Thanksgiving Charcuterie Boards

Here are some fun and festive Thanksgiving food ideas without making a huge turkey dinner.

Above: First, map out and decorate your table. Just pull each tray off of it as you prepare the food.

Above: Turkey Charcuterie Board

Turkey Charcuterie Board

Ingredients: 

Large round butter crackers (14 or so crackers)

Various thinly sliced deli meats of your choice, such as salami, peppered salami, and soppressata

Crostini slices

Sliced cheddar cheese

Sliced Colby Jack cheese

Parmesan crisps

Bosc pear

Two candy eyeballs

Directions:

First layer:

Place large round butter crackers and place them around the outer rim of a round serving platter. Top the butter crackers with thinly sliced deli meat (such as salami or soppressata). 

Second layer:

Place a layer of crostini slices on top of the meat. Use leaf cutters like these (found on Amazon) to cut cheese slices into leaf shapes. Place the leaf-shaped cheese on top of the crostini slices. 

Third layer:

Place a layer of another type of sliced deli meat on top of the leaf-shaped cheese, being careful not to completely cover the leaf shapes. Cut square Colby Jack cheese slices into four equal parts to make four cheese squares per slice. Place these on top of this layer of deli meat. 

Fourth layer:

Place another layer of sliced deli meat on top of the Colby Jack squares (I used peppered salami this time). Place Parmesan crisps on top of the sliced deli meat. Break the crisps to fit, if desired.

Turkey Body:

Decide which side of the pear you want to be the front. Place it on the platter and see how it sits. If necessary, cut a slice off of the curved portion of the back of the pear so the turkey sits up the way you want it to, and so it doesn't roll around.

Using a sharp knife, cut a slice of cheddar cheese into a small triangle for the beak and cut out the legs and feet to your desired shape. Use a little deli meat for a wattle. I used a little white Betty Crocker cupcake icing to get the eyeballs, beak, and wattle to stick to the pear. You could also use some corn syrup. Simply place the legs/feet onto the platter under the pear/turkey body. 

Chill until ready to serve.

Above: I made a basic veggie platter with broccoli, jicama, grape tomatoes, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, baby carrots, black olives, and green olives with ranch dip.

Above: I used chocolate hummus on one side and a store-bought yogurt fruit dip on the other. The fruits I used were pears, red and green apples, cutie oranges, red grapes, green grapes, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, golden berries, and dried apricots. I started by covering the opening to hide the aluminum foil within the cornucopia. See below for instructions on how I made the cornucopia.

Cornucopia

Ingredients:

Aluminum foil

Cooking spray

4-5 cans seamless crescent dough sheets (not pre-cut)

Pizza cutter or kitchen shears.

Various fruits and fruit dips

Directions:

Using aluminum foil, form the shape of a cornucopia. Once you have achieved your desired shape, place the foil mold on a baking sheet, and spray the aluminum foil mold with cooking spray.

Using seamless crescent dough sheets (not pre-cut), cut the dough into strips using a pizza cutter.

Twist each strip of dough, if desired, to give the cornucopia more texture. Wrap the dough strips one by one around the foil mold, starting at the back and working your way to the front. Make sure to avoid any gaps.

Repeat until the cornucopia is completely covered. Braid some of the strips and use them to decorate the opening of the cornucopia.

Bake the cornucopia at 350 degrees F, rotating during baking, if necessary, until it is evenly browned. 

Cool the cornucopia completely before placing it on your serving tray and arranging the fruit and fruit dips.

Above: I purchased some cinnamon swirl, honey rye, and cranberry orange bread from a local bakery. I cut them into smaller pieces and served them alongside some homemade freezer jams (peach, strawberry, and pear). I also had butter on the side for anyone who wanted it.

Above: This tray had various fall-inspired treats. Maple leaf cookies, white yogurt-dipped pretzels, pumpkin-shaped candies, apple cookies, pumpkin cookies, fall Werther's caramels (cinnamon, caramel apple, and pumpkin spice), and some sliced apples with caramel dip.

Above: This tray had various pretzels with mustard, some mini quiches (spinach as well as egg and bacon), and some slow cooker meatballs.

My Boys' Favorite Pasta

I have shared this recipe before here, but it was shared with another recipe and never got the spotlight it deserved. So, here it is again with the highlight it deserves!

