Leprechaun Veggie Tray is a perfect St. Patrick's Day Appetizer tray. Made with fresh Carrots, Bell Peppers, Beans, Broccoli, and Cauliflowers, this Veggie tray is a healthy Appetizer recipe. It is served with Cream cheese and Garlic Mayo dip, which is seasoned with spices & herbs.
St. Patrick's Day is all about your love for Green food recipes. However, if you are hosting a St. Patty's Day party, besides the desserts, you need to serve some appetizers to get your party started. So, this can serve as the perfect veggie appetizer for your party. It's very appropriate for St. Patty's Day and can be made really quickly. Also, it looks so festive.
I made this Leprechaun Veggie tray for last year's St. Patrick's Day party at my friends. I generally take the responsibility to make some of the recipes and my friend makes the rest. So, last year, since I got sick so I had to make something that could be made quickly and also which is healthy and no one would be averted from it. So, I thought of making a Veggie tray. After hunting through countless ideas on Pinterest, I finally zeroed down on this platter. I loved this because this was easy to make and also this looks so cute.
Leprechaun Veggie Tray
A Leprechaun Veggie Tray is actually the perfect healthy appetizer for your St. Patrick's Day Party. You can make this with an assortment of veggies you have and serve it with any sauce you love. I love this sauce which is actually my own secret recipe, which I serve this St. Patty's Day Platter with. And trust me, it tastes amazing!
Veggie Tray or Finger Salads should always be made with fresh veggies. You can chop these veggies ahead of time, but only decorate it an hour before your party starts.
Also, a trick to keep your Green Veggies greener is blanching them in lukewarm water first and then, immediately shifting them into a pot full of ice-cold water. This will retain the green color of your Veggies. Do not put your Beans and Broccoli for a boil. They will soon lose out all the color and will look all bland.
For your carrots, you can blanch them and place them in ice-cold water. Finally, when you wish to use them, then pat dry them with a kitchen towel and use them.
You do not have to season your veggies. However, You can just drizzle some lime juice over the veggies. It'll taste better and also bring out the freshness of your veggies with each bite.
How to Make Leprechaun Veggie Tray?
To make this veggie tray first cut up your veggies. You'll need Carrots for the bright Orange beard of your Leprechaun. Besides that, I have used Broccoli for the Leprechaun Hat. Also to make the belt of the Hat I have used Yellow Bell Pepper and Green Beans.
Finally, I made the Eyes of my Leprechaun with two small Cauliflower florets. And the nose of the Leprechaun is made with a thin slice of Green Bean. I made the lips of my Leprechaun with a B shaped slice of my Red Bell Pepper. And it was done.
To make my dip for the Leprechaun Veggie tray, I mixed some Cream Cheese with 3 dollops of Garlic Mayo, some Garlic and herb butter and a dash of Wasabi mayo sauce. I used only 2 drops of Wasabi Mayo because I didn't want my dip to turn all green because then it'll look all healthy and no one will want to try it ever! Finally, I mixed these sauces and seasoned with some salt, freshly grounded black pepper, a pinch of Basil and a Pinch of Red Chilli Flakes. Trust me, this dip tastes amazing and is the best dip that goes with veggies.
So, this is how you can make Leprechaun Veggie Tray platter with Cream Cheese & Mayo dip. This is a really simple St. Patrick's Day Appetizer recipe. So, without delay, check out the detailed recipe and ingredients list below.
Leprechaun Veggie Tray
INGREDIENTS
For Leprechaun Veggie Tray
- 4 Qts Carrots Chopped into thin slices or semi circles.
- 4 Qts Green Beans Halved
- 7 Qts Broccoli Florets
- 2 Qts Small Cauliflower Florets
- 2 Slices Yellow Bell Pepper
- 1 Slice Red Bell Pepper
Cream Cheese & Garlic Mayo Dip
- ½ Block Cream Cheese
- 3 tablespoon Garlic Mayo
- 3 tablespoon Garlic & Herb Butter Softened
- 2 Drops Wasabi Mayo optional
- 1 Pinch Red Chili Flakes
- 1 Pinch Basil
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 1 Pinch Freshly grounded Black Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the veggies
- First chop the Carrots into semi circles
- Cut the Broccoli florets
- Cut the Beans in half
- Cut the Yellow Bell Pepper into thin slices
- Cut the top of Red Bell Pepper to resemble "B" shape
- Blanch these veggies in luke warm water and immediaely transfer them into ice cold water.
- Pat dry these veggie with a towel.
- Make the veggie platter.
- First make the beard of your Leprechaun with carrots
- Make the Leprechaun Hat with Broccolli and green beans.
- Make the Belt of your Leprechaun's Hat with 4 thin stips of Yellow Bell Pepper. Cut a small cube of Red Bell Pepper and keep it in the center of the belt.
- Make the Eyes of your Leprechaun with two small cauliflower florets.
- Make the nose of your Leprechaun with a thin slice of Green Bean
- Make the lips of your Leprechaun with a Red Bell Pepper cut into "B" Shape. For this just use the upper part of the Bell Pepper. Run your knife through the top part so as to remove the stem, you'll have the top floret halved. Just use a part of it. You'll see, it'll resemble the Lips shape.
- Finally your Leprechaun Veggie Platter is ready.
To make the Cream Cheese & Garlic Mayo Dip
- Mix in ½ block of Cream Cheese
- With 3 tablespoon of Garlic Mayo. (If you have unflavored Mayo, then consider adding 3 finely chopped garlic cloves along with the Mayonnaise).
- Add in 3 teaspoon of Garlic & Herb Butter. If you have Normal Butter, then add Oregano and 2 cloves of chopped garlic with the Butter.
- Add in two drops of Wasabi Mayo into this. Do not replace this with Wasabi sauce as that's extremely spicy. Also, if you do not have this, then just skip it as it has no other alternative.
- Finally, mix all the sauces together with the Cream Cheese.
- Season it with freshly cracked black pepper and salt. (If you have ground black pepper, use only ½ teaspoon of it as it's very spicy)
- Also sprinkle a pinch of dried Basil and Red Pepper Flakes on your dip.
- Finally serve it with your Leprechaun Veggie Platter.
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