# Need Humble Opinions about Potluck **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-humble-opinions-about-potluck/428509 "2007-12-02T01:42:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-humble-opinions-about-potluck/428509/21 "2007-12-04T16:39:01Z")
One meal that seems fancy but is crazy easy is cheese tortellini with sundried tomatoes and marinated mushrooms, both from the jarred section in the pasta aisle. Add pesto and it tastes luxurious and rich, but it’s just a matter of mixing it all up. Also, quesadillas would be easy to make in a frypan, and a variety of fillings and dips can be included. You’ve picked an ambitious but great choice. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-humble-opinions-about-potluck/428509/22 "2007-12-04T16:54:49Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Why bust your butt to re-invent the wheel when mass production produces a very tasty product? [/QUOTE] People who attend my potlucks with store bought items instead of reciprocating the time and attention the other attendees have put into bringing something homemade never attend my potlucks again. My two favorite potluck dishes are baked mac and cheese and mushroom lasagna. I tend to use the Cooks Illustrated recipes for both of those. For a person who isn’t into cooking, the mac and cheese is infinitely easier – it’s just a white sauce and cheese all baked up. It’s a real comfort food for people, and they all find it impressive, even though it’s not hard. You can find lots of good baked mac and cheese recipes out there, though CI specifically, is a for pay site, so I can’t link you to the one I use. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-humble-opinions-about-potluck/428509/23 "2007-12-04T18:20:13Z")
[QUOTE=jacquilynne] People who attend my potlucks with store bought items instead of reciprocating the time and attention the other attendees have put into bringing something homemade never attend my potlucks again. [/QUOTE] Wow. What if it’s a speciality item from a local shop you know everyone will love? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-humble-opinions-about-potluck/428509/24 "2007-12-05T06:09:05Z")
[QUOTE=jacquilynne] People who attend my potlucks with store bought items instead of reciprocating the time and attention the other attendees have put into bringing something homemade never attend my potlucks again. \ [/QUOTE] That’s harsh, dude. Some of us just don’t care about cooking for other people - I didn’t think this was a character trait. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-humble-opinions-about-potluck/428509/25 "2007-12-05T14:42:49Z")
Not to pile on, but I think of a potluck as a place to bring something to share that you believe others will enjoy. I guess it’s fair to say that a potluck is something different, e.g., a place to share homemade food. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-humble-opinions-about-potluck/428509/26 "2007-12-05T14:49:47Z")
[OT]Love your username, **Abraca Deborah**![/OT] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-humble-opinions-about-potluck/428509.md?page=1)