6 Ways to Pack a Fancy Dish Without Using Plastic Wrap

I may only be “mint green” when it comes to being a crunchy mama, but believe me, I still stand out in a crowd.

When everyone else has sandwich baggies for a packed lunch, I have my reusable bags.

When folks are grabbing free water bottles at an event, I almost always have my stainless steel reusable bottle with me.

At a restaurant, not only do I completely confuse the servers by asking for “real” cups for my kids’ water (since kids’ meal cups are often pitched), but I usually run out to the van for my leftovers containers instead of accepting a huge chunk of Styrofoam to carry my food.

And when we show up at a friend’s house for a potluck, I have all sorts of unconventional solutions to not use any plastic wrap or foil to safely and effectively transport the food there.

I love easy ways to reduce waste and keep plastic off my food, which is especially tricky when you need a dish to travel with you to a potluck.

It bugs me when people get new plastic wrap to take a dish home when they already brought it covered in something that they had to throw away. (I try not to cause family conflict about it of course, but it gets my bristles up!)

I’m the type to carefully lay the plastic wrap in a hidden location, food side up, and make certain the same piece gets back on my leftovers at the end of the party. Using these tricks, sometimes I’m able to avoid that piece of plastic wrap in the first place!

How to Pack a Dish Without Plastic Wrap or Foil

We live in a disposable society, and we’ve got to start being more conscious, or else.

I’m fairly adept at avoiding plastic wrap at home (and using aluminum foil is no better, probably worse!), but when it comes to taking a dish to a party, it is definitely more fun to use a fancy serving bowl or platter, which complicates things.

Other than just hosting everything at your house so your food doesn’t have to travel, I’ve discovered a few new ways to still use the special dishes – which often don’t have lids – and yet avoid using anything disposable.

1. Little Bowl Inside a Big Bowl

If you can find a bowl in your house with a lid that would fit one of your fancy bowls right inside it, you can not only cover the food without throwing anything away, but the dish is now much easier to pack and bring somewhere if you’re traveling a few hours. You can stack other things on top of it.

In goes the pretty bowl (filled with rice pudding from Healthy Snacks to Go, all dressed up for Christmas with dried cranberries and cardamom), and on goes the lid! I was even able to mound up the pudding inside for an attractive presentation, without the “mush” effect of plastic wrap.

2. Pack Normally, Serve Beautifully

This idea is a lot of work for layered dips like my 7-layer Tex Mex from The Everything Beans Book (above), but for some party foods or appetizers that just need to be served in a bowl, why not bring them in your regular lidded glass dishes and then transfer to the pretty bowl when you arrive?

As long as you can rinse out the pretty bowl before you go, you should be able to get to a party and home without any messes or waste. (The 7-layer dip could be done if you had enough time to assemble it on location.)

3. Cover with a Plate

I’ve used this trick in my own refrigerator for years. Lots of bowls and pie plates manage quite nicely with a regular old plate of similar size resting on top.

Now I can stack them or pack in an insulated carry-case without getting anything messy. Obviously you still can’t rattle things around too much, or the plate might slide off.

This idea is the only one doubled up from this article I wrote a while back: 7 Ways to Avoid Using Plastic Wrap

4. Steal a Lid That Fits Well Enough

I could have used a little plate to cover this bowl, filled with Sweet Potato Garlic Dip that I took to a party on the weekend. I decided to try something that wouldn’t break if it fell out of the fridge after being jostled around:

It’s not a perfect fit, but it will keep the food in and other stuff out, so I’m happy with it.

5. Back into the Box

I have a Christmas tray that is rather deep, and years ago I realized that the easiest way to travel with it was to put it right back into the box! I can stack things on top of it and not worry about super huge messes.

Here are some Butternut Spice Bars (from Smart Sweets and the second edition of Healthy Snacks to Go):

(I didn’t think to take photos until after I brought them to an Advent by Candlelight service.)

Back into the box they go!

A perfect fit:

If you worry about the food touching the inside of the box, you could always line the top with a silicone mat or waxed paper.

6. Beeswrap

Bee’s Wrap or other similar brands can be used like a sheet of plastic wrap, but it’s made from organic cotton muslin, beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin, and is a completely safe and sustainable food wrap that can be used again and again. Wrap anything from cheese, half an avocado,  a crusty loaf of bread or just simply cover a bowl. The warmth of your hands will create the seal needed for keeping foods fresh.

Need Food to Put IN the Fancy Dishes?

You can also browse my own cheap and easy party foods and tips for menu planning at the holidays.

You might also be interested in:

• How to Pack for a Real Food Road Trip
• Reusable Shopping Bags for Every Grocery Run
• Don’t Drink BPA: Plastic Safety for People and Earth