I have to come clean about something. I’ve spent more years than not actively avoiding cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. Pandemic or not, my boyfriend and I often eat some version of this Thanksgiving Grazing Board below instead of a full Thanksgiving dinner. This grazing board is festive, it’s easy, it’s all of my most favorite foods on one tray, and it pairs perfectly with wine and a day of relaxing. And OMG, so much easier than a full meal. 😅
So whether you feel like you just want to skip the big meal all together, or you need something to keep the hungry mouths busy while you’re preparing the big meal, a Thanksgiving grazing board is a great option.
P.S. If you’re like me and would be just as happy with a grazing board of goodies instead of a traditional Thanksgiving meal, give me a shout in the comments so I don’t feel like I’m a weirdo. 😅
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What Goes on a Grazing Board?
When building a grazing board, I like to have items from the following categories: meat, cheese, fruit, bread, dips or spreads, nuts, and pickled vegetables. That way you have an excellent mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, acidic, and maybe even spicy, that can all be mixed and matched into an endless combination of delicious bites. I think I just described my heaven.
Oh, and garnishes are always a nice touch, if you want it to look pretty. And food that looks pretty is always more fun.
Thanksgiving Grazing Board Options
For each of the categories I listed above, I’ll list what I used as well as some alternate ideas that stay in that Thanksgiving/fall theme, so you can easily build your own custom board.
Meat: I used salami medallions and slices of roasted turkey. Other ideas include: peppered salami, prosciutto, honey ham, genoa salami, or soppressata.
Cheese: I included brie, smoked cheddar, and aged gouda in my Thanksgiving Grazing Board. You want to try to have a variety of textures and flavors. Here are some other cheese options (try not to choose two from any category):
- Creamy: Chevre, Camembert, Burrata
- Hard: Parmesan, Manchego, Pecorino, aged cheddar or gouda
- Slicing cheeses: Cheddar, Provolone, Havarti, Swiss
- Blue: Roquefort, Stilton, Blue
Fruit: I included grapes and pears on my grazing board, as well as a few dried apricots and dried cranberries to fill in the nooks and crannies. Other fall-inspired fruits could include: apples, pomegranates, figs, or satsumas.
Bread: I used a variety of crackers (from a variety pack) to provide multiple shapes and textures on the board. I also sliced up a baguette and offered that on the side, since there wasn’t much more room on the board for bulky pieces of bread. You can use virtually any type of cracker or sliced bread for your grazing board.
Dips and Spreads: I included whole-berry cranberry sauce, honey, and Dijon mustard. Other fall-inspired spreads include: fig jam, pumpkin or apple butter, whole grain mustard or spicy honey.
Nuts: I used a few pecan halves that I had in my pantry to fill in the gaps on the board, but candied walnuts, almonds, or pecans would also be a nice festive touch.
Pickled Vegetables: I ran out of room to include any pickled vegetables on my tray, but they really do offer a nice flavor contrast to the rest of the items and I usually try to include at least one. Sweet mini gherkins would be my preference for the flavor profile of this Thanksgiving Grazing Board, but a classic olive is always nice, too.
Garnishes: I went with a couple of mini pumpkins and rosemary sprigs for my garnish, since I already had both on hand. Another fun option would be to get some fake or fresh sunflowers, fake leaves, or fake pinecones.
How to Save Money on Your Grazing Board
It’s so easy to go overboard when buying meats, cheeses, and other specialty ingredients, so here are my tips for keeping your costs in check:
- Stick to one or two items from each category. You’ll run out of room on your board faster than you think!
- Check your fridge and pantry for shelf-stable items you may already have on hand: nuts, dried fruit, mustard, jam, honey, etc.
- Buy a variety pack of crackers rather than multiple boxes of single crackers. Crackers are always strangely expensive, IMHO.
