Pot luck dinners............

16 years ago

Sigh............ how I hate them.

What I hate most is that the food is usually terrible. Grey roast beef drowned in canned gravy, over cooked mushy baked ziti with some sort of red sauce, the usual chopped up chicken breasts in canned mushroom soup over noodles. Blech.

Well - I found a recipe that I have taken to a few pot luck dinners (and am doing so again tonight) that actually seems to work well IMHO and is always received well - as long as the pasta is just a moment before "al dente" when you combine everything and leave the house.

I would love if you had other suggestions. I love this stuff, but it has now been to 2 Scout dinners (2 different packs), Swim team dinner and a PTO dinner all in the last 6 weeks. Oh yea - and this doubles, tripes and quadruples well AND it will reheat in the microwave without breaking.

What else do you make that holds up well and has a universal appeal?

Alexa

Smoked Salmon Vodka Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon finely diced onion

Â¼ - Â½ cup diced smoked salmon

2 fluid ounces vodka

Â½ cup heavy whipping cream

Â¼ - Â½ cup marinara

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1/8 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan saute butter and onion. When translucent, add the smoked salmon. When heated through, pull saucepan away from heat source and add the Vodka.

2. When the Vodka has burned off, return the sauce to heat source and mix in the heavy cream. When the cream has come to a boil, add the marinara.

3. Season sauce with salt, pepper and chile pepper. Reduce sauce to desired consistency; serve over 4 oz cooked penne.

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Comments (31)

lindac
16 years ago
An egg fritatta does fairly well....and eliminates the "glop" factor.
Also I have taken a casserole dish (so it can be easily covered) of oven baked chicken pieces that seems to go in a flash!
Linda C
triciae
16 years ago
I usually take on the bone roasted chicken breasts. No recipe but here's what I do...

1.) Run a bunch of fresh basil leaves & the tops off a bunch of flat leaf parsley thru the food processor until it's minced fine.

2.) Take about a pound of goat cheese & mix in the herbs. Add some salt/pepper. A bit of minced garlic is also very good but more risky for pot lucks since some people don't like garlic (can you imagine??).

3.) Slice into the chicken breast to make a good-sized pocket. Fill with the goat cheese mixture. Pull the chicken back together & sorta push down to seal.

4.) Lightly brush some olive oil on the breasts & season with S/P.

5.) Bake @ 350 degrees for about 45 minutes (depending on size of chicken breasts).

6.) A pound of goat cheese mixture will easily fill 10 large chicken breasts. You don't want too much filling or it will leak out during roasting.

7.) Place chicken breasts on serving platter, cover, & off to the pot-luck. They hold hot for about 45 minutes & easily reheat if you have to hold them.

They are always the first to disappear from a potluck table.

/tricia
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annie1992
16 years ago
As I've said before, I LOVE potlucks and other than the glaring exception (like my staff member who always brings soft drinks and chips) many of us cook, even most of us.

The thing with a potluck seems to be the overabundance of desserts, so I try to stay away from those, but the single item that always seems to be a hit when I take it is my version of calzone. I make them individually, so they are easy to pick up, carry about, eat. I just take Grandma's white bread dough, cut it out into rounds and roll it flat, then spread with pizza sauce, add some mushrooms/pepperoni/canadian bacon/whatever. Sprinkle with cheese, fold over and seal into a kind of homemade hot pocket. I can make them the day before and they are good warmed in the oven or the microwave but my kids like them best at room temperature.

My second favorite dish for others is chicken enchiladas, followed closely by macaroni and cheese.

I use Ann T's recipe for the enchiladas unless I'm pressed for time, then I use Marilyn's (I think), the one with the canned C of M.

As for macaroni and cheese, I don't touch the stuff, but others (especially kids) love it.

Finally, I made homemade "chicken nuggets", using chicken breast strips, dip them in eggwash then rolled in crushed taco flavored tortilla chips or brushed with honey and rolls in cornflake crumbs. I bake them either way, they travel well but don't reheat as easily, the coating can get soggy if left overnight then reheated.

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jimster
16 years ago
I love potato salad. I can make a meal of it if there is nothing else edible on the table. I'm always grateful to whomever brings potato salad to a potluck. Often, that is me and I say "Thanks, Jim". :-)

No need for me to provide a recipe. I'm sure you have a good one.

