The Creative Bite
Mini pumpkins are another festive addition, and for those who want to up the scary factor, try carving out room for fake vampire teeth. Other ideas include a fake skeleton hand grabbing a snack, ghost cookie cutters for semi-soft cheeses, and spider webs or plastic spiders. (Try adding some creepy cookies, too!)
If you’re expecting kids to munch on your themed board, then the spookier you can make it the better. “The reaction of my twin toddlers to our spooky charcuterie board was priceless,” Danielle recalls. “They were freaked out by the candy eyeballs and plastic spiders on food. The kids gave all of us a great laugh!”
The Creative Bite
And don’t forget the centerpiece: the brie coffin. Using a 1/4 wedge of brie, make a cheese “coffin” by slicing off a section of each back corner. Then add a dollop of “blood” (red jam) and stick a cheese knife through for the ultimate gory effect.
“I did add some more jam to the brie as guests ate their way through it, to keep some of the impact and flavor,” Danielle recommends.
What other ingredients should you use?
There’s more than just meat and cheese! Your board should be filled to the brim with other ingredients that take your Halloween snack board to the next level. Of course, you’ll need crackers, bread slices, or even pretzels for holding your cheeses, but you can also add small bites, like dried fruits or nuts for flavor and texture. “I like to add more variety and flavor by offering different spreads,” Danielle says. “Fig jam, orange marmalade, and goat cheese drizzled in honey are a few of my favorite additions.” Here are some other fun options to choose from:
Pickles: A go-to for any party platter! You can even make them Halloween-themed by adding pistachio shells on the tips to resemble witch or monster fingers.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: Intensely flavorful and perfectly gory when smashed, roasted cherry tomatoes deserve a spot in your spread.
Nuts: With all the sweet treats your guests are bound to eat, they’ll be excited to see some healthier snacks, too. Pistachios, almonds, and candied walnuts are great additions.
Olives: Or in this case, monster eyeballs! Choose a variety of olives to place in a bowl on your board. Add candy eyeballs for an even eerier touch.
Dried Fruit: The bright orange of dried apricots and dark purple of raisins matches Halloween colors so perfectly. Add other options for a good mix for guests to choose from.
Fresh Fruit: Stick to the festive colors with fresh fruits like orange slices and grapes. Blackberries also scream scary while apple slices bring in plenty of fall flavor.
Spreads: You can’t have a charcuterie board without a good spread (or several). Some delicious options to consider are: fig jam, apricot jam, mustard, apple butter, caramelized onion dip, and hummus.
