Fall Charcuterie Board with Summer Sausage and Apples

A board that looks like you fussed for an hour should not take an hour. This fall charcuterie board has Bridgford Summer Sausage sliced thin and laid in one winding ribbon, with sharp cheddar cubes, Honeycrisp apple slices, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and a little dish of honey around it. Grab the honey water trick in my Pro Tip so your apple slices stay fresh instead of turning brown before anyone reaches the board.

Nothing makes me happier than a house full of people I love, and fall is when that starts to happen more. The trouble is that guests always show up hungry while I’m still finishing dinner. A big autumn charcuterie board on the counter fixes that. Everyone can graze, the kitchen stays calm, and I get to finish what’s on the stove without anyone hovering. This is the appetizer I like to put out first.

This post is brought to you courtesy of Bridgford Foods.

Why You’ll Love This Board

• No oven and about 20 minutes from start to finish
• Salty sausage and cheddar with sweet apples, cranberries, and honey
• Pretty enough for a fall gathering and easy enough for game day
• Built on one board, so there is very little to wash

What You’ll Need for This Fall Charcuterie Board

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• Bridgford Summer Sausage: the star of the board! Find it at the Bridgford website, their Amazon store, or see their where to buy locator to buy it locally.
• Sharp cheddar, two kinds: two kinds gives you two colors and flavors on the board. I like using sharp cheddar and coastal cheddar, but you could use cheddar and jack cheeses, or your favorite cheeses.
• Honeycrisp apples: these are what make this an apple charcuterie board, sweet and crisp next to the savory sausage.
• Candied pecans and dried cranberries: fillers for the gaps.
• Crackers: any kind you like.
• Honey: a small dish, a drizzle at the end, and 1 tablespoon for the apple soak.
• Mini pumpkins, mini gourds, and a few fall leaves: for the background. They are only for looks.

How to Build a Summer Sausage Charcuterie Board

1. Set the scene. Put the mini pumpkins and gourds at the back edge of the board and scatter a few leaves around the base. 

1. Slice sausage. Slice the Bridgford Summer sausage into thin slices.
2. Lay the sausage ribbon. Slice the Summer Sausage thin, about 1/8 inch. Overlap the slices and let the line wind across the board.
3. Add the cheddar. Pile the cubes on either side of the ribbon, one kind on each side.
4. Arrange the crackers. Stack them near the cheese.

1. Place the honey. Set the small dish of honey on the board, slightly off center.
2. Fill the gaps. Tuck in the candied pecans and dried cranberries. Fan the crackers in a loose row along one edge.
3. Add the apples last. This keeps them fresh until you serve.
4. Finish with honey drizzle. Drizzle honey over the apples and cheddar right before serving. 

Fall Charcuterie Board Ideas for Serving

• Set it out on game day next to a hot dip.
• Put this fall snack board out first at a gathering, so guests have something to snack on while you finish dinner.
• Hosting for football? Check out our football-shaped charcuterie board or pepperoni pizza dip.

FAQs

Fall Charcuterie Board with Summer Sausage

Renae Gerhardstein

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A fall charcuterie board with a Bridgford Summer Sausage ribbon, sharp cheddar, Honeycrisp apples, and honey. Check the notes for the trick that stops brown apple slices.

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

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Equipment

• ▢
  1 wooden board - about 15 inches round or 7 by 12 inches rectangle

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound Bridgford Summer Sausage sliced about 1/8 inch thick
• ▢ ½ pound sharp cheddar cubed
• ▢ ½ pound coastal cheddar or your favorite cheddar or jack cheese
• ▢ 3 small Honeycrisp apples sliced, soaked in honey or lemon water *see notes
• ▢ ¾ cup candied pecans
• ▢ ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• ▢ ¼ cup honey plus a little for drizzling
• ▢ 24 to 30 crackers
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey for the apple soak (or 1 tablespoon lemon juice instead)
• ▢ 1 cup water for soaking the sliced apples

Instructions 

• Stir 1 tablespoon honey into 1 cup water in a medium bowl. Soak the sliced apples for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
• Place the small dish of honey on the board, slightly off center.
• Slice the summer sausage thin, about 1/8 inch. Overlap the slices in a winding ribbon across the board in a long "S" shaped pattern.
• Pile the cheddar cubes on either side of the ribbon, one kind on each side on opposite sides of the baord.
• Fill the gaps with candied pecans and dried cranberries. Fan the crackers in a loose row along one edge.
• Add the apple slices last so they stay fresh.
• Drizzle honey over the apples and cheddar right before serving.
• Set mini pumpkins, gourds, pomegranates, and few leaves around the board as decor (optional).

Notes

Soak the apple slices in honey water (1 tablespoon honey to 1 cup cold water) for 3 to 5 minutes and pat them dry to keep them from browning. 1 tablespoon of lemon to 1 cup of water works as a substitute.

Decorate with fall leaves, pomegranates, mini pumpkins or gourds. 

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