Halloween is a popular holiday for entertaining with festive food, fun decorations, and costume clad friends and family. Charcuterie boards featuring iconic items from movies, TV and other facets of pop culture have been trending, so if you plan to try your hand at Halloween charcuterie this year, consider highlighting fan favorite Halloween movies and TV shows—with both spooky and sweet options from which to choose.
Creating any of these four Halloween charcuterie boards featuring COLUMBUS® Craft Meats salumi will guarantee your guests appreciate the party menu, which inevitably doubles as impressive tabletop décor. These food-forward conversation starters are not only enjoyable to look at, but they’re also packed with irresistible flavor combinations.
Ghostly Charcuterie Board
The anchor for this unearthly tray of goodies is a shaped brie ghost face with blackberry jam for the cut-out eyes, nose and mouth. Keep it spooky with dark fruits and COLUMBUS® Prosciutto Paninos invoking fingers. Try slicing and folding your favorite COLUMBUS® Craft Meats: chunks, thin folds and grabbable rounds of Salami and Sopressata make for a more fascinating platter. A wedge of hard cheese with purple rind can be carved into a coffin shape to add sinister flare. Scattered sliced figs with juicy, blood red centers give pops of color. Toss in the boundless variety of crackers now available and you have a Halloween charcuterie board worthy of murderous fun. Place a “bloodied” (raspberry jam covered) knife on the table and then answer the phone if you dare.
Spooky Hockey Mask Charcuterie Board
Fans of the creepy 80s hockey mask hijinks will swoon at the sight of the vintage mask that takes front and center stage on this tray. The varieties of COLUMBUS® salumi in a dizzying array of rolls, folds and thick slices deserve equal billing. Dark, dried plums create the blank stare along with raisins and salami cut-outs decorating the mask. Blueberry-studded cheddar with a mini cleaver provide further menace to this tray. To lighten the eerie mood, toss in ghostly pretzels, spiderweb cookies and berries. Reminiscent of “fun” summer camp, place the canoe paddle and t-shirt as backdrop to this scene. Consider introducing a smoke machine or dry ice and your guests will not soon forget this Halloween party centerpiece.
Monster Charcuterie Board
Props figure prominently in this dark, moody charcuterie image. On the board, a blooming monster made of COLUMBUS® salumi appears menacing with pine nut teeth and Parmesan shreds as adornment. A round of brie with blood-red jam, a goat cheese log and purple rind cheese wedge, alongside a variety of COLUMBUS® salumi, will make this board complete. Don’t forget the crackers! Fill in the board with handfuls of almonds, olives and figs. Fans will recognize the ever-present Christmas lights, cassette tapes, and the significance of the compass and peanut butter in this favorite horror series!
Halloween Pumpkin Charcuterie Board
Hope springs eternal as the Parmesan cheese wrap ghosts wait in the pumpkin patch with a brie wheel acting as a full moon rising! We’ve packed this charcuterie scene with rivers of COLUMBUS® salumi, torn cheese chunks, crackers and cornichons. The fun Halloween toothpicks are a festive addition, and peeled mandarin oranges stand in as little pumpkins in this adorable shot. Adding to the seasonal feeling are the black, orange, purple and white candies in colorful silicone muffin cups. Reach for ghost and bat shaped chips, along with fresh herbs and leaves, to display an outdoor autumn sense. Trick or treat!