Jim
Lars
16 years ago
Like Annie, I love potlucks, and one of my favorite things to take is a variation of Calzone. Here's {{gwi:1497160}} looked like. It had fillings similar to Annie's. I belonged to a group that had regular potluck picnics in Griffith Park, and the leader of the groups was a professor from our local Cordon Bleu cooking school in Pasadena. His students and friends would come and bring exceptionally good things, including homemade goats' milk cheese (from Sonoma - she had to travel pretty far), and a few Algerian dishes, since the professor had Algerian roots, although he was born in the south of France. I posted a link below to a recipe of his I adapted, and it has always gotten rave reviews.

Sometimes it's good to bring homemade bread and some butter, since that gets left out from some potlucks. Focaccia is a good bread to take, and it's always been completely consumed whenever I've taken it - possibly because it was the only bread at the party. Or your could take homemade bread and store bought cheese, if you don't make your own cheese. We have often had a huge array of appetizers at our potlucks, and this allowed us to sample a lot of different foods.

I've gone to other potlucks with an Indian theme, and they were exceptionally good as well. People who work in my industry (design) seem to have more refined tastes in food than in some other industries. Anyway, we're known for being fussy and difficult to please! DB works for Sony, and they have their parties catered by Wolfgang Puck, but Kevin says he prefers what I make.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: Algerian chicken
rachelellen
16 years ago
Unless I have been specifically requested to bring something else, I almost always bring some sort of unusual salad with lots of vegetables, because pot lucks always seem to be thin on veggie dishes. I mean, someone usually brings the obligatory crudite platter and someone else a green salad, but other veggie offerings are few and far between.

Also, in case there are any vegetarians present, I try to make my veggie salad offering substantial, with nuts, grains or legumes to make it a meal for someone who can't eat much of what is offered.

I don't generally use a recipe, I just make it up as I go along, depending on what I have on hand or what looks good in the market. But, I wrote this one up for the chef when I was selling catering and had promised a client a vegetarian dish using squash. I didn't include specific amounts as it works as well with more grain than veggies as it does with more veggies than grain.

Mixed grain salad with roasted butternut squash

A mixture of grainsÂtry to use at least 3 kinds, of different colors. I use varying combinations of basmati rice, long grain brown rice*, barley, bulgar (tabuleh), quinoa, wild rice, millet, and sometimes, to lighten the texture, I add couscous.

Onions, celery, carrots-chopped

Green peas (frozen are fineÂif you have fresh, blanch them first)

Roasted butternut squash cubes**

Cranberry vinaigrette***

Chopped parsley & green onions

Chopped, toasted nuts (I like pecans or hazelnuts)

Cook grain selections separately, according to directions, but remember that they will absorb dressing and soften, so a bit al dente is better than over cooked.

Saute onions, celery, carrots until tender, but not too soft. Toss with grains, parsley, green onions and vinaigrette. Gently fold butternut squash cubes in.

*Short grain rices are too sticky for this dish, in my opinion.

**Roasted butternut squash. Peel squash. Cut into Â½ inch cubes. toss in olive oil and roast in the oven, checking frequently until just cooked, but not mushy. If it doesnÂt brown at all, pass under a broiler after cooking just to brown the edges a bit.

***Cranberry vinaigrette. Make a basic vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine or champagne vinegar, garlic & onion powders, salt & pepper. Put the vinaigrette in a blender with about 3/4 Tablespoon dried cranberries per cup vinaigrette, and puree until smooth. Then, add about a quarter cup of dried cranberries for every cup vinaigrette, and pulse blender until cranberries are chopped, but not pureed. Let vinaigrette sit over night.

Before tossing the grain salad in the dressing, taste the vinaigrette for sweetness and add a bit of sugar if need be. It shouldnÂt be too tart or too sweet.

Sprinkle the toasted chopped nuts on top and garnish with sprigs of parsley, green onion tassels or carrot curls and a few whole dried cranberries.
doucanoe
16 years ago
For the most part, I like pot-lucks, too, because my sisters and many of my friends are very good cooks.

Here are a few that I often bring and I rarely have leftovers.