Chicken Bacon Penne Pasta

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breast halves
1 bottle favorite marinade (I like Kroger's Herb & Garlic 30 minute marinade, 12 fl oz)
1 lb. thick-cut bacon, cooked and diced
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt (or more or less, to your taste)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, and additional 1/4-1/2 cup for sprinkling on top
1 (16 oz) package) penne pasta

Directions:

Place chicken and marinade in slow cooker. Heat on low for 6 hours, or until done. Shred chicken.

Cook penne pasta according to package directions.

In a small pan, whisk cream, pepper, butter, and garlic. Heat slowly.

Combine chicken, bacon, pasta, and sauce. When combined, stir in 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, to taste. 

If desired, bake this pasta in a 9x13 pan in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the pasta is warm and bubbling throughout.

Source: I got this from my old neighbor, Emily Tanner. I believe she got it from another neighbor. So, pass it on and enjoy!

Notes: This recipe can be baked or not. It tastes great both ways. This pasta is also freezer friendly. I freeze it in a 9x13 aluminum pan, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, and then bake it in a 350 degree F oven, covered with aluminum foil, until thawed (about 40-60 minutes). Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and it is warm and bubbling throughout.

Pirate Dinner!

I decided to do some themed dinners for Halloween. Here is my first (which I actually broke up into two dinners over two separate nights). But who doesn't love a good pirate theme?

The first night, I served the watermelon pirate ship, crab sandwiches, "fish and chips", and chocolate malt ball cannonballs.

The second night, I served the meatballs, veggie desert island, and pirate gold treasure.

Above: First up is the hardest and most time-consuming part of the dinner. After this, everything is easy. Get an oval-shaped watermelon and cut off the top. Use the top to cut into small rectangles to make the sails. Use bamboo skewers to skewer the watermelon rectangles to make the sails. Scoop out the watermelon with a melon baller. You can have just watermelon balls, or you can also add grapes as well. I used some white yarn for the rigging. I also carved a skull and crossbones into the front sail. You could also print a pirate flag and just attach it to the top of one of the bamboo skewers.

Above: Watermelon skin is not easy to carve. So, you might just prefer printing up a pirate flag and attaching it to a bamboo skewer.

Above: Make a palm tree out of a green bell pepper top and a peeled carrot stick. All of the ideas for this that I saw had the palm tree sticking out of a stiff cheeseball shaped like an island. That was my original plan, but we had a heavy eating weekend and I decided that the last thing I needed was a cheeseball, so instead, I decided to prop up my carrot and bell pepper palm tree in some light ranch dressing that I already had on hand. However, I had to create a wedge underneath the dressing so the carrot didn't keep falling over. It was a huge pain and I don't recommend it. Ha ha! Stick to the cheeseball, if you plan to do this.

Above: Awwww, that palm tree was a huge pain, but it looks cute though, doesn't it?

Above: Fish and Chips. Goldfish crackers and Ruffles potato chips. You could layer these in one bowl together, or if you have picky eaters (like I do), you could serve them in two separate bowls.

Above: I used frozen homestyle meatballs cooked on low for 4 hours in my slow cooker with 1 cup grape jelly and 1 cup barbecue sauce for these "cannonballs".

Above: Aren't these crab sandwiches adorable? Use croissants that come in this shape (rounded crescent). Put your favorite sandwich fillings inside. You could make an actual crab sandwich with crab salad. My picky boys wouldn't have eaten that though. So I used mayo, mustard, cheddar cheese slices, and turkey. I made the eyes by using a glue gun to glue googly eyes onto toothpicks.

Above: They turned out so cute! Those eyes gave them such personality! Ha ha!

Above: Dessert was super easy. Get your favorite gold-wrapped candies and voila! Pirate's gold or buried treasure! Whatever you prefer to call it!

Above: You can have a second version of cannonballs and serve chocolate-covered malt balls for dessert.

Halloween Charcuterie Boards

Some years, decorating and holidays seem like a big pain. Other years, I can't wait! So, instead of waiting, I start celebrating a month early! Enjoy these charcuterie boards I have made throughout September.

Above: I found this spider bowl at the Dollar Tree. I decided to focus on a black/dark-themed charcuterie board. Included here are Boar's Head Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus, figs, dark chocolate dipped strawberries (the chocolate was tinted with black food dye), Oreos with chocolate filling, moondrop grapes, prunes, chocolate animal crackers, blackberries, blueberries, chocolate Twizzlers, dried blueberries, black licorice candies, dark chocolate Raisinets, and Brookside Dark Chocolate, Pomegranate Flavor.

