Cool Food Tray Ideas

• Transform vibrant bell peppers into creative dip bowls. Shioguchi/Photodisc/Getty Images

  When hosting a birthday, holiday or special event party, wow guests with a cool food tray or two. Choose food to reflect the theme of a party or that have a festive holiday appearance, such as frosted cut-out cookies. Presentation is key, so create a tray that looks as good as the food tastes.

Vibrant Vegetable Dividers

• Fresh vegetable appetizers can work double duty as decorative food tray dividers. Choose vegetables featuring vibrant colors for an eye-catching look. Slice a selection of cheese and sausage and place the pieces onto an elegant silver tray in piles. Use vegetables, such as carrot and celery sticks, rosebud-carved radishes, cocktail onions, black and green olives, small pickles, cherry tomatoes or banana peppers, as dividers between the stacks. Place a bowl of vegetable dip in the center of the tray and a bowl of crackers near the appetizer display.

Tomato Bites

• Design a country-inspired food tray using farm-fresh ingredients. Handy and delicious tomato bites will allow party guests to mix and mingle while nibbling treats. To create a charming rustic presentation, fill a wooden serving tray with any type of dried legumes, such as kidney or black beans, which will hold the treats in place. Make a tasty dip or spread, such as creamy lemon-dill, roasted red pepper, bean or artichoke and cheese. Cut the tops off of small or cherry tomatoes and hollow out the inside using a sharp knife. Place a dollop of dip or spread into each tomato. Nestle the stuffed tomato bites into the dried beans that line the tray to create a secure fit.

Tiered Dessert Tray

• Enhance a party with tiers of sweetness using a decorative dessert stand. The tiered stand of goodies can double as a centerpiece and dessert. Choose a vintage white ceramic of shiny silver tiered stand with three layers. Fill the tray with bite-sized desserts so guests can taste a sample of each treat. Make or buy mini frosted cupcakes, brownie bites, small fruit tarts, pastel-hued petit fours, decadent truffles and cookies. You can also make or buy sweet and juicy chocolate-covered strawberries to place on the tray.

Bell Pepper Dip Cups

• Jazz up a vegetable tray with colorful bell pepper dip cups for a creative twist on traditional bowls. Hollow out one green, one red and one yellow bell pepper, fill them with three different dips, and set them in the center of a tray filled with cut-up vegetables. Dip ideas include hummus, creamy red pepper, French onion and ranch.