Need Potluck help, please :)

[cseca]

OK Guys and Gals,
I need recipe help!!!
We have a potluck tomorrow (yeah, really a lot of warning eh?) and I need to make something easy, fast and cheap (well, and yummy too of course.. ).
The problem is we'll be having a lunch potluck and I will have to bring it to work in the morning.
There are already lot of people bringing deserts (hehe... surprise surprise).
Currently this is the menu: BBQ meatballs, Soup (don't know which kind yet), Cheesy potatoes.
So I will need to bring some main or side dish that'll work with the above menu.

Any help? Suggestions? Recipes?
Please..... please please....

Thanks a bunch!
You can PM me if you want...

anxiously waiting for help...

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

If you have a crockpot you could do shredded chicken w/ buns.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

What about potato salad? You can make it tonight, let it chill overnight so the flavours will blend, and keep it in the office fridge (I'm assuming you have one) until lunch.

Or tabouli salad (I've also seen it spelled tabulleh). Very easy to make, just keep it in the fridge and it's very tasty and a different flavour.

Teresa

 

[christinadei]

You could do chicken and rice for a main dish or a broccoli/rice casserole and keep them warm in the croc pot. Or do someting cold like a veggie/relish or fruit tray.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

The biggest problem I have with pot lucks is that everyone always brings cheap starches, so you end up with a meal that is all starch (does terrible things for the digestive tract. I was sick for a week after the last one I attended, ugh!)

So personally, whenever I have one of these, I always try to bring salad or fruit. Fruit is very ofetn overlooked, and while it may not be especially cheap, everyone loves a fresh strawberry! If you want inexpensive; seedless grapes should be on sale this week, and there's very little prep involved in washing grapes. You can also put out a bunch of bananas - no prep at all.

You could also make a simple salad. Try getting some of those bagged salad mixes (wild, arugula, spinach - or a mix) - add raspberries (or those new dried cranberries if the raspberries don't look good), walnuts (if you like them, just warn folks who might be allergic) - and a simple dressing of balsamic vinegar and quality olive oil (You can add a little sugar if the vinegar is too strong). This was a HUGE hit!

Amonther salad I like is one with a raspberry mustard vinegarette (raspberry vinegar, prepared German mustard, a little sugar, and either olive or canola oil). Put this on spinach (or one of the salad mixes listed above). Add golden raisins, apple (be certain to coat with the dressing or a little lemon to keep the apple from turning brown). You can top this with chicken, or not.

Squash is cheap and easy to make, it just takes a little baking time. Remove the seeds of any winter squash except spagetti squash. Bake the squash until soft, scoop it out (or peel before baking and coat with butter). After it is done add butter first, then real maple syrup (must be real) and/or brown sugar, and finish with cinnamon (and maybe ground cardamom, a tiny pinch of nutmeg).



If you must go with a cheap starch: Spagetti, tiny veggies (frozen carrot/pea mix, corn, etc.) and Italian dressing makes a simple dish that tastes pretty good. You can also use a terriaki dressing, if you choose the right veggies. Just be prepared to see ten other dishes that are almost exactly the same.

 

[malibuconlee]

Chicken enchilada dip I've made this in the crockpot before. Just bake the chicken the night before, shred it, and put in a plastic baggie in the fridge. If you put the ingredients in the crockpot and stir occasionally it'll be good to go by lunch time. I leave out the jalapeno as I don't like things too spicy. Serve with tortilla chips or I think it would go great with pita pieces.

Of course a veggie tray is always good too.

OOO, or, buy a bag of apples and bring an apple slicer. Mix one package of cream cheese with one small jar of marshmallow creme. Makes a great dip that's easy!! That way people can slice the apples as needed so they don't brown. Goes great with all kinds of fruit too.

 

[ckret01]

How about chicken and cheese quasdillas and make them into little triangles. or littles cold cut sandwiches on top of mini bagels or somethings.

 

[Pisces]

How about French Dips - can't get much easier than this...

1 Beef Roast
1 envelope Au Jus mix (powdered)
1 envelope Italian Dressing mix (powdered)
1 Can Beef Roth
1 Can Water

Put beef roast in crock pot, add the remaining ingredients on top (no need to stir). Cook on low. I have brought this for potluck at work and started it when I went to bed the night before. Then, in the morning, shred roast and return back to crock pot. Serve with hoagies, or any kind of bun.

Super easy and very delicious!

 

[Chicago526]

Taco Salad.

Make taco meat, heap in center of large plater. Top the hot ground beef with shreaded sharp cheddar cheese Make a ring of choped/shreaded lettuce around the meat, then a ring of diced tomatoes around the lettuce. Finally, make a ring of Frito chips around the edge of the platter.

