Keep Dips Extra Cold At Summer Parties With This Genius Dollar Tree Item

Summer cookout season means it's time to bust out our best dip recipes. But nothing ruins a dip's flavor and texture like some time under the hot, hot sun (how bizarre). Luckily, all it takes is a little ice to keep crave-worthy guacamole cool. Chilling also keeps mango salsa tasting bright and dynamic. Maintaining food safety temperatures can be especially important for dips that feature highly perishable ingredients, like a meaty cheeseburger dip or a creamy spinach dip. How can we easily achieve this? Enter: Dollar Tree's four-compartment serving tray. 

Dollar Tree's tray comprises four plastic compartments nestled side-by-side within one larger container. All four of those compartments are removable — meaning that the main container can be filled with ice at the bottom. Dips that need chilling can be placed in each of the four smaller compartments on top. The bed of ice beneath will keep those dips cool, while the compartments allow diners to easily serve themselves throughout the party without accidentally making a mess. Plus, thanks to that transparent plastic, hosts can easily monitor whether the ice is melting, requiring a top-off.

In addition to dips, this organizer tray could also be used to serve crudité veggies (with one compartment each for celery, carrots, cauliflower, and ranch or blue cheese dressing). Or, foodies could use this four-compartment organizer to display a colorful rainbow of fresh fruit, like grapes, strawberries, balled melon, pineapple chunks, peach slices, and more. 

This picnic hack comes from a TikTok by @thecraftedstudioco. It's worth mentioning that the TikTok poster doesn't specify which Dollar Tree location they visited, and Dollar Tree's inventory tends to vary by store location. At the time of publication, the item is not available for purchase via Dollar Tree's official website. However, the video does show that the four-compartment serving tray is priced at $5, and appears to be stocked in the store's section for new items. With this budget-friendly tool, there's no need to save money by buying subpar burgers and brats, or to forgo an extra six-pack for the cooler (or even for an ice-filled inflatable kiddie pool to keep BBQ food cold). 

Remember that perishable foods should never be left out of the fridge for longer than two hours. If the temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter (i.e. summer cookout weather), then that safety window gets shortened to just one hour. At these temperatures, harmful bacteria can grow and cause foodborne illnesses for party guests. Even within these time frames, cold food should be kept on ice. Dollar Tree's four-compartment tray can save space on the food table, save money, and keep foodies safe all at once. For more wallet-friendly summer party needs, we've also rounded up 21 Kirkland Signature items to stock up on for summer cookouts, if you're hitting Costco after your Dollar Tree run.