A Skeleton Charcuterie Board Will Haunt Your Halloween Table

Halloween is fast approaching, and that means one thing: spooky food season is finally upon us. Who needs costumes and candy corn? For many of us, Halloween is all about the fun snacks and decorative displays. And while pumpkin-shaped bowls of sweets are sure to please your kids, a skeleton charcuterie board is a surefire way to impress the adults in your life. A skeleton charcuterie board is basically just like any other meat and cheese platter, but, as you might expect, it's built around a toy skeleton.

The skeleton creates a structure for all of the items to balance on, and you can use it for separation too. Plus, you can have so much fun wrapping it up and stacking it in several different ways. Toy skeletons can be purchased pretty much anywhere this time of year, as most big department stores and dollar stores have them (and they're easily found online). Just be sure to buy one that's nearly the size of the cutting board you plan on using, as you don't want it to get hidden beneath all of the snacks. Alternatively, you can buy a bigger one and place it right on your table over some parchment paper. It would make the perfect centerpiece for a themed dinner party — nothing creates a talking point faster than a skull next to your plate.

You can use any meats and cheeses you like, but the ultimate charcuterie board usually includes thinly sliced cured meats, like prosciutto and salami, and a mix of hard and soft cheeses, like cheddar and brie. You can wrap the meat slices around the bones of the skeleton for a playful effect or try out a baked brie Jack O' Lantern. If you have Halloween cookie cutters, use them to cut some shapes out of the cheddar, or you can buy mini mozzarella balls or olives to resemble eyes.

You could also fill the ribcage of the skeleton with some nuts or soft cheeses, or stack some small cheese slices in between the bones. Darker colors will be more on theme, and there are a lot of fun fall flavors you can try out. Cinnamon, cranberry, and maple-flavored cheeses are often available this time of year, as are other items like pumpkin butter and hummus. For fruits, now is the perfect time to pick up peak-season grapes and fresh crunchy apples.

Additionally, you will also need crackers, which can be neatly stacked between the legs of the skeleton. Some roasted almonds would make a perfect crown for the skull. If you have more of a sweet tooth, try a dessert board filled with things like pumpkin spice pretzels, spiced cookies, and peanut butter cups. Just get creative and have some fun with it. It should be a "s-morgue-sbord" of your liking.