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Fresh Halloween Veggie Spider Web Tray with Easy Ranch Dip

halloween veggie spider web tray - featured image
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A festive and healthy Halloween appetizer featuring a beautiful spider web arrangement of fresh vegetables around a creamy homemade ranch dip, complete with adorable olive spiders.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 tablespoon buttermilk or regular milk
  • 1 large English cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 bunch carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup snap peas, trimmed
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (optional)
  • 1 can large black olives, drained
  • 1 small radish, sliced into thin matchsticks

Instructions

  1. Make the ranch dip first. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning packet, fresh dill, fresh chives, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir until well combined. Add buttermilk or regular milk one teaspoon at a time until the dip reaches a thick but dippable consistency. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Prep all your vegetables. Wash everything thoroughly. Slice the cucumber into thin rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the carrots into sticks about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Slice the bell peppers into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide. Trim the snap peas. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets. Halve the cherry tomatoes if using. Set aside in separate piles.
  3. Make the olive spiders. Slice each black olive in half lengthwise. For each spider, use one olive half for the body. Make two tiny slits on each side of the olive half. Cut the radish into thin matchsticks, then break each matchstick into small pieces about 1/2 inch long. Insert two radish matchstick pieces into each side of the olive half to create four tiny legs on each side. Set aside on a small plate.
  4. Set up your platter. Place a small dip bowl in the exact center of the platter. Spoon the chilled ranch dip into the bowl, smoothing the top with the back of the spoon.
  5. Build the first ring. Starting right next to the dip bowl, place a ring of cucumber slices around the bowl, overlapping them slightly to form a solid circle.
  6. Build the second ring. Working outward, place a ring of carrot sticks around the cucumber ring, arranged like spokes radiating from the center. Leave small gaps between the carrot sticks.
  7. Build the third ring. Add a ring of red bell pepper strips around the carrots, again arranged like spokes but offset to fall in the gaps between the carrot sticks.
  8. Build the fourth ring. Place a ring of yellow bell pepper strips around the red peppers, again staggered to fill the gaps.
  9. Build the fifth ring. Add a ring of snap peas around the yellow peppers.
  10. Finish with the outer ring. Arrange the broccoli florets around the outermost edge of the platter, placing them close together to form a border. Tuck cherry tomatoes in between the broccoli florets if using.
  11. Add the spiders. Gently place the olive spiders on top of the dip, on the cucumber ring, and scattered throughout the web.
  12. Final touches. Step back and look at your platter. Fill in any obvious gaps with extra vegetable pieces. Make sure the spokes are clearly visible.

Notes

Dry vegetables thoroughly to prevent dip from becoming watery. Make dip a day ahead for best flavor. Keep tray chilled until serving. Use a template if needed for even rings. Don’t overcrowd inner rings to maintain web pattern.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween, veggie tray, spider web, ranch dip, appetizer, party food, healthy snack

Find it online: https://evadinnerideas.com/fresh-halloween-veggie-spider-web-tray-with-easy-ranch-dip/