JulieÂs Baked Beans

1lb ground beef, browned and drained
1/2lb bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
1T Worcestershire sauce
1/2c catsup
1/2c light molasses
1/2c brown sugar
2 medium onions, chopped
1 3lb7oz can B&M or BushÂs beans

Place all ingredients in casserole and bake one hour at 325F

OR
Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook 5-6 hours on low.
This is one of Marilyn's recipes. I can't count how many times I have made it! Party Potatoes 6 medium potatoes 1 medium onion, finely minced 2c sour cream 1/2lb grated cheddar Salt & pepper to taste 1/4c milk 1tsp snipped chives 1/2c coarse bread crumbe 2T melted butter Boil potatoes in water with skin on until tender, cool and peel. Grate potatoes coarse. Mix potatoes with sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper and chives, place into buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top, drizzle with butter. Bake 1 hour at 350F ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crunchy Pea Salad 8 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled 1 10oz package frozen peas, thawed & drained 1/2c chopped celery 1/2c chopped green onions 2/3c sour cream 1c chopped cashews Salt & pepper In medium bowl combine peas, celery, onions and sour cream. Toss gently to mix. Just before serving, stir in cashews and bacon. Season with salt & pepper. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ White Corn Salad 2c frozen shoepeg white corn 3/4c chopped roma tomato 1/2 c chopped cucumber 2T chopped green bell pepper 3T white wine vinegar 1\-1/2 tsp olive oil 1 tsp Dijon mustard Â¼ tsp salt 1/8 tsp ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced Combine vegetables in bowl, toss. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Pour over corn mixture and toss well. Serves 4 From Cooking Light magazine, date unknown Linda
cooksnsews
16 years ago
I like potlucks. I suppose it's my safe way of experiencing risk. I'm a bit disappointed in those killjoys who insist on over-managing things, like having a sign up protocol so the buffet table won't end up with 34 desserts and a loaf of bread. Frankly, I'd much rather take my chances with 34 desserts than 34 salads. But that's just me....

Not that I usually take dessert. I prefer main courses that travel and reheat well, and require few serving utensils regardless of how much mess their original prep incurs. Lately I've been making buckets of curry, either lamb or chicken. If any of my friends profess to an aversion to "spicy ethnic" foods, I just tell them it's stew. Goes down well with a plate of rice.
marilyn_c
16 years ago
I always take a pea salad that is very similar to doucanoe's...only difference, I make it with purple onions and dress with Mayo thinned with zesty Italian and use peanuts instead of cashews, and it is always a hit.

My other favorite is shrimp cole slaw which is just cabbage, purple or green onions, a little carrot for color, and diced shrimp (or small whole shrimp), dressed with mayo and Italian dressing and seasoned with a little white pepper and garlic powder.
lindac
16 years ago
cooknsews....don't think I've seen you before....welcome...I think....
But give us a "how to" for those buckets of curry and we'll say welcome for sure!
Linda C
teresa_nc7
16 years ago
I'm another one that likes pot luck dinners - if I can be sure at least some make a dish from scratch rather than bring chips and salsa or a jar of pickles (can you believe it?).

Deviled eggs always get wiped out right away. I usually make something that benefits from making ahead and parking in the fridge overnight. The broccoli salad with red onion, raisins, bacon and nuts is a favorite around here. And I love to make this cold veggie salad too:

Marinated Vegetable Salad

1 cup sugar (I use less)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. salt
1 16 oz. can French-style green beans, drained
1 16 oz. can sweet English Peas, drained or about 1 1/2 cups cooked frozen peas
2 14 oz. cans shoepeg corn, drained
1 2 oz. jar diced pimento, drained
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 green bell pepper diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Mix sugar, cider, oil, pepper, salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cool. Toss dressing with remaining ingredients. Mix well and chill for at least 8 hours. Serves 8-10.

Ditto on the focaccia. And cold sesame or peanut noodles travel well and are a popular dish also.
colleenoz
16 years ago
I usually take my mother's Chicken Divan, which does not use canned anything (I've seen versions with canned soup, no thanks) and makes a little chicken go a long way. It goes in a flash. Otherwise I take quiche or curry.
caliloo
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for all the suggestions. I will certainly have choices now when I am invited to the next one.

The one last night was pretty predictable - someone made "Shephards Pie" and was bragging about how it was canned Dinty Moore Beef Stew and isntant mashed potatoes. GAK!

The desserts were good though - I have to track down the person that made a chocolate chip banana cake. OMG it was good!

Thanks again everyone!

Alexa
Marilyn Sue McClintock
16 years ago
Our little country church has a great pitch in dinner, as we call them, the first Sunday of each month and there are a lot of really good cooks there. Always have home made chicken and noodles and mashed potatoes and everything else you can think of. I usually take yeast rolls with the butter and pies and sometimes sweet potato casserole. I almost always take 3 things, I never take just one thing. I think most of the church ladies take more than one thing too. That way there is plenty of really great food and something to satisfy just about everyone. We always look forward to the church meals.