- Check for a discount bin at your grocer’s deli section. A lot of deli department will place pre-sliced meats and cheese, or even specialty cheeses on discount when they get close to their sell-by date! If you don’t see a discount section, ask! You can save big using this method, just make sure to buy the discounted items no more than 1-2 days before you plan on serving your grazing board.
- Use a baking sheet as your “board” (this white enameled baking sheet is linked in my shop). No one is going to see it through all of those beautiful cheeses anyway! Haha! If your baking sheets are looking a little worse for wear, lay down a piece of parchment paper first.
How Much Does a Thanksgiving Grazing Board Cost?
This board cost me about $27.54, with leftovers of most of the ingredients that I could refill as the board gets eaten down (almost two boards-worth of ingredients). I literally “grazed” on this board and the leftovers all week long. Here is a breakdown of what I purchased and what I already had on hand:
Purchased:
- Salami $3.99
- Turkey slices $2.99
- Brie $2.99
- Smoked cheddar $3.49
- Aged gouda $3.69
- Grapes $3.53
- Pears $1.59
- Cranberry sauce $0.89
- Crackers $2.89
- Baguette $1.49
On hand (I didn’t measure these ingredients so I can’t calculate estimate costs):
- Honey
- Mustard
- Pecans
- Dried Cranberries
- Dried Apricots
- Mini-pumpkins
- Fresh rosemary
How to Make A Thanksgiving Grazing Board – Step by Step Photos and Styling Tips
I like to start my board with any larger items and dips and spreads. I find that the little bowls or dishes of spreads make great central pieces to “wrap” other food around. So here I have a bowl of cranberry sauce, two small cups with mustard and honey, and two mini-pumpkins. I also like to avoid having the board look too symmetrical, so I just sort of scattered these pieces around the board.
Next I added the grapes and pears because again, these are larger items that will be difficult to place once more ingredients are added. I left half of the pear whole for visual appeal. More pear can be sliced as the the board gets eaten (I actually purchased two pears, so I had an extra waiting to be sliced).
Next I went in with the cheeses. In addition to having a variety and flavors of cheeses, you want to present them in a variety of ways. Hard aged cheeses look beautiful when crumbled. Slicing cheeses, like cheddar, are great as slices or cubes, and softer cheeses are good to present whole or in larger pieces that people can slice off or scoop up as needed.
Now it’s time for the meat. Again, you want to present the meat in a variety of ways to really maximize the visual texture of the board. There isn’t a lot you can do with these little salami medallions, so I just piled them on to make the board look “abundant.” For the turkey slices, I rolled them into cigars. If you have thin slices of salami or cured meat, it’s fun to fold them in half, then in half again to create a sort of ruffled appearance.
Next came the crackers. I like to fan the crackers out and snake them around other items.
Now the board should be very full, save a few very small blank spots. I used small items like nuts and dried fruit to fill in the blanks.
And finally, I added a few rosemary sprigs as a garnish. The board looks abundant, full of color, texture, and flavor, while still having a distinct fall theme.
What Else Might I Need?
If you do decide to make a Thanksgiving Grazing Board this year, don’t forget some plates, napkins, and toothpicks! Oh, and bring your appetite, too. ;)
Looking for a full Thanksgiving dinner? Check out our Thanksgiving Dinner for Two or How to Make Thanksgiving Dinner for Beginners.
This is stunning! I’m definitely going to do this!!! I am looking forward to crafting it in the way that you demonstrated in the step-by-step photos. I have some of the ingredients and can easily get the rest. It will really wow my guests. Thank you for posting such an easy, affordable, and beautiful idea for an appetizer :)
Beautifully done!
Looks great! How many people are you feeding? I’ll be right over.
Beth, this is totally wonderful! You’re right, with a board like this, who needs all that other trouble and work?!
