In the march of holidays that occurs from October to December every year, Halloween (now expanded to the broader “spooky season”) is perhaps the least food-centric, candy overload notwithstanding. Unlike many other holidays, though, where the pressure is on certain foods that will be the centerpiece of the occasion, Halloween menu scheming can be a lot more fun, and a hell of a lot more creative. Enter: Halloween-themed cheese boards.
More so than even pumpkins, cheese is, of course, the most Halloween-centric food there is. Cheese is literally in a controlled state of decay, at all times. What’s more macabre than that? (Charcuterie perhaps, which is comprised of preserved body parts.) Cheese comes in a variety of Halloween appropriate colors and can often be molded or cut to evoke any number of creatures or moods. We checked in with the creators of some of our favorite Halloween boards this season—influencer Meg Quinn of Ain’t Too Proud to Meg and The Cheese Board Deck, Chief Marketing Officer Suzanne Fanning of Wisconsin Cheese, and Charcuterie Director Evan Inada of Columbus Craft Meats—for their tips on creating the best spooky cheese and charcuterie boards this season.
Have a Color Scheme
“When brainstorming holiday-themed boards, I always start with color palette, especially for holidays where certain color combinations are ubiquitous,” says Quinn. “For Halloween I’m looking for orange, purple, yellow, brown, and black, all of which can be accomplished in some form via cheese board staples: cheeses, produce, crackers and accoutrements. This way, when someone eyes your board, they can easily pick up on the theme.”
Orange cheeses go way beyond just obvious block cheddars. Quinn recommends aged gouda, Port Salut, or even apricot Stilton. And Mimolette, of course, satisfies not only color with its riotous orange hue, but theme as well, since, flecked with cheese mites, IT’S ALIVE. Fanning points out that certain cheeses have a dark mood about them, especially those that are wine-bathed, and espresso or annatto-rubbed.
Choose a Spooky Theme
“The aesthetics of the board are really important, especially with a holiday theme board because some kids and even a lot of parents still don’t really know what a charcuterie board is,” says Inada. “So having the aesthetics to really draw them to trying new flavors is always going to be the goal, and really figuring out what’s the best look to get that attention.” To that end, Inada created a series of Halloween boards based on some pop culture icons: “Friday the 13th,” “Scream,” “Stranger Things,” and “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” where either cheese or charcuterie acts as the specific centerpiece that evokes the theme. (That salami Demogorgon? Haunting.)
Don’t Sacrifice Flavor
While sacrifices may have to be made on Halloween, flavor should never be one of them. Neither the color scheme nor any specific theme should preclude all of the components working together harmoniously. “It always starts with flavors and really making sure all the components taste good together,” says Inada. “One of my pet peeves is having Halloween candy that doesn’t really go with the board,” he says, which doesn’t preclude all Halloween candy, but rather he encourages thinking about flavor and not only creative aesthetics when it comes to assembly. “There are so many different chocolate options that actually elevate the taste of cheese and salami, so we like highlighting those types of accoutrements with dark chocolate, caramel pumpkins, or chocolate covered nuts.”
Lean Into Fall Flavors
That being said, “people love pumpkin spice, so why not add pumpkin butter or jam to compliment your other items,” says Quinn, as well as seasonal produce such as persimmons that happen to also evoke a mini-pumpkin vibe. Additionally, you need not necessarily look any further than cheese itself to find seasonal flavors. As Fanning points out, “In the fall our innovative cheesemakers craft seasonal-inspired treasures such as apple cinnamon Monterey jack, cranberry cheddar, and pumpkin spice fontal. These cheeses naturally sing the praises of the season and add that extra-special touch to Halloween cheese boards or pairings.”
Think Anatomically
This is an opportunity to look at your everyday food with Hannibal Lector’s eyes. All 3 creators’ boards included various body parts or viscera that could be easily be evoked with cheese or its typical accompaniments: eyes made from grapes, olives, or fresh mozzarella balls; fingers from string cheese, carrots, or cookies; sliced almonds for nails or teeth, and blood from jam. Savory cheese ball mix can be sculpted into the shape of anything: Fanning recommends a skull. It also bears mentioning that certain bloomy, geotrichum candidum cheeses such as La Tur or especially Vermont Creamery’s Coupole and Bonne Bouche basically look like brains in their natural state. (Zombie themed board unlocked.)
Slash Away!
“Cookie cutters are my favorite tools for creating shapes in cheese,” says Quinn. “I’ve cut a brie in half and put a bat cookie cutter in one side, then filled the middle with grape jam to create a fun bat symbol in the cheese. You can also use a jack-o-lantern cookie cutter in cheddar to create fun, edible, orange pumpkins.” Inada also employed some cheese sculpting with brie for his Jason and Scream faces and recommends using cheese straight from the fridge for a cleaner outcome with softer cheeses like brie, but letting firmer cheeses and charcuterie slices come closer to room temperature to allow for easier manipulation. His Charlie Brown ghosts were made by draping and baking low-carb parmesan wraps to an adorable effect.
Add Props
“When all else fails, put a pumpkin on it!” says Quinn, or you can add holiday flair to your Halloween cheese and charcuterie board by staging it in a larger display with spider webs and dry ice and the like. (Or with Stranger Things’ ubiquitous Christmas lights.) Not everything on the board itself needs to be edible, especially if it adds holiday flair, just be sure things like mini pumpkins and syringes are washed and safe to be tucked among the edible items.
For more Halloween content, see How to Pair Halloween Candy and Cheese.