Quick Answer: Plan one board per party from Halloween to New Year's Day: three Halloween boards, a fall harvest board, Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving and a leftovers board, a dairy Hanukkah board, a Christmas tree, a wreath, Christmas morning, a cookie board, a hot cocoa board, New Year's Eve and a New Year's Day brunch. Use 2, 3 or 4 oz of meat and cheese per guest.
Save this now. Between late October and the first of January most of us host or bring food to five or six gatherings, and every one of them goes better with a board. Here are fifteen, in calendar order, with what goes on each and one thing to do ahead.
Every board below follows the same amounts: meat and cheese each at 2 oz per guest before a meal, 3 oz when the board is the party food and 4 oz when it is dinner. The Party Planner turns that into a shopping list for any guest count.
The season at a glance
| # | Board | Best for | Make-ahead step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pumpkin-shaped board | Halloween party | Cube the cheddar the night before |
| 2 | Black and orange board | Adult Halloween | Mix the black olive tapenade a day ahead |
| 3 | Kids' monster board | Trick-or-treat night | Cut cheese shapes in the morning |
| 4 | Fall harvest board | Early November dinners | Roast the nuts up to 3 days ahead |
| 5 | Friendsgiving board | Potluck with friends | Portion the dips into jars |
| 6 | Thanksgiving board | Before the big meal | Slice meats the night before |
| 7 | Leftovers board | The day after | Nothing, that is the point |
| 8 | Dairy Hanukkah board | Candle-lighting nights | Make the latke bites a day ahead |
| 9 | Christmas tree board | Holiday parties | Cut the cheese star in advance |
| 10 | Wreath board | Hostess gift or table centerpiece | Wash and dry herbs a day ahead |
| 11 | Christmas morning board | Brunch | Bake the mini muffins the day before |
| 12 | Cookie and dessert board | Cookie swaps | Bake and freeze cookies weeks ahead |
| 13 | Hot cocoa board | Movie nights | Make marshmallow jars ahead |
| 14 | New Year's Eve board | The countdown | Chill the bubbles and slice the meats |
| 15 | New Year's Day brunch board | Slow mornings | Soft-boil eggs the night before |
Halloween
1. The pumpkin-shaped board
Arrange cubed aged cheddar, orange bell pepper strips and dried apricots in a round pumpkin shape, then add a "stem" of pretzel rods and a leaf of sage. Fill the gaps with salami folded into quarters. It photographs well from above, which is why it gets shared. More ideas are in the Halloween charcuterie board guide.
2. The black and orange board
This is the grown-up version. Use Mimolette or aged Gouda for orange, black olives, blackberries, dark rye crisps and black olive tapenade. A small bowl of blood-orange marmalade ties it together. Serve with a dry red.
3. The kids' monster board
Cut string cheese into "fingers" with an almond slice for a nail, add candy eyes to cheese rounds and use grapes for eyeballs. Cut grapes in half lengthwise for small children and leave whole nuts off the board if young kids are coming.
November
4. The fall harvest board
Build around apples and pears (toss slices in lemon juice so they do not brown), aged cheddar, a wedge of blue, candied pecans, fig jam and walnut bread. This is the board that suits a Pinot Noir.
5. The Friendsgiving board
Friendsgiving boards travel, so use jars and small containers: whipped feta, cranberry relish, mustard, pickles. Hard cheeses and cured meats hold up best on the drive. Put everything on the board once you arrive.
6. The Thanksgiving board
Keep it light because dinner follows. Two oz per guest of meat and cheese is plenty. Lean on fresh fruit, cranberries, crisp crackers and one soft cheese. The full plan is in the Thanksgiving charcuterie board post.
7. The leftovers board
The day after, slice cold turkey, add the leftover cranberry sauce, stuffing bites crisped in a pan, the cheese ends from yesterday's board and some pickles. Nobody cooks, everybody eats.
December
8. The dairy Hanukkah board
Many families keep Hanukkah food dairy and skip pork, so this board is built on cheese, smoked salmon, cream cheese, latke bites, applesauce, sour cream, olives and rugelach. If guests keep kosher, ask what they need and buy certified products.
9. The Christmas tree board
Lay cubes of cheddar and Havarti in a triangle, tuck salami and rosemary sprigs between the rows and top it with a star cut from a slice of cheese. It is the easiest holiday board on this list. See the Christmas charcuterie board for more shapes.
10. The wreath board
Place a small bowl in the center of a round board, then ring it with rosemary, salami roses, mozzarella pearls, cherry tomatoes and green olives. Remove the bowl before serving so the ring reads as a wreath.
11. The Christmas morning board
Mini muffins, croissants, soft scrambled egg cups, bacon, fruit, yogurt and a wedge of brie. Set it out while the gifts are opened and let people graze.
12. The cookie and dessert board
Mix three or four kinds of cookies with dark chocolate, clementines, candied nuts and a small wedge of aged cheddar. The cheese keeps it from tasting like one long sugar rush.
13. The hot cocoa board
Cocoa in a thermos, then jars of marshmallows, crushed peppermint, whipped cream, cinnamon sticks and shortbread. This one is for movie nights and kids.
New Year's
14. The New Year's Eve board
This is the night to spend a little more: a triple-crème, Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto, Marcona almonds, honeycomb and something bubbly. Guests are often grazing for hours, so plan 3 oz per guest and refill instead of putting everything out at once. The New Year's Eve board post has the full list.
15. The New Year's Day brunch board
Bagels, smoked salmon, cream cheese, soft-boiled eggs, fruit, and a pot of coffee. It is a slow, easy start to the year.
Keep every board safe
Perishable food should sit out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, per USDA guidance. For long parties, build two smaller boards and swap them. Take hard cheese out of the fridge 45 to 60 minutes before serving and soft cheese 20 to 30 minutes before.
Which board are you making first?
Send this to whoever is hosting this year, and pin it so it is ready in December. When you know your guest count, the Party Planner gives you exact amounts, and the Board Library has full board plans you can copy.
Get one board idea a week, plus the free charcuterie cheat sheet, when you join the Charcuterie Lab newsletter.
