Well, it’s time for our annual block party potluck. I always bring the same things, and it’s time for some inspiration. What are your go-to potluck dishes, or ones you’ve seen and enjoyed? I’m tempted to make Simply Sara’s Wanda’s Macaroni Salad, but that would be cruel, and I have a reputation to uphold. I’ll save it for a dopefest.)
Do you have the ability to keep things warm?
Do you want a salad? Starchy thing? Veggie? Dessert?
A veggie pizza is always a hit. For the crust, you unroll refrigerated crescent rolls and press them together on a cookie sheet and bake. Top with softened cream cheese/mayo (I always used light of both) and any raw veggies you fancy. Super easy and people seem to like it. I’m sure you can find a more precise recipe online somewhere, but that’s the basic idea. Another super-easy thing is to get a loaf of brown bread, cut out the middle and fill with any kind of dip. I usually leave the dip in the container and cut out the right size hole; that way you can stick the container into the bread and the left-over bread isn’t soggy from the dip. I think I’ve worded both of these most awkwardly!
Coconut ginger creamed corn. My own recipe is slightly different than this one, but I can’t imagine it tastes much different. Always a big hit.
If you have a food processor, and access to tahini somewhere (middle eastern grocery or whatever), hummus is easy (open a few cans, chop some garlic, blend) and generally well-received.
ETA: oh, the recipe: mine is more or less from the Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos, and runs:
2 cans chickpeas (14 oz)
1/2 c. lemon juice (fresh is better but reallemon is ok)
1/3 c. tahini
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
a tablespoon or two of olive oil
1/2 tsp or so of dried mint (optional)
throw in food processor; blend until smooth.
Scale up as appropriate.
DCnDC I just emailed that recipe to my SIL The Corn Freak. She’d never seen it before! Thank you!
Red Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes in Cranberry-Orange Sauce. Boil equal amounts of unpeeled red and sweet potatoes until soft. Drain. Thin whle berry cranbeery sauce with orange juice, heat, and add to them.
Alton’s mac and cheese was the first thing I ever took to a potluck that I made myself and it’s going to be my go-to for a long time. It was a smash hit.
Deviled eggs. It sounds corny and cheap, but for some reason, around here no one EVER brings those to a potluck except me. Growing up in the south, there were always too many of them at a potluck, but out here? I’m, like, the goddess of the party when I show up with my deviled eggs.
Cold or hot are both fine, since it’s just across the street from me. I’m open to salad, veggie, meat, dessert, anything, really. It’s time to expand my repertoire. I’ve done hummus and mac & cheese before, but could do them again. In this case, I won’t have a lot of time to cook, though. I often do salad. Deviled eggs are great! I could even pick up a dozen quail eggs and make an extra tray for the kids on the block. Keep the ideas coming!
DCnC, that corn dish looks great. I’ve had a Vietnamese dessert version with sweetened coconut milk which is also delicious.
I have two: one is a Crock Pot dish (well, two dishes, actually); I have a 6qt Crock Pot with a divided crock. If I need to bring a main-dish type thing, I’ll do meatballs in both halves of the Crock Pot-BBQ meatballs in one side, Swedish meatballs in the other. You can certainly make meatballs from scratch, but if it’s too damned hot to cook (which it certainly has been here!), you can just buy a huge bag of frozen meatballs and use them.
If I need to bring a dessert-type thing, it’s often Dump Cake, which is so insanely easy that these days, when we have it, my 10YO makes it:
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter
Preheat oven to whatever temp the cake mix says. In a 9X13 pan, dump in pie filling and pineapple (undrained); sprinkle cake mix all on top. Dot with slices of the stick of butter. Bake until it’s golden brown and the smell is driving everyone crazy.
As far as deviled eggs: I was at a cookout where someone brought them, but did something I thought was very clever; she brought the hard-boiled egg ‘boats’ (no filling) and brought the filling in a separate bowl. This way, everyone got to decide how much stuffing they wanted in their eggs. It was probably easier on her, too, as she didn’t have to bother stuffing the eggs!
I usually make corn pudding. If I recall correctly, the recipe calls for a can of creamed corn, a can of regular corn, a box of jiffy mix, a stick of butter and an egg. I might be missing something. Anyway, you just mix it all together and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 or 375.
My alternate is herb bread. Take a bundt pan and spray it with cooking spray. Melt a stick of butter. Mix into the butter a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of dried thyme, a teaspoon of dried oregano and whatever other herbs or spices you want to use and a bit of salt (however you like garlic-herb butter, basically). Pour the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Take two cans of biscuits, like Hungry Jack biscuits, and line the bundt pan, setting them in vertically. Stick it in the oven at 375 for about 20-30 minutes. When the sticking-up sides of the biscuits are golden, take it out of the oven and turn over onto a plate. Instant garlicky, herby goodness covered in butter.
I add chopped pecans to the top of that dump cake. Make delicious even more so!
Mmmmm. I’ll have to try that next time!
Mmmmm…Chocolate Lasagna
I do a variation on a dump cake.
2-4 well-drained cans of sliced peaches. (I use either the kind in juice or, my preference, the low-sugar kind in water).
1 box cinnamon streusel muffin mix.
1 stick butter
Peaches in first, then muffin mix, then streusel mix, then butter. 350 degrees for as long as it takes.
This makes a delicious dessert. If you like peach crisp or the like, it’s definitely worth a try. I have a coworker hooked on it.
I love this recipe. Easy, and people just go crazy for it. I usually do the pumpkin version for fall potlucks.
I will often do this macaroon recipe. It is super easy and always a hit.
Sometimes, if I am not feeling the dessert vibe, I will make homemade pesto (fresh basil is cheap and abundant at Farmer’s Market around here) pasta salad. It is super easy and you just make the pesto and pasta and whatever you want to it. Put it in an airtight container and chill.
Not only does that sound insanely good, but I just bought two boxes of cinnamon-walnut streusel quick bread mix! Maybe we’ll have dessert tonight! 
Hey! I am having a potluck dinner at my house uhm…this sunday? You are ALL invited 