Sue
rachelellen
16 years ago
"someone made "Shephards Pie" and was bragging about how it was canned Dinty Moore Beef Stew and isntant mashed potatoes"

Oh my! There are those people to whom a good recipe is an easy recipe, and it's funny because they're always eager to share the recipe and tell how easy it is to make. I have friends like that...it's just that they really don't like to cook, and so they think they are doing you a favor by cluing you in on how easy a dish was to make. They mean well.

On the other hand, I have tried many a potluck dish that I really liked, only to be told that it was made with canned soup or packaged seasoning mixes, what have you. Things I would never have thought to "lower" myself to buy or use...so it takes me down a peg each time it happens, reminds me I ain't all that! :Dlol
beanthere_dunthat
16 years ago
I used to love potlucks. That was before "cooking" meant "open canns, stir contents together, microwave". I'll take a bag of chips over some things I've seen lately. (I don't care how much crushed crackers you put on top, blue box macaroni should never be in the same dish with canned asparagus.)

I usually take something like deviled eggs, Lars tabbouleh, chicken enchiladas, waldorf salad, etc.
lpinkmountain
16 years ago
Working for non-profits I have been to my share of potlucks. I have gotten some great recipes from them. If you get a good cooking group like Annie's it can be a real adventure. I was at one last summer where there were three versions each of baked beans, potato salad and macaronni salad! It was fun to compare. Two summers ago when I worked at a bio station we had one every Friday. Sometimes it was themed, my favorite was the Scandanavaian one. I always find potlucks just like the name described, one can get lucky or no!!

I first had that coleslaw with the ramen noodles at a potluck, and I learned how to make roast veggies from a friend at a potluck. I also learned how to make fruit pizza and those caramel cookies with the condensed milk and saltines at a potluck. I often make pinwheel sandwiches to bring to a potluck, which are just colorful wraps sliced and turned on the side. Thinly sliced ham, swiss, some herbal brown mustard and mayo and flat lettuce have been very popular, as are bean dip and veggie cream cheese ones. Hummus or spinach dip with pita chips too. But you can get such good hummus in the store nowdays I don't make it from scratch anymore!

I worked at a school once staffed by some incredible cooks, where they had such wonderful potlucks with food from Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Carribean and S. America. That's where I first had plantains and the Dominican specialty "Mourir Somnando" ("To Die Dreaming," I've probably killed the spelling here!) which is a drink like an orange julius. Having recently made an easy and outstanding batch of Cinncinati style chili it just may become my new "go to" potluck dish. My other "go to" was peach raspberry pie, which I would throw together with frozen peaches, frozen raspberries and refrigerator pie crust. But it was still home-baked and fresh tasting yummy.
cooksnsews
16 years ago
Thanks for the greeting, lindac. My curry recipes are kinda long to type out here, with lots of ingredients. My fav cookbook is a BBC publication I picked up in England almost 20 years ago, "Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery". NO curry powder in this one, but otherwise, the ingredients are chosen for what is usually obtainable in western kitchens. Lots of garlic and ginger ground up together.... I'll admit that I cheat and don't bother roasting my own spices. I haven't found a bad recipe in this book. Most make fairly large quantities and are cooked in one pot, so are ideal for potlucks. If possible, I put the works into a crockpot for buffet serving to keep everything warm.
User
16 years ago
Oh Alexa, Shepherds pie with canned stew? How disgusting.

ann
shaun
16 years ago
I'm always asked to bring deviled eggs and Buffalo Chicken Dip. THat stuff magically disappears in no time and is really very easy to make. I use real chicken breasts that I poach first. No canned chicken for me.

I like pot lucks normally but would have run from that Shepherds pie made with canned stew.

Canned stew scares me.
annie1992
16 years ago
Oh, and Alexa, I want to assure you that in spite of the last name, I am absolutely not related to Dinty!

Annie
dgkritch
16 years ago
I love potlucks! Where else can you try a recipe before making an entire batch only to find out you don't like it????

Like marilyn_sue, our church has a Second Sunday potluck each month. We are fortunate that most are pretty good cooks. There is always a store-bought brownie person or a "can of this, can of that" person, but I still enjoy trying different things.

