Medusa Curls Party Platter (Printable)

A visually dramatic platter with creamy dip and vibrant curls of meats and peppers for gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Central Dip (Head)

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 (Snakes)

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. Mix until smooth and creamy. Transfer onto the center of a large serving platter, shaping into a mound.
02 - Cut the bell peppers into long, thin strips. For added curl, use a julienne peeler or spiralizer on the bell peppers and cucumber.
03 - Roll each slice of prosciutto and salami into loose spirals or curls.
04 - Arrange the meat curls and vegetable strips radiating from the dip mound, alternating colors and textures to resemble serpentine snakes.
05 - Place a pitted black olive at the tip of each curl to mimic snake heads.
06 - Decorate the surrounding platter with fresh dill or parsley sprigs and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
07 - Present immediately alongside crackers, toasted bread, or fresh vegetable dippers.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a conversation starter that requires zero cooking skills or actual cooking involved.
  • You can prep everything in twenty minutes and let guests serve themselves straight from the platter.
  • The combination of textures—creamy, salty, crisp—keeps people reaching back for more bites.
02 -
  • The cream cheese has to be truly soft before you start mixing, or you'll end up with a lumpy base that never smooths out, no matter how hard you stir.
  • Everything tastes better when you let people interact with the platter themselves; the moment they stop treating it as untouchable art is when the magic happens.
03 -
  • Use a spiralizer or julienne peeler on the peppers and cucumber to create those dramatic curls that make people actually stop and stare before eating.
  • The olives at the ends of each curl aren't just decoration—they give guests a natural stopping point and make each curl feel like a complete little bite.
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