If you cant' get to the dinner before the meat would cool, you can put all the salad parts in tupperware, re-heat the meat at the dinner site, and quickly assemble there. I did that once, took less than five minutes to assemble.

 

[princess momma]

CALICO BEANS

* 1/2 lb. bacon
* 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
* 1 onion, chopped

Brown bacon in frying pan over medium heat. Drain and crumble, set aside. Brown ground beef in same pan, add onions for last few minutes. Drain grease, put in casserole dish (or crockpot), add bacon, and following ingredients :

* 1 can pork and beans
* 1 can butter beans
* 1 can lima beans
* 1 can kidney beans
* 1 T. vinegar
* 1 tsp. dried mustard
* 1/2 C. brown sugar
* 1/2 C. ketcup

Cook in oven at 350 degrees, covered, for 45 minutes. Or in crockpot until bubbly.

 

[HM]

I'd go for a green salad (get a couple different kinds of bagged mix and pour together in a bowl and mix) and a couple different kinds of dressings.

 

[princess momma]

Deep Dish Layered Salad

*lettuce
*hard boiled eggs, diced
*shredded cheddar cheese
*tomatoes, diced
*diced chicken breast (you can buy pre-packaged)

Layer 1/2 of lettuce, follow with rest of ingredients, top with other 1/2 of lettuce, prepared Hidden Valley ranch dressing, and bacon bits.

Substitute whatever ingredients you like.

 

[jeepgirl30]

I make a couple that are usually pretty big hits...

Sausage rolls
1 pkg crescent roll
1/2 lb of sausage
1 cup green peppers
1 cup onions
1 cup moz cheese

heat oven to 350 and brown the sausage, drain and add the green peppers and onion. Sautee until onions are translucent. Roll out crescent rolls, spread sausage, peppers and onions, top with cheese and roll up length wise and seal ends. Bake until golden brown, cut into 1/2 inch rolls.

Chicken dip
1 can chicken
1 pkg cream cheese
1/4 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 c chopped red onion

preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients, reserving 1/2 the cheddar cheese. Spread in a baking dish and top with cheese. Bake for 25 min or until bubbly. Serve with pita chips or tortilla chips.

 

[Kay1]

I usually make devilled eggs. Miniature quiches are good if you have access to a store that sells them.

 

[KLAIT]

Seems like all of our potlucks end up with a crock of sloppy joes....1 person brings the filling and one the buns.

 

[E(ticket)lizabeth]

Got a crockpot? Got beer? Well, okay, the beer isn't absolutely necessary, but it's good!

Brown 1 lb beef stew meat tonight & put in fridge.

Tomorrow, put beef and:
1 can green beans, drained
1 can corn, drained,
1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 can chili or ranch beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes & chilis (I use 2 cans plain tomatoes to keep heat down)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can beer

into crockpot. Stir and cook, stirring occasionally. YUM!

 

[Markiesgirl]

I 2nd the sloppy joes idea or what about pigs in a blanket?? My husband loves those more than my kids!

 

[mom2alix]

The potluck contribution that got me the most compliments is super easy and cheap. I take a large crock pot of green beans. I dress them up with a little garlic and bacon, salt and pepper. Best if you use fresh, but canned will work too. I did this one time because I had NO notice and that's what I had on hand. It was such a hit (like everyone has pointed out, no one thinks to bring something green)! Good luck!

 

[wmackleit]

One of our favorites is veggie pizza....its easy and it is always gone.
It has the pillsbury crescent rolls as a crust....sour cream, cream cheese and ranch for the middle....and you top with chopped veggies and cheddar cheese.

 

[TiggerDaisy]

I simply adore pretzel salad. It is not a traditional salad and it is more like a dessert. My MIL first made it a few years ago and I was hesitant to try it, but it reminds me of cheesecake. It is simple, fast, and absolutely heavenly. My mom now demands that I make pretzel salad. It is a dessert that you can eat before the meal. Below you will find the recipe:

Pretzel Salad:

Crust:

2 cups of pretzels, broken to the size of BB's
4 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup of melted butter

Mix together and pat in a 9x13 inch pan; bake at 400 degrees for only 8 minutes. Cool.

Salad:

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 large container of Cool Whip
1 (6 oz) pkg. of Wild Strawberry Jello
1 large pkg. of frozen strawberries

Cream together sugar and cream cheese. Fold in 1 large container of Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over cooled pretzel crust. Prepare one 6 oz. pkg. of wild strawberry jello in 1 3/4 cups boiling water. Stir in 1 large package frozen strawberries into jello and pour over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate.

I usually make it at night and refrigerate overnight. Everyone loves pretzel salad. It is very, very yummy!