Skewered (Charcuterie) Eyeballs are perfect for your Halloween Board

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Skewered (Charcuterie) Eyeballs are the perfect centerpiece for your Halloween board! Guaranteed to be the ghostly talk of your Halloween party!

Forget everything you know about Halloween charcuterie boards, because these skewered charcuterie eyeballs are about to take your appetizer party game to a whole new level! With some simple ingredients used for any charcuterie board, you can create creepily fun bite sized appetizers for your Halloween party guests. The best thing is they’re stabbed eyeballs on skewers making them even more fun to eat. So, prepare to embrace your inner artist and transform your Halloween board into a work of culinary art that will have everyone talking.

What is a charcuterie board?

The word charcuterie is a combination of the word chair which means flesh and cuit which means cooked in French. Basically, it’s a word that describes the method of preserving meat through salting, curing, or smoking. Since refrigerators weren’t invented until the 1800s, farmers had to find another way to preserve their meat to last the winter. Charcuterie was created just for this purpose; to preserve meats for the cold winter.

Charcuterie boards emerged around the Middle Ages. That’s when these preserved meats started appearing on wooden boards along with other items like pate, terrines, and sausages. It was a way for the local butcher to not only show off products but also a way to show abundance and hospitality. Of course, each region had their own version of the charcuterie board. It would be based on the local meats, cheeses, and other delicious additions. They were a tapestry of flavors that continues to captivate the taste buds of food enthusiasts today

Fast forward to the present day. Charcuterie boards have experienced a renaissance of sorts. What was once a traditional, rustic display has become a canvas for creativity and gastronomic artistry. Some of them are even on the borderline of being absurd. At least to me.

No longer confined to classic combinations, modern charcuterie boards feature an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, spreads, and even chocolates. The focus has shifted from mere preservation to the celebration of flavors, textures, and aesthetics.

There’s a commercial for Kraft that shows macaroni and cheese being spread on a board. There’s butter boards and peanut butter boards. Some of the more unfathomable boards are heading down this path. Like the French fry board with different kinds of fries and dipping sauces. Or the taco board where the meat and all the toppings are spread out onto a board. No. It’s not in a bowl. It’s on the board.

Next thing you know people are going to put, like, spaghetti sauce on a board and offer up bread to dip it into. Or just a bunch of scrambled eggs with omelet toppings and cheese to dig into. Some of them are just a little far-fetched for me.

What meats and cheese are best for these skewered eyeballs for your Halloween charcuterie board?

The best boards use the best meats and cheeses. That means no store brand prosciutto or salami here! Well, I actually like the Great Value prosciutto because it peels apart really nicely and doesn’t taste overly salty. That would be the one exception to the rule. Prosciutto is a dry-cured ham that’s sliced super thing and has a delicious balance of salt, ham, and spices.

I like Genoa salami and calabrese. The salami has that typical salami flavor that goes well with so many cheese and toppings like roasted red peppers or kalamata olives. Calabrese adds a spicy element to your board. Sort of like grown up pepperoni. Of course, feel free to add pepperoni to your board. Because it’s YOUR board!

Some thickly cut slices of kielbasa or chorizo would also be a great additional to a charcuterie board. They offer a different texture than the sliced meats. And they have a different spice flavor profile, too. Even though they’re all cured meats, the sausages are usually my favorite on any charcuterie board.

I cannot resist a good brie. And a good brie doesn’t necessarily mean an expensive one. I am a huge fan of the budget friendly Alouette brie. Yes, President is at almost every store, but I find that rind to be a bit too pungent for me. The Alouette has a mild rind that I can tolerate snacking on. And yes, you can eat the rind!

A good gouda is always recommended for any charcuterie board. It’s a mild cheese that is creamy and pairs well with almost every kind of meat and even some fruits. Of course, an aged cheddar makes a delicious addition to any board, too. It’s sharp and cuts through the richness of the sausage and salami. And it’s also great with apples and pears. I’d also add a Manchego for its earthy and tangy tones and a goat cheese for its creamy tanginess.

 

How do you make skewered eyeballs?

I prepped my mozzarella pearl eyeballs by cutting a little divot in each of them to hold an eye. The eye being a piece of kalamata olive, or the red ones are sun-dried tomato pieces. Once the eyeballs were ready, it was a matter of selecting some meat to wrap around the eyeballs. Some are prosciutto and salami while others are off the bone ham and soprasatta.

Once I had the eyeballs the way I wanted them, I stabbed them! With a skewer or pick to make sure they didn’t fall apart. I garnished some of them with a little of the oil from the tomatoes to make them even more creepy looking! Like totally bloodshot eyes!

For a more Halloween themed board, try a red and black board with black grapes, blackberries, figs, and dark chocolate with some pomegranate seeds, pepperoni, and gouda steaks. Or carve a skeleton head from the brie, arrange the meats like innards and the cheese slices like ribs. Or there’s the whole cheese shaped into a head covered in prosciutto with olive eyes. That just looks creepy. But also, delicious.

These skewered eyeballs are the perfect additional to your Halloween charcuterie board. They’re not only fun to make and eat, but they look creepy fun on your board. With Halloween around the corner, this recipe is not only fun but also easy to make with simple ingredients. Some of which you might have on hand already. I always have pearls, prosciutto, and olives on hand. Don’t you?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Welcome to 2023’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event!

If you’re new here, Welcome! If you’re a returning haunt, welcome back!

#HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife . You’ll find that this fun and spooky event is an online, week-long event that is filled with some frightfully fun Halloween treats and recipes from some fantastic Halloween loving bloggers!

For this years 6th annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 18 hauntingly talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week! You can following the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media to collect all of these frightful recipes to use at your own Halloween parties and events!

Make Sure to check out all of the fun Halloween recipes that we’re sharing this week!

Today’s Halloween Offerings:

• Mickey Pumpkin Caramel Apples from Semi Homemade Recipes
• Spider Web Pancakes from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Halloween Kids Punch from An Affair from the Heart
• Monster Burgers from Palatable Pastime
• Muddy Buddy Cookies from Best Cookie Recipes
• Skewered Eyeballs from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pumpkin Spice Cookies from Best Dessert Recipes
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodles from Savory Experiments
• Ghost Marshmallow Brownies from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Monster Milkshakes from Jolene’s Recipe Journal