Serving Trays & Platters

Be it a holiday party, a tailgate party, or a poker party, you want to look like you know what you're doing, right? There are so many serving tray and platter options to choose from when serving your guests; it can be hard to know which is truly the appropriate dish. Here are some helpful descriptions to ensure that you'll look like a party planning pro at your next gathering.

Cheese Tray:
Cheese trays are typically flat, round serving trays with no sectioned areas. The different types of cheeses are commonly segregated using decorative lettuce or olives. A cheese tray is very versatile and can be arranged with sliced or cubed cheeses. Often, varieties of meats are added as well. A cheese tray is larger than a serving plate; usually you'll find that they're about the size of a large pizza pan. To spice up a cheese tray, try adding flowers for color or purchasing a brightly colored cheese tray!

Chip-and-Dip Tray:
A chip-and-dip tray is one that you usually will find with obvious sections, mainly for keeping the dip from running into the chips. Sometimes there is only once sectioned area in the middle of the tray, forming a bowl or a place for a bowl. This is where you would place your dip, and the chips are placed in an "O" shape around the center. If you're looking for something a little more on the funky side, you can certainly find different styles and patterns of chip-and-dip trays. You may find chip-and-dip trays in odd shapes and colors, or with off-center dip bowls that create an interesting look.

Bread Tray:
A bread tray is much like a chip-and-dip tray, as many bread trays have a sectioned area or areas for dipping sauces as well. Many bread trays are displayed with melted cheeses, honey, or butter - hence the need for separation. However, not all bread trays have sections; it truly depends on the occasion. Many times, bread trays are also made with built-in handles for transporting, as the bread is usually cut in a room different from where it's being served. You may find bread trays that are made of wood, as these types of bread trays double as cutting boards.

Relish Tray:
Relish trays are one of the most fun types of serving trays, as they can be the most colorful! You can serve a variety of vegetables and dipping sauces, which make for a beautiful palate of color. Depending on the vegetables and sauces served, you may or may not want to use relish trays with separated sections. Remember, olives are roly-poly, but broccoli usually is not. Think about what you'll be serving before you decide which type of relish tray to use. If your relish tray doesn't have enough sauce bowls or space for bowls, simply add colorful or interesting bowls of your own to accommodate your selections.

Holiday Tray:
Here's another fun type of serving tray, the holiday tray. Why? Because you can fill it with almost any type of holiday treat! Very popular for holiday trays are cookies, candies, nuts, and chocolates. Holiday trays are usually themed with cute holiday characters and colors, and are great for placing in entryways, office break rooms, or at your holiday parties. A holiday tray is a great way to add the spirit of any season to any area. You'll find holiday trays that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and what you serve will determine the holiday tray that best suits your occasion.

Themed Tray:
A themed tray is a fun way to celebrate almost anything! You can find themed trays from Christmas to Halloween to Easter, and you can even find themed trays for bachelorette parties, graduation parties, and for your favorite sports teams. A themed tray is a great way to add some fun to any gathering, and your selection of them is almost endless. Again, it's up to you the style you choose, and it depends largely on what you're serving. Things to consider: whether you'll have smaller or larger pieces of finger foods or foods that will roll around easily, and whether you'll want dipping sauces for those foods. Your themed tray may or may not come with bowls for sauces, so you can add your own if necessary!

Holiday Platter:
Typically, a holiday platter is a bit more formal than a holiday tray; however, you'll want to keep the same things in mind when choosing yours. Will you serve finger foods on your holiday platter, or will you serve an entire roast? Will you need to coordinate your holiday platter with your other dishes, or will you choose to let it stand out? You'll find so many options for holiday platters that it'll make your head spin! Just remember that a holiday platter is intended for more formal use than a holiday tray, and is a great way to present more formal foods.

Themed Platter:
A themed platter is also a more formal platter than a themed tray, and is a wonderful way to celebrate an occasion with a more sophisticated flair. Some great ideas for using themed platters are for bridal teas, baby showers, family gatherings, or office celebrations where you're trying to keep things on the professional side! Again, you'll want to keep in mind the foods that you're serving. Once that's decided, let the fun begin!