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Food July 1, 2025

Easy giant ice hack keeps food cold for summer gatherings using a disposable foil pan

WATCH: This mom’s freezer guide will keep your food fresh for weeks

Make summer entertaining a breeze with this oversized ice tray hack to keep things cool for any outside entertaining, beach days and more.

Single-use, disposable foil entertaining pans now have a dual purpose to keep everything from fresh veggies to shrimp cocktail perfectly chilled in the summer heat.

How to make a giant ice tray

PHOTO: A foil tray filled with water to be frozen.
Dan McCarthy
A foil tray filled with water to be frozen.

The helpful hack from Shannon McNitt, @livingonlife101, initially garnered over 1 million views for her inventive icy trick on TikTok back in 2021. But with sweltering temperatures and the Fourth of July fast approaching, this is the perfect time to re-up the simple to execute DIY.

@livingonlife101

Food hack ##entertaining ##food ##foodsafety ##healthy ##freshfood ##lifehack ##learnontiktok

♬ Get On It - Clutch

In the video, she fills a foil pan one-third of the way with water and freezes it. Once set, she layers in a second foil pan filled with fresh vegetables and charcuterie to keep the food cold for guests.

PHOTO: A disposable foil tray filled with 1/3 water goes into a freezer.
Lori McCarthy
A disposable foil tray filled with 1/3 water goes into a freezer.

Another user, @Joywhodat, on TikTok shared a similar idea, but took her version "to the next level" by weighing down additional inserted trays during the freezing process to ensure that once hardened, those frozen pockets serve as enveloped ice molds shaped for the perfect serving vessel.

@joywhodat

Party Ice Trays #partyhack #entertaining #foodtiktok #fypシ #summerhack #summertimeentertainment #aluminumpan #ice

♬ original sound - Joywhodat

Check out more TikTok food hacks here and tag @GMA in other time-saving cooking and food tips.

An earlier version of this story was originally published on July 17, 2021.