11 Upgrades To Make Your Next Summer Party Anything But Basic

It’s hard to believe that summer is halfway over! Make the most of the remaining summer days by upgrading your next afternoon appetizer party with these simple ideas. And make sure you serve New Chobani Mezé™ Dips for a savory snack that’s anything but basic.

1. Serve up some extra-creamy deviled eggs made with Greek yogurt and pickled with beets.

Deviled eggs are back in style and the perfect appetizer for summer. This version is modernized with the help of creamy (and better-for-you) Greek yogurt. And beets give the eggs their amazing color.

You’ll need:
1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 small red beet, peeled and halved

6 tablespoons plain Chobani Greek Yogurt

8 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled

1 tablespoon light mayonnaise

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Paprika

Sliced jalapeños

Fresh Chives

To make:
Mix 1 cup apple cider vinegar, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and 3 cups water in a medium pot. Add the beet and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly. In a heat-safe jar or bowl, add the eggs (leave the beet in!), stir, and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours (or overnight!).

Remove the eggs for the beet mix and slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolks into a bowl and mash with a fork to break up the yolks. Stir in the Chobani Greek Yogurt, mayonnaise, salt, stirring until smooth. Scoop the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe them into the egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika, sliced jalapeños, and chives!

See the inspiration.

2. Create a DIY cabbage dip bowl.

Serve some Chobani Mezé™ Dip in an edible bowl — super summery.

See the inspiration.

3. Pass out individual veggie-and-dip cups.

Make it easier to mingle with these single-serving dip cups.

4. For something sweet, pass around fruit pops.

Fruit is the perfect food for when you want something sweet AND refreshing. Serve it on sticks for easier snacking.

You’ll need:

An assortment of small fruit, like berries and grapes, cut into small pieces

Skewers

Watermelon, cut into wedges

Popsicle sticks

To make:

Layer grapes, berries, and other small fruit pieces onto skewers for fruit kabobs. For watermelon pops, just insert the Popsicle stick into the watermelon’s rind.

5. Stuff some Chobani Mezé™ Dip into fresh, late-summer tomatoes.

Use a pastry bag to pipe some dip into cored tomatoes and garnish with herbs.

See the inspiration.

6. Dab a bit of dip onto an adorable veggie flower.

Use tiny cookie cutters for perfect vegetable-shaped flowers.

See the inspiration.

7. Wash it all down with raspberry lemonade punch.

Cool down with a punch that’s summery, light, and bubbly!

Instructions:

You'll need:
2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 cup lemon juice

2 cups fresh raspberries

2 cups club soda

To make:
Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice and stir. Once sugar is dissolved, add raspberries and top with club soda.

See the inspiration

8. Liven up your ice cubes with edible flowers, herbs, and berries.

Make any drink instantly special with these super simple but impressive ice cubes. Try edible flowers like pansies and camomile flowers, mint and basil leaves, and berries!

9. Set up a drink station.

Let your guests serve themselves in style.

10. Instead of putting flower arrangements on the table, hang them.

Ditch the overdone mason jars vases for these floating flowers.

You’ll need:

Foam ball

20 gauge floral wire

Wire cutters

Ribbon

Faux flowers

To make:

Wrap the wire around the foam ball in segments, like a basketball’s lines. Where

these lines meet, attach the ribbons you’ll be hanging the ball from. Now, trim the flowers’ stems, leaving just 2 or 3 inches. Next, start inserting the flowers into the foam, arranging however you like. Finally, hang!

See the inspiration.

11. Deck out the picnic table with a tie-dyed runner.

This isn’t your parents’ tie dye.

You’ll need:
A cotton table runner (you can cut your own)

Fabric dye

A bucket

To make:
Roll up the runner horizontally. Wet it and ring it out. Prepare the dye in the bucket according to the instructions on the package. Dip each end of the rolled up runner into the dye, allowing the dye to seep toward the center. Make sure there is still space between the two colored ends. Rinse your runner into the water runs clear. Allow it to dry.

See the inspiration.

Ditch the hummus and upgrade your appetizers with Chobani Mezé™ Dip!

All images Lauren Zaser / © BuzzFeed.