The Perfect Finger Food Tray for Your End-Of-Summer Hurrah

This post was sponsored by Heluva Good! as part of an Ambassador Program and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Summer is winding down and our last weekend before school starts for my kids is coming right up. It’s bittersweet, isn’t it? I’m DYING to get my routine back but we’ve had such a good summer together. And alarm clocks aren’t my thing.

We’re planning to have one last summer hurrah this Labor Day weekend and I’ve put together the best finger foods tray. I actually test ran it with some friends we had over last weekend and between the 5 kids in the house that day, nothing was left! Here’s the scoop on what makes the best (and easiest!) finger foods tray for your last summer celebration.

Heluva Good! Dips

No finger foods tray is complete with out Heluva Good! Dip. I LOVE this brand not only because their dips are delicious but because they have a huge variety of flavors. So you can have some fun offering different options to your guests, or go with your tried-and-true favorite. Look for them in the dairy aisle of your grocery store.

They’re all made with real sour cream and flavorful spices. Buttermilk Ranch, White Cheddar & Bacon, and Bodacious Onion are just a few that get my mouth watering.

When our friends were over and I got out the dip, my girlfriend said, “Oh we love Heluva Good! The French Onion is my favorite.”  And guess who happened to have the French Onion on hand? Win! We did open the others, too, because trying them all is part of the fun! And my husband’s favorite is the Bacon Horseradish. Such unique, bold flavors!

The key to entertaining is to make it look fancy, but keep it simple so that YOU get to enjoy the get together, too. A finger foods tray is always my favorite because I can quickly get it on the table and it generally requires no cooking so it’s fast and easy.

And let’s break free of the idea that the only thing you can dip is a cracker! There are tons of other options, and a more creative, colorful finger foods board will get people excited about diving in.

The Perfect Finger Food Tray

Since we’re ushering in fall, I went with a fall-themed color scheme for all of my dippers. I put the Heluva Good! French Onion Dip in a ramekin in the middle of the board, and tucked in a piece of fresh basil from my garden. Parsley would probably have been a better fit but the important part is to get something fresh and green in there to jazz it up.

The finger foods I included were red, yellow, and red bell peppers, a variety of cheeses (go with a few different colors of cheese), some crunchy breadsticks, and variety of bite-size bread pieces.

I hit the bakery section of my local grocery store and looked for some breads that are different colors. The marble swirled rye bread was a hit and I love the different color that it adds to the spread. Look in the cracker aisle for some uniquely shaped crackers like these cheese sticks.

Cheese might seem like an odd thing to include with dip, but remember that dippers can be layered. A piece of bread, topped with some Heluva Good! Dip, a slice of cheese, and a pepper slice on top is dee-licious!

Most of the cheese you can buy sliced already, though that doesn’t take very long if you need to cut it. The peppers can be cut up in a few minutes, and I did slice the bread into bite-sized pieces. So this took me maybe 10-15 minutes to put together from start to finish. The only thing I dirtied was a cutting board and a knife, and then I got to sit around and visit with my friend and munch on this tray of goodies!

What else would you pair with Heluva Good! Dip to create a unique and easy finger foods tray?

Learn More

Visit the Heluva Good! Dip website to check out their yummy varieties so you know which ones to look for at your local store. And be sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.