Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board + Step-by-Step Instructions

This Thanksgiving charcuterie board has everything you need to create a professional looking cheese board in your home for just $60! All of the ingredients are sourced from Trader Joe’s and the step-by-step instructions will show you exactly how to put them together to create a beautiful table for your Thanksgiving or holiday table.

Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Tutorial

If you’re looking for the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer, look no further than this bountiful board with meat and cheese, crackers, fresh and dried fruit, and snacks galore.

You can copy this charcuterie board step by step and serve it up with confidence for your big day. (And all the holidays and parties after!)

Just change up the decor for the seasons – add mini pumpkins and dried cranberries in the fall, change seasonal fruit like berries in the summer, or make the festive holiday a red, white and green version!

Looking at a finished board, it’s hard to know how much of everything to buy, so we’ve done all the hard work for you and have everything from your shopping list to details on exactly how to cut the cheese (har har har) and arrange each group of ingredients in beautiful layers.

Once you understand the formula and method, you’ll be able to design your own boards using whatever ingredients you want.

What’s on our board: Cheese Board Ingredients

3 Cheeses

a variety of different types of cheese will please all people. I like a soft cheese like brie, a sharp cheese like cheddar, and a manchego or gouda!

3 meats

These come in a 3 pack at Trader Joe’s so they are easy! Look for a variety of mild to spicy flavors

4 Kinds of Crackers

choose 3-4 different items including cool ones like cheese straws, neutrals and maybe even sweets!

Dried Fruits

TJs candied oranges are so delicious and pretty + dried apricots or cranberries are great too

Fresh fruits

Crisp apples and grapes in both colors

Canned figs

Nuts

Truffle marcona almonds = 100%. Cashews. Salted or smoked almonds. Chocolate almonds!

Fresh herbs

And the best part? The whole board was only $60 from Trader Joe’s!

Charcuterie Board shopping list

Yes, it’s all from Trader Joe’s!

Ingredients don’t look so fancy in boxes do they? But all your guests will think this is the board of all boards.

What to include:

Manchego cheese
Unexpected Cheddar Cheese
Triple Cream Brie Cheese
Fig butter or other preserves (Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter is also amazing!)
marcona truffle almonds (you will use half) (6 oz)
Bag of dried apricots (you’ll use about half – save the rest)
2 colors of grapes (take the mixed grape container)
A honey crisp apple
Dried orange slices with sugar (5 oz) (these are SO good, but you can also use fresh oranges)
Trio Spanish Meats (6 oz)
Fresh sage
Fresh rosemary
Stone ground wheat crackers
Pomegranate pistachio chips
Cheddar cheese sticks
Cracker pie

There is an extra goat cheese in the photo that we decided not to use, but of course you can mix and match any cheeses like blue cheese or herbed or cranberry goat cheese.

Tableware Shopping Tips

Try to choose three different styles and flavors of cheese for variety.

You can also add small bowls of hummus or more savory options like marinated artichokes or olives.

A small bowl of chocolate covered nuts or some dark chocolates is a nice touch too!

You won’t use ALL of the crackers, nuts or fruit on the board, but you can also keep a stash on the side to replenish if needed.

How to put together your Thanksgiving charcuterie board

Check out the how-to video on YouTube here!

Gather your equipment, Prepare fruit, Unzip crackers

Do the cutting and preparation on a board and assemble on the serving board. This way the serving board stays nice and tidy.

So, you’ll need two cutting boards, cheese knives and some prep dishes for the ingredients of the mandir.

Prepare the cheeses

Keep the brie whole and dice the cheddar.

How to cut triangle cheese for charcuterie

Turn the manchego on its side and cut it into triangles. Then place them vertically. Once you have a tower, you can turn to the side to see as a zigzag on the board.

How to fold and wrap meats

Roll the oval meats into cigars
Fold the circular meats into “flowers”

Meeting

Once everything is unrolled, washed, cut, you can start assembling!

Step 1: Start by anchoring the cheese board.

Step 2: Add the meats as a wrapped river around the cheeses, turning the wrapped “cigars” vertically.

Step 3: Add fruit

Lift the grapes as high as possible so the stem is in the air.

Place piles of dried fruit around.

Anchor the corners with orange slices (I think they’re pretty!) and thinly slice apples to display on a fan.

Step 4: Add crackers in groups and bunches such as fans, dominoes and stacks.

Notice how the breadsticks are half and upright as much as possible.

Step 5: Fill the remaining gaps with nuts.

Step 6: Make a dent in the brie and pour over the preserves.

Step 7: Add fresh herbs to the remaining spaces.

Watch it magically build:

Tips for charcuterie

Table size

If you don’t have a big enough board, you can put two boards together or use a platter. Since you’ll be doing most of the cutting on your prep board, the serving board is more for display.