Entertain your friends and family this Fall season with a beautiful Charcuterie Board – easy to put together, fun to eat, and delicious!
This Charcuterie Board was developed by me for California Prunes. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for helping to support the brands that I love and make Belly Full possible!
And just like that it’s Fall. We are less than two months away from Thanksgiving!
And what better way to celebrate with friends and family, than setting out a beautiful Fall-Themed Charcuterie Board with all the wonderful foods Fall has to offer.
I am lucky enough to be partnering with California Prunes again this year and recently attended another fabulous event starting at a prune orchard and ending at the lovely Sunset Magazine gardens, where prunes were the star (check out my Instagram stories!)
We learned all about how nutritious prunes are, and also did a taste test pairing – you might be surprised by all the foods prunes go so well with! Whole, diced, or pureed, they go with proteins and grains; on salads and cereals; and in sauces and baked goods.
Let’s get over the whole “prunes make you poop” stigma. (Although honestly, why is that even a bad thing?) Sort of awesome actually, that something in such a tiny package can have that much positive influence over our body!
Prunes are loaded – LOADED, you guys – with important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. All of these nutrients together pack a powerful punch that supports overall health to our immune system. Just by eating four prunes, you get 3 grams of fiber, 280 mg of potassium, and 23 mpg of vitamin k, all for under 100 calories. They are great for blood sugar control, bone health, cholesterol, and gut health. And also? They are delicious!
Last weekend we had guests over, and to welcome in the new season, I put together a Fall Charcuterie Board, seeing if I could get them on the prune bandwagon. And guess what? It was a huge hit! California Prunes offer a fresh, naturally sweet, scrumptious taste on their own, but paired with something salty, it’s like a flavor explosion.
What to include on a Fall-Themed Charcuterie Board
Most people immediately think of apples, pumpkin, and squash when it comes to foods for the Fall season. When creating my Fall Charcuterie Board, I didn’t want anything cooked that could break down or needed to stay warm. I also wanted everything to compliment the prune.
- Something sweet! Whole prunes, raw slices or cubes of apple and pear. Whole grapes and/or dried cranberries.
- Something salty! Crackers, roasted almonds, green olives, Prosciutto, and hard cheeses (like Parmesan, Manchego, or Gruyere.)
- Something chocolate-y! Chocolate covered pretzels, sea salt dark chocolate, butter pecan truffles, and caramel chocolate wafers.
- Something spreadable! Homemade ricotta with honey and some prune jam (made with prunes, onion, garlic, and ginger – amazing!)
The best boards are balanced; balanced in flavors, colors, textures, and arrangement.
So when you’re organizing it, think about placing light colored items next to darker colored ones, softer foods next to crunchier ones, and try to keep the foods somewhat on the same level, so one food doesn’t tower over another. But mostly, have fun with it!
How to Build a Charcuterie Board
There are no rules to building your board, but there is a slight process to make it easy.
- Put all your spreadable items (like jams, honey, ricotta) into small Ramekins or shallow dishes, and place those on the board first.
- Then add any meats and cheeses.
- Next are the crackers (or bread), and pretzels.
- Fill in pockets with chocolate and dried and/or fresh fruit.
- If you didn’t fill your Ramekins with nuts or olives, you can fill in other pockets with these items.
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Charcuterie Boards are so much fun to build and bring out the creative genius in all of us. And as my friends would attest to, California Prunes should be included in your Fall feasts!
To learn more about California Prunes, visit www.californiaprunes.org or on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.
Other Charcuterie Boards we love!
Deli Sandwich Charcuterie Board
Fall-Themed Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup homemade ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup onion jam
- 9 ounces prosciutto , folded and rolled
- 6 ounces Manchego cheese , broken into pieces
- 6 ounces assorted crackers
- 1 cup pretzels
- 6 ounces California prunes
- 6 ounces sea salt dark chocolate bar , broken into pieces
- 8 ounces caramel truffles
- 1/2 cup pimiento stuffed green olives
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds
Instructions
- Put all your spreadable items (ricotta and jam) into small Ramekins or shallow dishes, and place those on the board first.
- Then add any meats and cheeses (the prosciutto and Manchego.)
- Next are the crackers (or bread), and pretzels.
- Fill in pockets with chocolate and prunes (and/or fresh fruit.)
- If you didn’t fill your Ramekins with nuts or olives, you can fill in other pockets with these items.
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes
Hello, can you share where you purchased your Charcuterie board?
Target! I got it a few years ago, so not sure if/what they carry now.
Loooved the addition of prunes, going to give this board a try at Christmas!!
I love cheese boards! Such a great people pleaser and so simple to make.
I need to be invited to your house. Yum!