Football Veggie Tray Appetizer

This is the perfect snack for tailgating or football watch parties!

We went to literally the best Packers game ever this past weekend. Not only did we get to see a down-to-the-wire win that ended with a made field goal in our end zone, but it was a beautiful and sunny 70 degrees in October. We wore t-shirts (perfect for the blizzard theme!) and had such a fun time tailgating.

I was tasked with bringing a veggie tray (have to make sure there's something healthy to munch on!), and you know I had to find a way to make it just a little bit extra. I decided to design a football shape into the center of the tray, and it turned out so cute!

Here are all the details so you can make your own show-stopping football veggie tray:

The Platter

Shop the Tray

I found the perfect tray for on-the-go. It's such good quality and allows you to securely transport your creation to your destination. It also is a nice size to fit in a cooler to keep the food cold.

The wooden base looks so chic and clean. I think this would make this great for a charcuterie board or arranged desserts, as well.

I was pretty happy with the price point, and it's easy to wash when the party is over.

In addition to tailgates, I'm envisioning myself using this for friend get-togethers, outdoor picnics, beach or park days, and the holiday season.

The Veggies

I wasn't quite sure which veggies would be popular in the group we went with, so I tried to include a good variety of the more well-known and popular ones. Here's a full list of what was on the football veggie tray:

• Broccoli

• Cherry Tomatoes

• Celery

• Cucumbers

• Radishes

• Pea Pods

• Cauliflower

• Carrots

• Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow, Orange)

Rather than buying anything already prepared, I chose to purchase the most natural forms and prepare them myself. This allowed me to ensure they were super fresh and looked the prettiest.

For the football, I used the cherry tomatoes to line the outside and filled it in with cauliflower. Depending on the size of the tray, you can experiment with different veggies to see which works best to create your desired shape.

I noticed the most popular veggies for our group were broccoli, pea pods, cauliflower, and carrots. I will keep this in mind for any future veggie trays I may make and will try to maximize those veggies in the design.

The Finishing Touches

To emphasize the football design, I sliced some cheddar cheese and placed it on top of the football to look like the laces. Our group immediately saw the vision, so it worked well!

I served the veggies with two dip options - Ranch Dip and Dill Dip. These are both very popular, and our group used up quite a bit of each.

I had quite a few leftover veggies after creating the board. To make sure we had enough, I decided to bring along a secondary container with some extras of the veggies I thought would be the most popular. I was super happy I decided to do this, because the extras were used!

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I had such a fun time creating this board! I also enjoyed snacking on it during our tailgate, knowing I was fueling my body with something healthy to get through the long, exciting day!

What do you think of this idea? If you decide to try it, send me pics!