Beth, I LOVE this idea! Ever since my husband and I finally nixed traveling for Thanksgiving, we’ve done deli turkey roll ups stuffed with potatoes and stuffing for an easy-peasy holiday meal that is a million times less stress (and cleanup!!) than our fams’ traditional meals. So going to add this into the rotation, too! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve done this for several holidays over the last few years. Mine never look this pretty though! We almost always have olives, pickles, nuts, dried and fresh fruit, farmer’s market honey, and some kind of deli meat on hand, so I just pick up a box or two of crackers, some small portions of fancy cheese, and perhaps a fancy deli meat that we wouldn’t eat on a “regular” day. I appreciate certain grocery stores that sell cheese ends for cheap. That is a great way to sample a variety of cheese without committing to a big chunk of something you might not care for. We usually do this for my husband, my teenager, and I for lunch and dinner and play boardgames in between. I love a quiet, low stress holiday.
I love this idea!
Love this idea, can use it for all the other special holidays. Excited that I came across your site today.
Thank You,
Terry
With you there! Cooking a turkey is way too much trouble. Sometimes we roast a turkey leg or breast instead. This board is perfect.
Using a baking sheet as a cheese board is genius! I’ll definitely give this a try. I really like the incorporation of the roasted turkey and cranberry. So smart, Beth!
This looks like a more elaborate version of the tray I’ve been taking up weekly for our weekly cul-de-sac cocktail hour during the pandemic. My family is always happy with this option for a meal or a ‘starter’ while we cook big meals together. I’ve been going by instinct-thanks for breaking down categories for better balance and visual appeal in future!
I always love your newsletters and recipes. In future when my kids are launched and there is less pressure for the traditional dinner I will definitely do the grazing board. Finger food is the best – and for my hermit husband the thought of spending turkey day grazing in front of football games would be nirvana. So no, you are not weird. Thanks for all the great ideas. Budget Bytes is my goto whenever I need a recipe. Lisa G
I love your board. I am totally going to make this!!
I would be happier with this grazing board than the traditional carb fest. I’d sub an apple for the pear (just personal preference) and there would have to be pumpkin pie. I’m
This is the recipe that keeps on giving. I used it for a NYE and spent a lazy NYD eating leftovers. It was heavenly.
I just got a new job and I’m trying to figure out lunches. I saw a lot of “bento box” recipes on Pinterest that kept missing my mark. And then I remembered this! My lunches going forward will be this grazing board in miniature.
Thank you!
I must be a weird-O too! This looks so delicious and I would much rather graze than have the full meal…….My husband may not agree but I’m in for next year! Thank you it looks devine!
Hi Beth –
I was just looking at this recipe for reassurance/advice, since I’m planning that for Christmas (just the three ‘at home’ family here this year). I noted you mentioned that crackers are strangely expensive. I have found recipes online, and in various cookbooks that would work marvelously, and probably only use ingredients you already have. I did buy some Carr’s Water Crackers (happen to be a family favorite) and am planning to bake some pita chips from leftover pitas in my fridge.
Next year. When things are back to normal (I hope), I seriously plan on doing this…unless we are invited to the inlaws for dinner… then this is Christmas!
Hey Beth – greetings from the great white north! I am really enjoying all the recipes you are sharing on here. Your budget pantry cookbook was a total game changer for me – I actually enjoy making dinner again! This Thanksgiving board idea is great – we had already celebrated Thanksgiving long ago – but this came in super handy for a stuck at home with the kids (again) night. Have solid plans to use in conjunction with our Christmas/Yule Fondue later in the month. Hope you are staying healthy and safe!
Thank you! I’m glad you found this useful, even after Thanksgiving. :)
Beth, you hit it out of the park again! (That’s baseball. Remember baseball–when real people rather than cardboard cutouts were in the stands?). It was a quiet, quarantined Thanksgiving, so I kept it simple: roasted broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, a baked potato, and a ribeye all washed down with a nice Malbec.
