Medusa Curls Party Platter (Printable Version)

A visually striking platter with creamy dip surrounded by rolled meats and colorful bell pepper curls.

# What You'll Need:

→ Central Dip

01 - 1 cup cream cheese, whipped and softened
02 - 1/2 cup sour cream
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
04 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
07 - Salt, to taste

→ Curls

08 - 6 ounces prosciutto or deli ham, thinly sliced
09 - 6 ounces Genoa salami, thinly sliced
10 - 1 large red bell pepper
11 - 1 large yellow bell pepper
12 - 1 large green bell pepper
13 - 1 small English cucumber
14 - 1/2 cup pitted black olives

→ Garnishes (optional)

15 - Fresh dill or parsley sprigs
16 - Crushed red pepper flakes

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine cream cheese, sour cream, chives, lemon juice, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Transfer to a large serving platter and shape into a mound at the center.
02 - Cut bell peppers into long, thin strips. For additional curl, use a julienne peeler or spiralizer on the peppers and cucumber.
03 - Roll each slice of prosciutto and salami into loose curls or spirals.
04 - Lay meat and vegetable strips radiating outward from the dip mound, alternating colors and types to mimic serpentine shapes.
05 - Position a pitted black olive at the end of each meat curl to represent snake heads.
06 - Decorate around the edges with fresh dill or parsley sprigs and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
07 - Present immediately with crackers, toasted bread, or fresh vegetable dippers on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours on it, but it's genuinely a 25-minute project.
  • Guests actually gather around it instead of just grabbing a plate and leaving.
  • Every element is customize-able, so you can build it around what's already in your fridge.
  • No cooking required means zero stress on party day.
02 -
  • The longer this sits at room temperature, the dip gets softer and everything starts sweating; make it as close to serving time as possible.
  • Thin slicing actually makes the whole thing look more intentional and impressive—thick chunks of pepper just look lazy.
03 -
  • Buy pre-spiralized veggies from the grocery store if you don't have the tools; life's too short to julienne by hand.
  • Roll the meats the morning of but don't arrange until an hour before serving—they hold their curls better when they haven't been sitting.
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