Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board With Pumpkin-Sage Hummus Recipe

Thanksgiving is a flurry of food and festivities, highlighting turkey, stuffing, casseroles galore, and all the pies! Whether you're hosting or tasked with bringing the perfect dish to contribute, this Thanksgiving charcuterie board with pumpkin-sage hummus will provide an exquisite centerpiece to keep guests happy and satisfied while waiting for the main event. Recipe developer Julie Kinnaird shares how to assemble the perfect fall-themed appetizer spread that has something to delight everyone. This display is easily put together using a mix of prepared ingredients and pantry staples. The basic formula will allow you to easily size up or down depending on the amount of people you want to feed.

Charcuterie displays lend themselves to seasonal themes, as the selections of meats, cheeses, briney vegetables, and condiments can be tailored to complement the event. Having a focal item like the pumpkin-sage hummus gives a starting point to build flavors and accompaniments around. This board uses seasonal fruits like pears, pomegranates, persimmons, and blood oranges to play against robust aged cheddars and cranberry stilton. Basic ratios of 2 ounces of cheese and 2 ounces of meat per person allow for personal preference and creativity with the selections. In the cheese category, choose something soft, semi-soft, semi-hard, and hard to give variety in texture and flavor. Meats should also vary in variety of texture, spice, smoke, or salt. Breads and crackers serve as vessels for eating the items from the board, and should be chosen to compliment the flavors and consistencies.

To make the pumpkin-sage hummus, you will need canned white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), canned or homemade pumpkin puree, garlic, fresh sage, sea salt, smoked paprika, lemon juice, tahini, and extra-virgin olive oil. Choose 4-5 cheese varieties in different categories from soft to hard, such as brie, stilton, aged cheddar, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Choose 3 different types of meat that are thinly sliced, like salami, prosciutto, and soppressata. Seasonal fruits like pomegranates, pears (red Bartlett, Asian, or Seckel), fresh or dried figs, kiwi, blood oranges, persimmons, and dried apricots will add color and a distinctive fall flavor. Include both black and green olives, like Kalamata and Cerignola, cornichons or other pickles, and marinated peppers. A variety of nuts, such as Marcona almonds, pecans, and walnuts, along with crunchy Inca corn reflect Thanksgiving flavors. Finish the board with thinly sliced pieces of baguette or other small breads, breadsticks, and crackers that are good for holding cheese or spreads, such as croccantini. A bit of raw honey and whole grain mustard to serve along with all the items will round out the spread.

Place all hummus ingredients in a food processor.

Process until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed (about 1 minute total). Set hummus aside until ready to add to the charcuterie board.

Arrange the cheeses on the board. Choose something soft, semi-soft, hard, and aged for differences in texture and flavor. Leave some cheese whole and slice others for visual contrast.

Add empty serving bowls to the board to use for the hummus, honey, mustard, and wet ingredients, such as mixed olives or pickles.

Add the meats. These can be rolled, folded, fanned out, or shaped into ribbons and tucked around the bowls and cheeses.

Arrange fruits on the board.

Fill the bowls with the hummus and other appropriate items.

Use the nuts and breads/crackers to fill any remaining space. Use a separate board or platter if needed for the extra items.

Serve the Thanksgiving charcuterie board with a variety of serving spoons or tongs. Add fresh herbs or greenery as a decorative garnish, if desired.

The best part about this charcuterie board (other than how delicious it tastes) is that everything can be prepared in advance for ease of hosting or transporting. The pumpkin-sage hummus may be made up to 3 days ahead and stored covered under refrigeration. On the day of Thanksgiving, the board may be assembled 4 hours before serving, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and kept refrigerated until ready to present to your guests.

If you are traveling with the board to dinner away from home, consider adding items like bread and crackers once you arrive at your destination to prevent breakage. Any fresh garnishes you want to add should also wait until presentation time to keep them looking their best. 

The board is best served at cool room temperature, so be sure to factor that into any travel time. Include your serving knives and utensils on the board, or put everything in a bag to set out once you arrive.

The pumpkin-sage hummus is already a variation of the traditional chickpea and tahini spread. This hummus uses white beans as the base instead of chickpeas and adds a bit of extra-virgin olive oil with the tahini for an ultra-creamy preparation. If you want to stay traditional, an equal amount of chickpeas can be used in the recipe in place of the white beans. Add a couple of tablespoons of water when pureeing the ingredients, as chickpeas tend to be a bit drier than cannellini or Great Northern.

The key ingredients for this particular recipe are pumpkin puree and fresh sage, which give the hummus a wonderful earthy flavor and festive fall profile. Try adding a bit of cayenne pepper, hot paprika, or Tabasco sauce to increase the flavor intensity, or chop up some roasted peppers to add a bit more color and flavor to the finished product.