BUT I was so enthused with this grazing board that I sent it to my best friend and her husband, since they love ideas like this as well. The day after Thanksgiving, we met up for a hike near Great Falls, Md., and they surrendered their turkey carcass so I could make turkey soup. I, on the other hand, made lunch…it was a grazing board! One of my cheeses was a Budget Bust rather than a Budge Byte (Moliterno al Tarfufo; so yummy), as well as Manchego and blue cheese, with sliced apples, almonds, dried cranberries and cherries, and Kelloggs Toasted party crackers. It was a total hit. And kudos to the folks who recommended it for New Years Eve and Christmas Eve! I’m sharing it with my family! Thanks again, Beth.
Awesome!! That sounds like such a lovely holiday (and day after). :) I’m so glad you all enjoyed the grazing board!
We did a grazing table with all sorts of things including the turkey and stuffing meatballs from Budget Bytes! They were a big hit. We enjoyed it so much and was so much easier for me as cook as I made everything ahead except the homemade flatbread that I was able to relax and enjoy. We will likely do the same for New Year’s. Love the idea of using enamel baking trays! And thank you for creating Budget Bytes!
One of my husband’s favorite meals.
Perfect for the long winter ahead.
I am planning to do a grazing board each weekend.
Really enjoyed this great reminder and all the suggestions!
Just me this year. I’m having guacamole, smoked salmon, a good cheese, and a green salad from my Click and Grow indoor garden. It’s gonna be awesome!
How do you eat those pumpkins? Or are they just for decoration?!
They’re just decoration. :) Wouldn’t that be cool if they were like, little realistic cakes or something?? I see so much of that in my feed these days. haha!
We do this for New Years Eve! We’ll have one llike this, and then whatever sweet treats we have planned. It’s great for watching movies and playing board games. Over the years my kids have graduated from saltines with orange cheddar to fancier cheeses and nicer crackers, and my husband *always* wants pickles AND olives.
We also sometimes make a simpler version on Sunday afternoons, because I don’t cook on Sundays–whatever cheeses and crackers we have on hand (there’s always saltines in the cupboard and usually two cheeses in the fridge) and a thinly sliced apple.
We do this for lunch, just with more crackers and fruit (we eat mostly plant-based). Then for dinner we have a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving dinner. Pretzels, Popcorn, Toast and Jelly Beans. Not traditional, but it works for our family.
I love it! I’m all for non-traditional traditions. Haha! :)
Confession-I’m a foodie. I LOVE food. And the traditional thanksgiving meal is not my favorite meal by any stretch. In fact, I don’t even really enjoy it that much. THIS is much more up my alley. My husband and I are staying in with our young kids this year and we are making a turkey (we have never done this before in our adult lives…seems pretty low stakes this year so we figured we would give it a try!). Holidays are about being with those you love and doing and eating what brings you joy. So why not eat what you like?! Happy Thanksgiving!
I love the idea of a grazing board. While we won’t do one for Thanksgiving dinner, it would be ideal for us for Christmas Eve or for just my husband and myself on a weekend night this winter. Very cozy. Thank you for the step-by-step instructions on building the board! Have a happy Thanksgiving!
This is my idea of the perfect holiday meal! I cooked last year and the days of prep were just not worth it. I got too sick of all the leftovers, too. My grocery store has honey roasted almonds and they are amazing with an aged white cheddar. I also like to do a less-luxurious version for camping and backpacking because it feels fancy but is way easier than cooking when camping.
Thanksgiving will be very different this year, BUT many of us will STILL prepare a full traditional Thanksgiving meal, especially if we have young children. The ‘Grazing Board’ sounds nice before the meal, and I’m sure my family will enjoy it. We here are still stuck on the old fashioned “Cheese Balls”, which my mom said were popular in the early 70s, when she was a young bride. Our family’s favorite is the “Blue Cheese Ball”, rolled in finely chopped nuts (of choice) and served with good quality crackers. I like to serve my cheese ball with crackers, & a tray of fresh cut-up fruits. It’s always a hit with our guests, especially when served with a good wine. The kiddoes also enjoy this, and have it with Grape Juice mixed w/seltzer.
