fluffy.

I stuck with a classic pecan-brown sugar-butter topping, but jazzed up the potatoes with orange zest for brightness, a hefty bit of ground black pepper for spice, and vanilla and cinnamon to complement the sweetness of the potatoes.

The final result is sweet-but-not-too sweet, and upscale in a way people don’t expect this casserole to be. But watch as they come back for seconds!

This Apple Tart is a stunning fall dessert that combines shortcuts like store-bought pie crust with special touches like pecan butter and homemade caramel sauce.

Apple Tart Recipe with Pecan Maple Butter

My first class in culinary school was an entry-level pastry class, and it seemed like almost all we did was make fruit tarts. I think because they usually turn out beautiful enough to sell at a pastry shop (which the school did, with all of the student work) but they’re easy enough that somebody in an entry-level class can make them with relative ease.

This apple tart recipe is adapted from one of my culinary school textbooks. It takes techniques I learned in school, like beautifully arranging apples and using a simple glaze to lock in moisture, combined with some shortcuts like store-bought pie crust and caramel sauce you make in the microwave, to create a stunning dessert that will get rave reviews.

This Summer Salad Recipe is light enough for a hot day, but filling enough that you won’t feel snacky later on. Oh, and four words: TWO. TYPES. OF. CHEESE.

“I love this recipe and made it tonight since I had most of the ingredients already on hand. I’ll be making this again soon. The dressing is the bomb!!!”

—Cindy

Stay cool with a Summer Salad

As the temperature rises, pretty much all I want to eat for dinner is a cold, crisp salad. I’ve tried many different combinations of ingredients over the years, but this one feels the best for June and July, when strawberries and blueberries are at their best.

The combination of the juicy berries, super creamy goat cheese, crunchy pecans, savory grilled chicken and homemade raspberry vinaigrette is light enough to make it appealing on a hot day, but still filling enough that you won’t feel snacky later on.

And if your family is like mine and doesn’t get through “salad night” without some sort of bread, don’t miss the ricotta toast – crunchy grilled bread topped with ricotta cheese, more of those amazing strawberries, and a drizzle of honey.

If you’re looking for a bright and fresh Thanksgiving Salad, this is the one with the best seasonal ingredients that you can prep in advance!

“This is a fabulous, delicious salad. I made it for a Thanksgiving potluck and people were taking photos of it!”

—Mary Lynn

Get Ready for the Best Thanksgiving Salad

For me, Thanksgiving dinner usually isn’t complete without a salad, and I’ve made this same really good Thanksgiving green salad recipe year after year. 

This salad for Thanksgiving is a combination of sweet and savory flavors using seasonal ingredients, and it’s easy to prep a lot of it in advance. Simply toss it together right before dinner!

This Thanksgiving Fruit Salad with a simple honey-orange dressing is a go-to recipe for home chefs looking to add a vibrant, healthy addition to their holiday table.

“This was a huge hit at Thanksgiving. Everyone agreed that we will make it a regular dish. We all loved it! SO good!”

—Shayna

Thanksgiving Fruit Salad Should Have a Place on Every Table!

With over a quarter of a million page views, our Thanksgiving Salad and this Thanksgiving Fruit Salad recipe have become go-to recipes for home chefs year after year since they were originally published.

Whether you offer a salad or fruit salad as part of your menu is entirely up to you, but we think they’re a nice side dish addition to the meal. The fruit, in particular, is a good option if lots of kids are running around. But people of all ages seem to enjoy a scoop of something light and fresh that really balances all of the rich, heavy things on the plate.

So grab your prettiest serving bowl, select the freshest autumn fruit you can find, and stir up the easiest orange-honey dressing for the best fall fruit salad recipe you’ll ever make. Not just for Thanksgiving, because it feels right anytime in October or November.