I have a bad potluck history.
Back in college my friend Roz would occasionally host extravagant potlucks where folks would come toting homemade potato salads, freshly baked lasagnas, and warm brownies straight from the oven. Of course, I’d pick up a tub of cheapo store-brand ice cream on my way over and really bring down the value of the spread. “Hey, did you try some of my vanilla?”, I’d offer meekly to the host, sugary crumbs from someone’s homemade date squares spilling down my sweater. “It’s double churned!”
Yes, I was a Potluck Novice then, but I was young so forgive me. I learned my lesson after sheepishly scooping up packs of warm liquid freezies and unopened jars of pickles at the end of the night. Hey, my store-bought stuff just wasn’t in the same league as anything homemade because who wants a Fudgee-O when there are hot chocolate chip cookies lying right beside it? (Hint: Nobody.)
Now how good does it feel bringing the most popular dish at a potluck? Yes, when your famous veggie lasagna, homemade chicken wings, or secret-recipe chocolate-coconut squares get scooped up quick, it’s a sign that you made the right dish. Homemade dishes at a potluck jump out between wet shrimp rings, cold buckets of fried chicken, and frozen pizzas. They’re a big sign of giving your time, a sign of caring, and a sign of spending lots of love to make sure we enjoy a great meal.
AWESOME!
Photo from: here
Homemade baklava–awesome and yummy!! :D
YES! One girl here at work makes it perfectly and we are all always excited when she tells us she’s bringing it for our potluck lunch.
what is baklava?
Have you tried petehi or vereniki?
easy and yummy:)
I’m usually the go-to person for deviled eggs and sugared pecans. Never fails, the deviled eggs go fast!
I love deviled eggs. Unfortunately no one brings any to the potlucks at work. I have to wait until a cookout with family to get any. I’ve never made deviled eggs… I think its time I give it a try so I don’t have to keep waiting. Hubby’s mom makes the BEST deviled eggs, though.
My neighbor calls them “Angel Eggs” because, as she says, “the devil shouldn’t get credit for something that tastes so good!”
I’m the deviled eggs person too! And yes, they do go fast.
Bekah – I’d love to have your MIL’s recipe – just to see if I need to tweak anything. ;-)
I do need to ask her. I would love to have it too.
I brought sweet and sour meatballs to my sister’s baby shower. Apparently, they were delicious!
I wouldn’t know. I was so busy being awesome that I didn’t notice my meatballs had been put on the table. By the time I worked my way over there, they had all been devoured.
Damn those greedy meatball-munchers… But thanks for the compliment, I guess!
Fruit pizza is my specialty :)
Ok, I’m guilty of bringing grocery-store-made cookies to potlucks. However, keep in mind that I was/am a college kid and when I brought cookies I was doing good. Not because I can’t cook, but because most of the time I didn’t know th church was having a potluck until I was already in the nursery. But oh man do I love church potlucks even more as a college student than as a kid!! :) But once I did bring a breakfast caserole and it was awesome!
Homemade it is!!..YES..
We use to have potlucks just about every other week here at work, but that has all gone away. Everyone had their dish that they would bring. The guys, though, would come together and buy the drinks or get pizza or something like that. I brought a chocolate chocolate chip cheesecake once, and now that’s my thing to bring when I can. When my time is tight, though and I don’t have time to make anything, I buy chips or something.
I’ve never made potato salad or anything like that, but I can do casseroles and main dishes.
Recently for cookouts with my hubby’s friends and family, we’ve been making our own ice cream and taking it and its been a big hit every time.
Wow, I would love an invite to those cookouts! Homemade ice cream: now that’s perfectly AWESOME!
Nothing comopares to a large gathering of friends and food, right?
I took plain rice to a potluck once. I learned my lesson and have since been the casserole-girl.
I’ve never heard of potlucks… but I’m guessing they’re just BYO plate parties? Well I’m not really a fan of the home-made dishes at these kinds of parties and functions that my family goes to (apart from a couple times, when there’s been tarts and pastitsis). A lot of Mum and her partner’s friends are old enviros and Greens so they always use huge amounts of weird vege combinations and they seem to smell of elderly hands that have washed dishes all day so I go for the Shortbread Creams instead :P
We like to take a Salmon. It’s nearly always appreciated by most people and so nice to share. We cook one half with garlic and lemon pepper, the other half is candied with terriyaki and brown sugar. Delicious:)
Love potlucks!
Here’s an easy and SWEET potluck hit:
1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of corn syrup
Melt on low stove top in a sauce pan
in a large bowl combine this with 5 cups of Rice Krispees and mix well.
Spread evenly into a rectangle cake pan/serving dish,
melt chocolate of your choice, 1 or white/dark/milk and butterscotch chips and lightly drizzle/decorate over the top….SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love potlucks! Not only for the variety, but I get to show off my awesome cooking skills. I really need to find out how to market my potato salad recipe. Everyone that has ever tried it raves about it. I’m known at a lot of functions as the potato salad girl, lol. I have other things that I make well, but I’m proud because the potato salad is my very own recipe. :)
So funny, so true! My go to dish is trifle!! Angel food cake, strawberries, vanillla pudding and whip cream and it’s always gone!
Sunday, we had a potluck at my sister-in-laws house. She made meatballs and little weinnies. Mother-in-law made chili and chip dip. Friends of the family cheated and brought a cookie cake and store bought cookies. (still yummy though) Me and hubby cut up fruit and made fruit dip.
I ate so much, but everything tasted so great. The baby even had some fruit and chili and icing off the cookie cake.
I love when people say, “Hey, can you bring that (fill in the blank) again? It was so good last time!” =D
My grandma makes the best potato salad. And my mom’s trifle is the best thing in the world (I am not sure if that is what it’s called, a trifle, all I know is that it is a big bowl of layered whipped cream, chocolate pudding, pound cake chunks, chocolate pieces, and more whipped cream. Yum!) I’ve started cooking myself and everyone loves my homemade brownies!
Thanks everyone. We are going to a potluck this weekend and I needed some fresh ideas of what to bring. Reading all the comments here is just what I needed. There are some really great ideas.