Your grazing board is just beautiful, and I appreciate the step by step arrangement photos. It’s a great idea- maybe for Christmas this year. But not for Thanksgiving! I’ve been making turkey, stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes for over 40 years now. Just preparing those items is a powerful trip down memory lane. One year I did it just for myself! That’s how much I enjoy the cooking and the eating. Thanks for your wonderful recipes, and thanks for letting me share.
I’m always amazed at how pretty these look but they always look like they’d leave me starving!
I totally love this too!!
I probably won’t be able to do this for Thanksgiving as our household (and one daughter’s family in our “pod”) will still be a fairly large and traditional gathering.
But I am definitely doing this for other gatherings – like Christmas Eve or even Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve, changing it up slightly for the holiday – and probably adding in 1-2 specially made things, to keep it interesting.
We have loved cranberry chutney (or fig spread) over goat cheese (or brie) for years as a special appetizer for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I make large batches of spiced nuts. very easy.
Thanks!!
Just wanted to say that it looks beautiful! Love the pictures!
This is what I did last year when I was by myself! :) Trader Joe’s has really good stuff… I especially like their cranberry chevre this time of year.
I love this…I could graze every day and be happy!
If you have a little extra time the day before, toasting the nuts or making “spiced” pecans adds a little extra-special to the board.
*Whip an egg white until frothy, stir in the nuts and mix WELL (longer than you think you need), add 1/4-1/3 cup brown sugar and a heavy-handed 2 tablespoons pumpkin spice. Toast the nuts until they are a shade or two darker, spread them out on wax paper to cool completely, and store them in a closed container (I use a larger glass jar).
Love this. I’ve done them for minor holidays (Christmas eve, New Year’s Day) when you want something a little more festive but are tired of the big, heavy meals. We use the same Aldi crackers that it looks like you used–the variety makes it fun.
This is seriously my holiday dream meal. Who needs turkey when you can just have a grazing board? Thanks for putting this together!
Right?? I’m right there with ya.
This board is an excellent idea. I’m making my list now. A unique item I’m including is slices of farmers cheese with guava paste. I’ll make a little blue cheese dip with some frozen bleu. I’m loving all the suggestions from other commenters. I appreciate this recipe site so much.
I love this! I routinely do this in the summer when it’s too hot to cook, when we spend the afternoon out on my brother-in-laws boat, or around Christmas. Add in a glass of wine and a fancy-ish dessert and I’m all set!
Thank you for the step-by-step photos on how to set the board up. I love eating this way, but my boards always look a little haphazard
This is what I have started doing for my birthday every year instead of a fancy meal, because the appetizers/charcuterie are always my favorite part! I’ve never heard the term grazing board but I love it. And now I feel like I need this enameled sheet pan in my life.
If you buy from the link on the Extra Bytes/”kitchen basics” page on this website, Beth gets the credit!
Check my shop page in the main menu for tons of enamelware! :)
Thanks for the step by step directions on how to assemble this. I’ve always wanted to know how to do this but thought it had to be really expensive to put together. Snacking my way through Thanksgiving sounds like my kind of day!
We love these, and I love the term grazing boards! Unfortunately, family requires the more traditional meal, but we use this as lunch leading up to dinner. It’s out from after breakfast right up until dinner, with mimosas and craft beers on the side. Especially good for this year when the normal meal may not be necessary.
I’ve never heard the term grazing board before — we call it charcuterie — but you have highlighted my favourite food subject and I could discuss this for ages.
