When you’re dishing up finger food for friends and fam, it’s easy to fall back on the old favourites of cheese and crackers. If you’re looking to spice things up a bit this year and do things a little differently, we’ve put together a few ideas that will shatter those platter expectations.
The Chip Selection
Chips and dips are the foundation of any sharing platter which means they’re both tried and tested while being highly predictable. To get your guests excited you’ve got to go in with a new take on an old classic.
Try something new like tangy Cool Ranch Doritos or the fiery Flamin’ Hot Cheese Supreme and pair these with a spicy nacho dip or a cool tzatziki or sour cream respectively.
If you’re feeling adventurous you can also incorporate Doritos into share-plate meals in other ways. Their website has a whole range of options for spicing up your cooking by adding the flavour and texture of the chips. We’re eyeing up those Doritos crumbed chicken bites as well as the Doritos-topped mac and cheese.
Combine Unusual Flavours
Odd flavour combos you might not expect are a surefire way to bring about a memorable sharing plate. Things like maple and harissa chicken wings served on a bed of veggies or you could try veganise this by subbing in cauliflower and serving with hot sauce.
Going down the salad route, if you’ve not yet tried watermelon, feta, and mint, get around it because it is exactly the refreshing summer snack you need. While we’re on the subject of fruit, mango and chilli is a cracker too especially if you add a little lime, like they do over in Mexico.
If you want to go really out there, try incorporating meat with sweet, crisp flavours like pomegranate or even go full blown USA and mix bacon and peanut butter.
Something Sweet
To wrap up your share platter courses, you’ll need to finish strong with something a little unexpected. Again, odd flavour combos, things you don’t normally reach for.
Try out a whole stack of doughnuts served alongside dipping sauce like liquid chocolate or caramel could be a great substitute for the traditional strawberries you might pull out. Also, never underestimate the power of sweet and salt. Chocolate dipped pretzels, caramel salt popcorn, or millionaire shortbread with a sea salt sprinkle is always a winner.
And to finish, garnish the whole lot with some edible flowers to really make that plate pop.
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