Above: My focus for this one was to go with shades of black, purple, brown, and white. Included here are moon drop grapes, purple cauliflower, figs, dates, black olives, blue corn tortilla chips, sliced baguettes, beef jerky, Boar's Head Superiore Uncured Sopressata, MontChevre fresh goat cheese (blueberry vanilla), Boar's Head Uncured Peppered Salame, dark chocolate malt balls, blackberries, and another kind of blueberry cheese that I can't find the name of right now. Ha ha.

Above: That's the blueberry cheese I can't find the name of. But these boards don't have to be recreated exactly. Just take inspiration from these and use your own favorite black, purple, brown, and white foods.

Above: MontChevre fresh goat cheese (blueberry vanilla).

Above: Purple cauliflower, blue corn tortilla chips, purple carrots, salsa (in the black bowl to the side), cilantro ranch (green goddess dressing could also be used), and fig jam (it went with the charcuterie board above...it was fantastic with the crackers/baguettes, cheese, and salami).

Above: My theme here was orange and black foods. Included are orange Cheetos Puffs, black olives, Cuties orange segments, Halloween orange and black Oreos, Cheez-Its, blackberries, baby carrots, dark chocolate Raisinets, Goldfish crackers, Haribo Raspberries Gummi Candy (just the blackberry ones), chocolate Pocky Biscuit Sticks, and various Halloween trinkets (that I have had for years, but I cleaned first, of course!).

Above: Orange, black, and white focus. Moon drop grapes, blue corn tortilla chips, purple gummy bears, orange gummy bears, Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor Twists, crunchy California rolls, and more cleaned Halloween trinkets. 

Above: My focus here was orange and white foods. We have Cheez-Its, Goldfish crackers, jicama sticks, ranch dressing, baby orange carrots, baby white carrots, white vanilla candy coating dipped strawberries, white yogurt dipped pretzels, white yogurt dipped malt balls, and more cleaned Halloween trinkets.

Above: My theme here was a black and white plate. I was hoping the white bowls placed the way they were would look like eyes and a mouth. Not sure if it succeeded, but something to learn from in the future! I used Oreos with chocolate filling, black olives, dark chocolate malt balls, blackberries, bite-sized vanilla wafers, string cheese, moon drop grapes, vanilla yogurt-dipped malt balls, and more cleaned Halloween trinkets.

Above: This is just a tiny one with a red and black theme. One of these days, I will have to make a big one. Chocolate hummus, moondrop grapes, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.

Above: The theme here was red and white with blood/vampires. I should have given the Babybel cheese some fangs with blood to keep with the theme. Ha ha. Oh, well. Next time. Included here are white vanilla candy coating dipped strawberries with red gel frosting for blood drips and fang marks dripping with "blood", pepperoni roses, water crackers, raspberries, grape tomatoes, Haribo Raspberries Gummi Candy (red raspberries only), a wedge of brie cheese with homemade plum jam drizzled on top (any red jam or jelly would work), apple chips, yogurt covered almonds, yogurt covered peanuts, mozzarella cheese sliced into a triangle shape, Babybel cheese, and a cranberry covered cheese that I can't find the name.

Above: That's the cranberry cheese I can't find the name of. But, really, the point is for you not to recreate these charcuterie boards exactly, but for you to be inspired by them. Put your own favorite red and white foods in your board!

Above: Here is a green and purple fruit tray. Red grapes, moon drop grapes, blackberries, blueberries, and sliced green apples. If you soak the green apples in Sprite, the acidic acid keeps them from browning and makes them less tart.

Above: Here is a green and purple/black fruit and veggie snake tray. In hindsight, I wish I had replaced the purple carrots with black olives. I sliced an English cucumber into slices and left the end intact for the head. I cut out two circles for the eyes and cut out a slit to slide the tongue into. The eyes and tongue are made out of a mini red pepper. This tray has blackberries, purple cauliflower, purple carrots, blueberries, and English cucumber. (Well, and red mini sweet pepper for the eyes and tongue). I served ranch dressing for dipping on the side.

That's it! For now...

Have fun creating holiday charcuterie boards of your own!