I would take charcuterie over a sit-down turkey dinner any day! We enjoy them often whether it’s a multi-family gathering or just the two of us camping. I often chop meats, cheeses, olives, and pickles the day before and store them in separate containers for faster assembly and refills — I have spent hours assembling before friends arrive and it can be really time consuming for a crowd but it is so worth it. I absolutely always put too much food on the board! In addition to the great foods you’ve already covered, my personal board must-haves are Boursin or cream cheese, red pepper jelly, honey mustard, pickled beets, liver pâté, trail mix, berries, thin Triscuits and Wheat Thins. Whisps (baked Parmesan crisps) are great for low carbing or crunch. My Safeway deli has little trays of three different specialty cheeses and they are perfect for both the small amounts and trying new cheese (the caramelized onion cheddar!!!). The cheese, pâté, and a baguette are just under $20 Cdn for me (everything else is already on hand) but it can add up when you overbuy specially for a board. I have never added seasonal décor to my boards but I love that idea and will incorporate it; it makes a pleasing display and yours looks really lovely.
Taco biscuit bake was the plan for dinner tonight but I’m rethinking that now. Thank you for today’s fantastic article!
How far ahead do you think I could make something like this? A day before? The morning of?
Of course, since it’s just us this year, it’ll probably just get eaten right out of the fridge!
I would definitely do it the day of so the pear (or apple) doesn’t brown and the crackers don’t get soggy. :) It really only takes a few minutes to make!
Beth already answered, but most of the prep for this meal except slicing the apple or pear is in the shopping–arranging the platter or board only takes a couple of minutes–literally no more than 2 minutes for a board this size, and if you are doing it for guests, they can watch you do it. It’s well worth putting it off to the last minute so everything is fresh and appealing. If you are doing a large board, lay it out in advance with the decorative elements such as Beth’s little ghost pumpkins in place, and have some items prepped in the fridge, ie, do things like roll your meats, cube the cheese, etc. I’d slice the fruit at the last minute.
I often do this sort of thing, although on a small scale, for a cold supper, usually in the summer when I don’t want to spend time cooking, or any time of year when we want to watch something like a special movie. I tend to add some cold veggies, too, such as broccoli florets, radishes, cherry tomatoes, or cucumber slices. As a snack tray it’s way healthier than chips and dip.
I love grazing boards! It will be just my husband and me as we will only be in our new home for 5 days on Thanksgiving.
If I add in pie and gingerbread as well as some wine, this will last us days!
I LOVE this idea. Unfortunately my family has certain expectations which I find hard to deny. I will, however, cut back as much as I can. This is definitely the year to KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetie).
One of my favorites is a block of cream cheese topped with Pickapeppa sauce, spicy pepper jelly, or a mild fruit jam/jelly. It’s a bit messy on a board so I usually have a small oval plate to serve it. Another easy way to serve cheese is pretzel sticks to spear into cheese cubes for dipping in mustard. Olives are a must for my family and opening and draining a jar is easy enough. Like I said, KISS. :)
LOVE doing grazing boards instead of big meals, so you’re definitely not alone! When it comes to traditional Thanksgiving food, I’m only interested in the rolls and the stuffing anyway—definitely not worth cooking a big meal for just those two things. Pre-pandemic, my go-to was to get small pieces of specialty cheeses from Whole Foods to cut costs—since they’ve closed their custom cut section, I’ve found that Aldi has a surprisingly good, cost-effective selection of cheeses too!
Going off the crackers and salami rounds, looks like Beth went to Aldi for this board (I like Aldi more than a normal amount ;D)
I sure did! :D You know I love my ALDI, especially for the cheeses! haha
This is so funny, it’s just my husband and I this year (normally it’s a huge multi-family affair) and I decided to do something exactly like this! I’m calling it a “fancy cheese tray” but I like “grazing board” too! So far, I’ve decided on four cheeses (brie, goat, manchego, smoked gruyere), honeycrisp apple slices, spiced pecans, garlic-herb almonds, fig jam, roasted red pepper hummus and an assortment of crackers and crudite. I think I’m also going to make some carmelized onion tartlets as well. I like the idea of adding some rosemary sprigs for decoration, too!