It’s a few days before Thanksgiving, which means you might be scrambling and running around trying to finalize your holiday menu. There are so many things to think about when you decide to host Thanksgiving, and making sure everything is set up and ready to go can be stressful. If you’re feeling the weight of throwing the “perfect” feast this year, one way to make life easier is to choose an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer for your guests, like a Thanksgiving charcuterie board.
Charcuterie boards are basically boards filled with cheeses and canned meats, but people often put their own spin on these boards, sometimes adding ingredients like fruits, vegetables, dips, and chocolates. People have also taken the concept of a charcuterie board and made it completely vegan, leaving out the meat and cheese and swapping in veggies and dips. Whatever you choose to put on your platter, the idea is for your guests to gather around the charcuterie, chatting and anticipating the main course.
If you already have your favorite charcuterie ideas, then go ahead and go for it! But if you need some help and inspiration and want to prepare something that will really impress your guests, try one of the following Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas for a pre-dinner bite.
Keep reading, and for more hosting tips, check out 31 Thanksgiving Sides You’ll Want Seconds About.
Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Board

All you need is a red pear, some rolled meats, cheese and fruit to fill in the gaps, and you’ll have an adorable turkey-shaped charcuterie spread that makes a festive appetizer.
Get the recipe from Half-cooked harvest.
Thanksgiving Cheese Board


For a little taste of the meal to come or a dish to make the next day with your leftovers, try this Thanksgiving cheese board from Vermont Creamery that features classic Thanksgiving ingredients such as Brussels sprouts, sliced turkey and cranberry sauce. To simplify your plate, try Vermont Creamery Cranberry, Orange and Cinnamon Goat Cheese Logwhich pairs perfectly with the other components of the cheese board, including apple butter, candied pecans and sweet potatoes.
Get the recipe from Vermont Creamery.
Holiday Charcuterie Board


This holiday charcuterie board from Half-Baked Harvest includes cheeses like brie, goat cheese, and blue cheese, as well as meats, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and crackers. You can also follow its step-by-step guide, which is helpful for knowing how to build it.
Get the recipe from Half-cooked harvest.
Thanksgiving Cheese Board


What’s Gabby Cooking created a Thanksgiving-specific charcuterie board by sticking to a “darker” color palette. She used olives, marinated artichokes, persimmons, various meats, crackers and other flavorful ingredients like honeycomb on brie.
Get the recipe from What is Gabby cooking.
Winter Bruschetta Bar


Traditional bruschetta usually consists of a combination of things like toast, tomatoes, basil and olive oil. If you love bruschetta and want to elevate this classic appetizer, you can make this winter bruschetta bar for your Thanksgiving guests that includes goat cheese, blue cheese, cream brie, ricotta, pomegranate, apple, red peppers, prosciutto, etc.
Get the recipe from What is Gabby cooking.
Turkey Snack Board


This Turkey Snack Platter from The Bakermama is similar to Half-Baked Harvest’s Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Platter, but it focuses a little more on vegetables, fruits, and nuts and doesn’t use meat at all. If you want to add meat, you can easily insert some between the other ingredients.
Get the recipe from The baker mom.
Keto Charcuterie Plate


Chances are you won’t have a ton of guests trying to cut down on carbs this Thanksgiving, but if you or a family member or friend is following a Keto or other low-carb diet carbs, it’s good to have some ideas for ways to stick with them while still enjoying your favorite foods. This Keto Charcuterie Board still uses delicious meats, cheeses, and nuts, but instead of crackers, it calls for cheese whips.
Get our Keto Charcuterie Board recipe.
Trader Joe’s Deli Board


We love this Trader Joe’s Charcuterie Board from The Bakermama because if you live near a TJ’s, you can run there right now and get all the ingredients you need for an awesome Thanksgiving appetizer. In addition to the convenience of it, we also like that you can save money on this forum since Trader Joe’s is very affordable.
Get the recipe from The baker mom.
Vegan Charcuterie Board


This is another take on a vegan charcuterie board, and it’s so delicious that you and your guests won’t miss meat or cheese. Minimalist Baker’s vegan board features plenty of plant-based cheeses and meats, while Ambitious Kitchen’s leans more on naturally plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, olives, chickpeas and dark chocolate.
Get the recipe from Ambitious cuisine.
Vegetarian mezze platter


Why not spice up your traditional charcuterie board and surprise your guests with this Mediterranean-inspired app? This vegetarian mezze platter includes olives, feta, tomato pesto, artichokes, hummus, tzatziki and pita chips.
Get the recipe from What is Gabby cooking.
Vegan charcuterie board


Do you have vegan guests coming over for Thanksgiving but want to make sure they still get the full holiday experience? You can make this vegan charcuterie board from Minimalist Baker, which includes a variety of plant-based snacks like a vegan chili cheese ball, vegan pepperoni, vegan garlic and herb cheese, hummus, nuts and chickpeas.
Get the recipe from Minimalist baker.
Thanksgiving Turkey Vegetable Board
This classic turkey charcuterie board doesn’t have to have meats and cheeses. This version incorporates lots of vegetables, like mini peppers, radishes, and rainbow carrots, to create a fun, fresh, and colorful appetizer.
Get the recipe from I’m not too proud of Meg.
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