I have learned that sometimes Easy is Good. Sometimes a pre-canned ingredient or two "works". Sometimes, a dish just sucks. I take a teaspoon/tablespoon sized bite of almost everything (hey, it's a tiny church), then go back for the things I really enjoyed....and usually try to search out the person that brought it/them to compliment..........and beg for the recipe! LOL

For me, a potluck is more about sharing with whatever group of people than about gourmet food. I would rather eat bad food with great people, than great food with bad people!!
If you're fortunate enough to have good food and good people, you are blessed!

Deanna
shaun
16 years ago
I would rather eat bad food with great people, than great food with bad people!!

Hear Hear! Me too!
annie1992
16 years ago
Deanna, you hit that right square on the head. I'd rather a cold bologna sandwich with someone I love and enjoy than the best lobster or prime rib in the world with someone whose company I don't enjoy.

If I can have good food AND good company, I'm ready to burst into song!

Heaven....I'm in heaven.....(grin)

Annie
dixiedog_2007
16 years ago
Deanna that was truly a wonderful post and oh so true! I feel exactly the same as you.
triciae
16 years ago
Another who'll eat Dinty Moore stew with someone I love rather than gourmet anything with unpleasant company.

The potlucks I've been to have been about a group of people who share similar interests just enjoying each other's company & not about the food. If it was an imprompu gathering & I didn't have time to cook...heck, I'd take Bush's Baked Beans & hopefully they'd be welcomed.

/tricia
caliloo
Original Author
16 years ago
Okay - now I feel sort of ashamed for posting about the Shephards Pie.

Deana - you are absolutely corerct - the people who were there on Sat are really great and everyone supports the kids all year around. We had a good time, great conversation and wonderful companionship, so who really cares about the food! Although I do need that Banana Chocolate Chip Cake recipe.....

I promise - I will never complain about the food again as long as the company is good!

Alexa
trixietx
16 years ago
I agree on the company, but I will have the bologna sandwich over the canned stew. YUK~
dgkritch
16 years ago
Alexa, I didn't mean to make you feel ashamed!
There's certainly people/things/food in all of our lives that aren't the greatest.

I just meant that, in my opinion, it's the people that matter.
I've been amazed that we can attend church with the same people for months and not have a clue about who they really are. Then, by sitting with them and really talking at a potluck, I come away with a whole different perspective, understanding, and knowledge of what they're about.

I love it!

Deanna (who would have to choose the bologna over the stew too....if given a choice!)
marlingardener
16 years ago
A year ago we moved from a cold-hearted town in Texas to a small farm in nowhere. There is a church about a mile up the road, and we had not been here a week before we were invited to a "fish fry" that involved everyone bringing a dish to pass. In the ensuing year, we have been to an ice cream social, a Christmas get-together, and recently our second fish fry.This place is packed with great cooks! If anything comes out of a "can" it is something home-canned and home-grown.Recipes are always shared, and a lot of folks make up a plate to take to a shut-in or someone they know will like something different. Perhaps the food is so good because of the great company and kindness of the people at the church. Whatever, we sure enjoy both!I try to take homemade bread--I know better than to try to compete with the casseroles, salads and desserts that show up!
sankum
16 years ago
I usually prepare some appetizers and dessert. One of the recipies I do often is Onion Pakora. Try and let me know. I love pot lucks ..you can eat a variety of food and the best part is you need not prepare them all ;) lol!

Ingredients:

2 tsp Ghee

1 pinch of Baking soda

1 cup of Bengal gram flour (besan)

1/2 cup of Rice flour

2 or 3 finely chopped onions (lengthwise)

2 Green chilies -- finely chopped

1 tsp Chili powder

few cashew nuts/Ground nuts

1 cup of Cilantro (coriander) finely chopped

2 strands of Curry leaves

Salt -- to taste

Water -- as required

Oil -- for deep-frying

How to prepare:

Place 2 tsp. ghee and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Rub together until frothy. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well, using sufficient water to make a thick batter. Leave it to rest for 15 mts.

Heat oil in a heavy frying pan. Make small balls from the batter and drop them into the oil . Fry the pakoras until golden in color. When cooked, drain the excess oil on a sheet of brown paper or paper towels. Serve hot with chutney.

This dish goes well with Mint chutney. You can also eat them without any side dish.

Here is a link that might be useful: Recipes

Pot luck dinners............

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caliloo
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