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    Grits and Pinecones » Recipes » Appetizers

    The Ultimate Relish Tray Guide

    June 22, 2019 by Sharon Rigsby, Updated July 14, 2020 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest pin with seven relish trays containing various pickled veggies.

    Welcome to the ultimate guide for making beautiful, family-friendly, and flavorful relish trays that will have everyone raving! And, discover creative and modern ideas for quickly putting together these unique platters for parties and special occasions.

    Seven glass relish trays with an assortment of marinated and pickled vegetables.

    What is a relish tray?

    There was a time when relish trays were front and center on every holiday and special occasion table. These versatile appetizers also did double duty as side dishes. They were served on beautiful cut glass dishes with partitions.

    In the early days, most everything served on them was either marinated or pickled, with olives and pickles usually taking center stage. 

    Is it the same thing as a vegetable tray, or a charcuterie board?

    Vegetable or crudité trays usually contain fresh cut-up or bite-size vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, and celery. Often they also contain a dip for the veggies.

    A charcuterie board (pronounced shar-koo-tr-ee), on the other hand, is full of a variety of meats, cheeses, and many times, fruits and nuts.

    The main difference in a relish tray and a veggie tray or charcuterie board is that relish trays usually only contain marinated or pickled produce.

    A glass dish with mushrooms, spicy cherry peppers and stuffed olives.

    Fast forward to today, and modern relish trays are a place to let your creativity and uniqueness shine. The lines have blurred between crudité or vegetable trays, and the newest kid on the block, charcuterie boards. Today there are no hard and fast rules about what should or shouldn’t be on it.

    The best thing about entertaining with these marvels is they hardly require any prep. Usually, all you need to do is make a quick trip to the store.

    What to put on a relish tray:

    While I added a few things from my fridge, most of these items can easily be found in your grocery store olive bar, or salad bar, or in the section where pickles and olives are sold. You may already have most of what you need in your pantry. 

    A glass dish with pickled okra, boiled peanuts and gherkins.

    This assortment of relish trays is my twist with a southern spin.  In addition to the ever-popular olives and pickles, I added some boiled peanuts, pickled okra, and pimento cheese.

    Of course, you can use whatever you like. These are just suggestions; you can change it up; however, you want. I hope you do! And, if you do, please be sure to leave a comment to let me know what your favorite combinations are.

    Seven glass trays on a board filled with relish tray items like olives and pickles.

    Unique Relish Tray Ideas 

    1. Greek Pitted Mixed Olives
    2. Garlic Parmesan Toasted French Rounds
    3. Kay’s Southern Pimento Cheese Spread
    4. Parmesan Cheese Crisps
    5. Stuffed Green Olives
    6. Hot Cherry Peppers
    7. Marinated Mushrooms
    8. Pickled Green Beans 
    9. Pickled Carrots, or carrot sticks
    10. Cornichons
    11. Pickled Okra
    12. Easy Southern Boiled Peanuts

    Other great additions:

    These tasty suggestions are in addition to the basic marinated, pickled, or fresh veggies. The possibilities are endless:

    1. Bourbon Candied Bacon
    2. Caprese Skewers or Cherry Tomatoes
    3. Giardiniera
    4. Black-Eyed Pea Hummus
    5. Southern Caviar Dip
    6. Olive Tapenade
    7. Marinated Cheese
    8. Cheeses: Provolone, Manchego, Cheddar, the list is endless
    9. Marinated, or Roasted Vegetables
    10. Meats: Salami, Prosciutto, Pepperoni, and Ham
    11. Fruits: Dried Apricots and Pineapple, Fresh Berries, Grapes
    12. Crispy Cheesy Southern Cheese Crackers, toasted baguette slices, etc
    13. Sweet and Spicy Tomato Jam, fig jam
    14. Nuts: Roasted Pecans, Candied Pecans, Cashews, Almonds
    15. Artichoke hearts
    16. Deviled eggs
    17. Black Olives
    18. Butter Pickles
    19. Fresh Vegetables
    20. Pickles
    21. Pickled Celery Sticks
    22. Finger Foods
    23. Pickled Beets

    Mixed green and black olives on a glass dish garnished with lemon slices.

