Sweet And Savory Thanksgiving Charcuterie Skewers Recipe

Every host knows that the secret to easy hosting is in a charcuterie board; little snackable bites, all arranged beautifully on a board for guests to graze. What's not to like about that? Probably the only awkward thing about charcuterie boards is that you might get caught cradling a crumbling cracker or bits of meat or cheese if you've forgotten to pick up a plate.

Enter charcuterie skewers, which are an elegant way to up your cheese-and-cracker game. The pairings are made by the host, so every cheese goes with the right cracker, and every sliver of apple is eaten with the right dipping sauce. In a charcuterie skewer, the cheese, meat, and cracker are stacked onto a skewer for a perfect grab-and-go hors d'oeuvre. We collaborated with developer Michelle McGlinn to share 2 easy combinations that will bring all the flavor to your Thanksgiving spread. The first combines sharp Manchego cheese with spicy cured chorizo. The second pairing emphasizes the more muted flavors of creamy Gruyère and prosciutto, a combination best partnered with sweet apples and honey. Not only are the combinations delicious, but the presentation is both convenient and elegant as well.

To toast the pieces of bread, you'll need a generous amount of olive oil, a small baguette, and a small loaf of sourdough. The cheeses you'll need for these skewers are Manchego and Gruyère, both semi-hard cheeses with strong flavors. Manchego is often described as zesty, while Gruyère is more salty, like a muted version of Swiss. The meats you'll need for this pairing are chorizo and prosciutto; you'll want to find cured chorizo for this, which can be eaten without needing to be cooked. From there, you'll just need fig glaze, honey, and a sweet red apple like Fuji or Gala.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the baguette rounds to the pan.

Toast on both sides until golden brown, but still soft in the middle. Remove from the skillet.

Add the sourdough cubes to the pan.

Toast until lightly browned, flipping once. Remove from the heat.

To assemble, add the Manchego to a skewer.

Add the sourdough to the skewer.

Stand each skewer on a slice of chorizo. Repeat with 11 skewers.

Drizzle the Manchego with fig glaze.

To assemble the second skewer, first add the Gruyère to the skewer.

Fold the prosciutto into thirds, then add to the skewer.

Add the apple to the skewer.

Add honey to the top of the crostini.

Stand the skewer up onto the crostini. Repeat with 11 skewers.

Whether you can't find Manchego and Gruyère or simply want to switch it up, the options for charcuterie skewers are endless. Manchego and Gruyère are suggested because of their contrasting flavors: Manchego is a semi-hard, tangy cheese that pairs well with spicy flavors, and Gruyère is a nutty cheese that pairs well with sweet. 

When planning a set of skewers, try to choose cheeses that complement each other but give guests different flavors to try. If you love mozzarella, try mozzarella and soppressata and pair with a skewer containing a sweeter element, such as gouda and pear. If you're a fan of Brie, stack Brie, fig, and toasted sourdough and pair with a salty mix of pecorino, honey, and salami. Soft and hard cheeses both work well, but be sure that the cheese is soft enough to be skewered without crumbling and hard enough to stay on a skewer — in other words, avoid a messy cheese like burrata.

There's something particularly great about a freshly toasted piece of bread, so for an impressive platter, plan to make the skewers fresh. If you don't mind room-temperature toasted bread, though, these skewers are easy to put together up to a day in advance of serving (we don't recommend toasting the bread too much earlier, or it will go stale by the time you're ready to serve). 

If you plan to make the skewers ahead, follow the recipe as written and assemble the skewers without using any glaze or honey (these will make the bread soggy). Store in the refrigerator — you can lay them on their sides — and pull them out shortly before serving to allow them to come to room temperature. Drizzle with the fig glaze and honey and serve. If you have the time to toast the bread before serving, you can also simply prepare the cheese and meats and build the skewers fresh before serving — this option at least saves you a few steps.