Hello!!
Ok so I seem to be going to more and more potluck dinners and I honestly really struggle with taking a homemade meal as I'm not a good cook. I just get super insecure that my meal will taste disgusting and so I just end up taking something store bought.
Do you have any tried and true recipes that I could please try?
Thanks in advance 😊
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First, because its fun, we have to define what a potluck recipe is. The origin of the tradition "pot luck" meant that you got what ever was left. Usually served to an unexpected guest. You got the luck of the pot and whatever the pantry or the refrigerator held. It later turned into a communal meal where guests would bring their own food, but again what was left in the pantry. That's why some of the foods you would see at potlucks would be VERY interesting.
I think that today, with the explosion of chef and food shows, its more difficult to make something average like chicken covered in corn flakes.
So here are some not so difficult recipes to help you out and they are actually edible.
Before you start, if you take something store bought or prepare it on your own, the most important thing to do is make it your own. If you purchase something to take, put it in your own dish, add a sprig of rosemary or parsley or whatever is applicable and make it your own. I call this "retreating." You are using someone else’s recipe but you are treating it as your own = retreating.
Pizza Pasta Cold Version (used as a salad)
1. Find an interesting pasta, like for now would be the red and green fusilli
2. Followthe directions for cooking, drain and rinse in cold water, drain again.
3. Then this is the fun part add anything that you would see on a pizza.
Some meats to use: Pepperoni, Ham, Salami, (cut them in quarters if you use large slices) chicken could be used as well, get pieces off a rotisserie chicken.
Some veggies to use: green and black olives, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, spinach, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, the list goes on just imagine a pizza.
I always tryto think of the colors I’m dealing with or the season. This time of year is fun! Red and green peppers are a definite!
Some of your firmer veggies will need a quick run around a frying pan. Throw some olive oil in a pan and some minced garlic and then add your firmer veggies like your broccoli and onions and red and green peppers and just cook a couple minutes until they soften just a tad.
4. Mix everything together in a clear bowl if possible, because it looks so pretty and add a kicky Italian dressing to it and refrigerate and its ready to go. When you take it to the party take a little more dressing with you, you may need to add it because the pasta absorbs it pretty fast.
Pizza Pasta Warm Version
Do all of the directions above but just don’t cook the noodles as long because you are going to cook them more. Also just drain the pasta and don’t rinse since you are returning them to cooking.
There is a larger selection of meats since you will be serving it warm.
1. Cook ground beef and sausage to add to the dish, I would also cook the pepperoni and ham and salami so that it doesn’t add its own oil to the dish. Just make sure you drain or pat off extra oil from cooking the meats.
2. Then add any veggies that you want to add
4. Now instead of dressing use pizza or pasta sauce.
5. Throw in a couple of cups of shredded cheeses and put in a baking dish
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
You can make this dish as large or as small as it needs to be. But most importantly, make it decorative, have fun with it and make it your own.
Enjoy!
Love,
Mom