    Creative ways to serve your relish tray: 

    I have a few vintage glass dishes but did borrow several of these beautiful dishes from my friends Mary Carroll and Kerri Mohar to fill in the gaps. Thanks so much, ladies!

    If you don’t have the platters, no problem. You can probably find plenty of inexpensive options at your local thrift store. Or, the easiest, use what you have:

    1. Serving trays
    2. Baking pans or dishes covered with a kitchen towel can hold a variety of options
    3. Mason jars
    4. Coffee Cups 
    5. Saucers
    6. Gravy boats
    7. Parfait glasses
    8. Ice cream dishes or dessert bowls
    9. Muffin tins
    10. Cutting Boards
    11. Vases
    12. Measuring cups
    13. Bar glasses: highball, margarita, champagne, wine, etc.

    Nothing has to match.  Feel free to mix things up!

    How to make a Relish Tray

    1. Drain all of the marinated or pickled ingredients and arrange them. 
    2. Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

    Sharon’s Expert Tips:

    • Relish trays can be served chilled or at room temperature.
    • This recipe, as written, easily serves 20. To serve fewer folks, pick and choose from the ingredients and ideas presented here and serve on fewer dishes.
    • I used a combination of dishes in this post to provide you with as many ideas as possible. You want your dishes or combination of dishes to look appealing, so think about color and texture when filling them. Select as few ingredients or as many as your dish(s) can hold, and keep it simple.
    • Be sure to provide your guests with plenty of small plates, cocktail forks, and napkins.
    Seven glass relish trays with an assortment of marinated and pickled vegetables.

    The Best Relish Tray

    Sharon Rigsby
    Welcome to the ultimate guide for making beautiful, family-friendly, and flavorful relish trays that everyone will rave about. And, discover creative and modern ideas for quickly putting together unique relish trays for parties and special occasions.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Servings 20 servings
    Calories 223 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 10 oz greek pitted mixed olives
    • 1 pkg garlic parmesan toasted french rounds
    • 1 cup pimento cheese
    • 3 oz parmesan cheese crisps
    • 6 oz stuffed green olives
    • 10 oz hot cherry peppers
    • 1 cup marinated mushrooms
    • 8 oz pickled green beans
    • 8 oz pickled carrots
    • 4 oz cornichons or sweet gherkins
    • 8 oz pickled okra
    • 2 cups boiled peanuts

    Instructions
     

    • Drain all of the marinated or pickled ingredients and arrange on relish trays.
    • Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

    Notes

    Sharon's Expert Tips:
    • Relish trays can be served chilled or at room temperature.
    • This recipe as written easily serves 20. To serve fewer folks, simply pick and choose from the ingredients and serve on fewer dishes.
    • I used a combination of relish trays in this post to provide you with as many ideas as possible. You want your relish trays or combination of trays to look appealing, so think about color and texture when filling the trays. Select as few ingredients or as many as your tray(s) can hold and keep it simple.
    • Be sure to provide your guests with plenty of small plates, cocktail forks, and napkins.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 680mgPotassium: 265mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1535IUVitamin C: 27.6mgCalcium: 114mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today! Mention @gritspinecones or tag #gritspinecones!

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    1. Buffy

      February 12, 2020 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      I love this! I found Tabasco pickle spears, and I like to add garlic stuffed olives.

      Reply
      • Sharon Rigsby

        February 12, 2020 at 7:14 pm

        Awesome, I’m so glad you were able to personalize it to your taste! Thanks for sharing!
        Sharon

        Reply
    2. Linger

      June 25, 2019 at 9:20 am

      This is such a GREAT post. I love all the ideas for what to include on a relish tray, the different options for serving and all the tips you always give in your posts. I come away from reading your posts and invariably feel educated. Thanks for sharing! Oh, and BTW – thanks so much for sharing my Bourbon Candied Bacon. So very kind of you.

      Reply

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    Sharon Rigsby, blogger at GritsandPinecones.com

    Hello, I'm Sharon Rigsby, blogger, recipe developer, videographer, and photographer for Grits and Pinecones®. I have well over 50 years of experience in the kitchen, and there is nothing I like better than developing and reimagining recipes for my family, friends, and you!

    More about me →

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