Description
This Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board is a festive and creative centerpiece featuring a pear turkey surrounded by an assortment of cheeses, meats, crackers, nuts, and edible decorations. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this no-cook recipe combines savory and crunchy elements arranged beautifully to mimic a turkey with fanned feathers.
Ingredients
Scale
Produce
- 1 fresh pear
Dairy
- Assorted cheese (such as cheddar, Colby, gouda – sliced or cubed)
Meat
- Sliced turkey
- Sliced ham
Pantry
- Assorted crackers
- Roasted almonds
- Roasted pistachios
- Candy eyes (edible decorations)
- Peanut butter (for sticking eyes and nose)
Instructions
- Prepare the pear: Cut a fresh pear in half vertically. Position one half flat side down in the center bottom of your charcuterie board to serve as the turkey’s body.
- Create the turkey’s face: Attach the edible candy eyes to the top rounded part of the pear. Cut a small triangle out of cheese to act as the turkey’s nose. Use small cheese pieces to make the legs. Dab a little peanut butter to help stick the eyes and nose in place if needed.
- Fan crackers: Arrange and fan assorted crackers around the pear to resemble the turkey’s feathers.
- Arrange cheese: Slice or cube cheese and place it around the crackers continuing the feather fan pattern.
- Add meats and nuts: Fan sliced ham, turkey, pistachios, cheese, crackers, and almonds alternately around the pear. Layer these ingredients to continue the feather effect.
- Fill gaps: Scatter roasted almonds and pistachios around the board to fill empty spaces and add texture and variety.
- Final check: Make sure the arrangement is visually appealing with the pear clearly forming the turkey’s body and the other components fanning out as feathers.
- Serve: Place the completed charcuterie board in a central location for guests to enjoy. Provide small serving utensils if necessary.
Notes
- You can substitute the pear with an apple or other firm fruit if preferred.
- If you have nut allergies, omit nuts and substitute with extra crackers or dried fruit.
- Use a variety of cheese and meats to cater to different tastes.
- The peanut butter is just for sticking decoration pieces, it is optional and can be replaced with cream cheese or a similar spread.
- This is a no-cook recipe, great for quick holiday prep and impressive presentation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Thanksgiving charcuterie board, holiday appetizer, pear turkey, cheese platter, no-cook recipe, festive snack, turkey centerpiece
