How to Make your own Party Trays

Presentation is important so make your tray as good as it looks.

Party trays are an excellent choice for pot lucks, buffets and casual celebrations during which you want guests to feel welcome to help themselves. You don't need to be a caterer or a galloping gourmet to put together hearty platters that will liven up any event. In fact, you can use items easy to prepare or that don't even require cooking. It's how you put together and arrange a platter that can make it a hit or miss.

Things You'll Need

• 3 to 6 offerings of food
• Complementary dressings, sauces
• Large tray or platter
• Leafy greens
• Bowls (optional)
• Spoons or serving utensils

Instructions

Basic Technique

1. Pick a theme for your party tray to help you narrow down and select appropriate foods and complementary flavors. Choose a specific type of food, such as sandwiches, chicken or vegetables. Alternately, choose a course, such as appetizers, main course or dessert. You can also choose by food type, such as Italian or Tex-Mex.

2. Select three to six offerings. If your offering an Italian party tray, you might choose miniature calzones, pizza rolls and meatballs. Vegetable tray choices may include celery, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli and cherry tomatoes.

3. Choose something to complement your platter. You might offer a bowl of marinara sauce for dipping on your Italian tray, or a bowl of ranch dressing for a dip on your veggie tray.

4. Find a large tray. Alternately, use a large serving dish, a cutting board, a marble pastry board or a heavy-duty cardboard cake board covered in foil.

5. Arrange leafy green vegetables, such as kale or romaine lettuce, on top of your tray. This is not only pretty for garnish, but can also prevent food from sliding around on a flat platter.

6. Pick something to put in the center of the tray, such as a bowl of dip or a bunch of grapes. Group other offerings around it, either circling the center offering, or radiating out from it in strips. Pile food higher near the center and let it taper off as it goes toward the edge of the tray.

Deli Style Tray

1. Take a round tray and cover the bottom with shredded lettuce. Open a jar of roasted peppers, drain them and put them into a bowl. Surround the bowl with olives.

2. Cube two or three cheeses, such as American, Provolone or Swiss. Arrange the cubes in a circle around the olives.

3. Cube deli meat such as ham, turkey or salami, into bite-size chunks. Arrange the meats in a circle around the cheeses for a bull's-eye effect. Serve as an appetizer or for noshing while entertaining during sports events.

Hot Finger Food Tray

1. Cover a round or rectangular flat tray with curly, leafy greens. Place a bowl of honey mustard in the center.

2. Prepare an assortment of finger foods, such as boneless buffalo wings, pigs in a blanket, miniature egg rolls, fried dumplings and potato croquettes. You can make them for scratch, purchase them at a deli counter or use a pre-packaged frozen brand you love.

3. Arrange the elements radiating outward from the center bowl. Place a spoon in the mustard so guests can take it and drizzle it on their own plate. This is an excellent choice for buffet tray or pot lucks.

Cheese and Fruit Dessert Tray

1. Place a bunch of seedless grapes in the center of the tray.

2. Choose three types of hard and semi-hard cheese, such as cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, Colby or Gruyere.

3. Ball or cube a melon, such as honeydew or cantaloupe. Cut hard fruit, such as an apple or pear, into bite-sized chunks and drizzle with lemon juice. Drain a can of mandarin orange slices.

4. Alternate the cheese and fruits on the platter, surrounding the grapes. Serve with nuts or crackers after dinner parties.

Tips & Warnings

• Wrap your tray with foil to keep it hot, or plastic wrap to chill it, until it is ready to serve.

• Keep hot and cold foods separate until the last minute. Heat hot foods at the last minute and keep perishables cool until the last minute.

References

• What to Cook: Party Platters
• Slash Food; Design Your Own Deli Platter; Joanne Lutynec; February 2007