Your Go-To Potluck Dish

[Kogo Shuko]

When you're invited to a potluck, do you have a dish you always make? If so, what is it? Feel free to share recipes!

Last year, I found the Mad Hatter Salad recipe on a thread in the Budget Board (random, right??), and I now have people demanding I bring it to potlucks. I think it's the homemade dressing that is such a big hit with all the different circles I run in.

My father's family reunion BBQ is this coming weekend, and two of my aunts and my older cousin have both demanded I bring it.

Mad Hatter Salad

Salad

• 1 (16 ounce) package coleslaw mix
  8 green onions, chopped
  1/2 cup butter or margarine
  1 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets
  2 (3 ounce) packages chicken flavored ramen noodles
  1 cup slivered almonds
  1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

Dressing

• 
  1/2 cup white sugar
  1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  1/2 cup vegetable oil
  1 teaspoon soy sauce
  

1.In a large bowl, toss together the coleslaw mix, green onions and broccoli. Set aside.
2.Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble the ramen noodles into a bowl, and mix with the almonds and sunflower seeds. Sprinkle the seasoning packets over all. Add to the skillet; cook and stir until noodles and nuts are toasted, about 8 minutes.
3.In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the sugar, vinegar, oil and soy sauce. Seal, and shake vigorously to blend.
4.Just before serving, combine the slaw mixture with the nuts and noodles. Pour the dressing over all, and stir briefly to coat.

 

[JanaDee]

Mine is either my version of coleslaw or a pasta salad I make.

 

[Anchored]

Paula Deen's grape salad
http://www.pauladeenmagazine.com/recipe_results.php?id=59

 

[EMAW_KSU]

Four Cheese Smoked Mac 'n' Cheese

What You'll Need:

1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups (8 ounces) Gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 ounces) Parmesan cheese, shredded

What To Do:

Load the wood tray with one small handful of wood chips and preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F.

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, and whisk flour into the butter. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and thick. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes until thickened. Stir in cream cheese until mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup Cheddar, 1 cup Gouda cheese, Parmesan cheese, pasta, and cream sauce. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 9-1/2-inch aluminum roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese and Gouda cheese.

Place in smoker and cook 1 hours at 225 degrees F, until brown, bubbly and delicious.

This recipe is from John McLemore's "DADGUM That's Good!" Cookbook.

 

[scrapquitler]

I usually either make sausage & peppers or sauerkraut & Keilbasa.

If I'm in a jam and don't have time to cook, I stop at the local bar and pick up a tray of buffalo wings.

One of the ladies in my organization always stops at the chinese restaurant and picks up a couple orders of pork fried rice and chinese ribs, and when she arrives at tour dinner location, she puts it all out on a platter. Always a hit.

 

[okeydokey]

Beer bread

3 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 12 ounce beer

mix and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Pout some melted butter on top and bake ten more minutes.

 

[tcufrog]

I usually make a very hearty pasta salad or a dessert.

 

[SC Minnie]

I usually take a pineapple cheese casserole. Sounds gross but it's really good. I rarely have a bite left.

 

[Minnesota!]

Ranch taco dip, Catalina taco salad, or artichoke dip.

Discovered a corn dip, yesterday, that I am in love with and will be starting to make, too..

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I usually make meatballs. Depending on my mood at the time, I'll use sweet & sour sauce, or barbeque sauce , or tomato (spaghetti) sauce, or teriyaki sauce, or Swedish meatball gravy.

If I need something quick (like when my sister said "bring something" 5 minutes before I left the house ) I will take a cream cheese brick, pour salsa over it, and serve with Wheat Thins.

 

[minnie mum]

Greek salad. The bowl is always empty at the end.

OP: I've had that salad a few times and it is SO good! I agree that it might be the dressing that people love, but the crunch of the noodles and nuts is a big part of it too IMO. Thanks for posting the recipe. I lost mine, so I've copied yours.

 

[pooh6890]

Everyone requests my meatballs in the crock pot. So easy too! I buy a pre-cooked bag of chicken meatballs and heat in the oven until crispy. Sauce is 2 cups Gallo Burgundy wine and 2 cups Ketchup. Salt, pepper, oregano and parsley. Heat slowly in the crockpot for a couple hours. Never any leftovers!

 

[Kogo Shuko]

I love all these! I especially would like to try that grape salad.

Before I found the mad hatter recipe, I would make Raspberry Balsamic meatballs in the slowcooker, but it took all day. But they were SO GOOD. The salad is easier on my time and my wallet.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

pineapple casserole, made some just last week

Hummus with soft pita bread

Pasta salad

Lasagne

Baked chicken drumsticks

 

[Jedana]

Pasta salad (usually with roasted cauliflower, small tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinagrette).

Chicken wing potato skins (cooked/cooled/shredded chicken, mixed with butter and Frank's hot sauce. Parboil potatoes--I like to use the small gold or fingerling ones--until almost cooked. Cool, halve, pull some of the middle out to make a hole. Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until crisping. Fill hole and top potato with chicken. Top with smoked cheddar cheese and broil to melt cheese. Top with green onions and serve with ranch)

Bacon tater tots (cut bacon slice into 4 pieces, then halve each piece, then halve again. Wrap each piece around a thawed tater tot--not cooked, just thawed. Roll in a mix of brown sugar and chili powder. Place on rack on cookie sheet. bake 375 10-15 min, then turn oven up to 400 and bake another 10 min, watch to make sure they don't burn.)

Pizza dip (Make a basic pizza sauce. Mix ricotta, cream cheese, parmesan, egg and season w/salt and pepper, basil, oregano and marjoram. spread in 9" pie pan. Crisp pepperoni strips with some olive oil, partially cook red peppers and onion in the oil. Spread pizza sauce on cheese base. Top with pepperoni/pepper/onion mix. Top with shredded mozzarella and bake 350, 20 minutes. serve with slices of french bread that have been toasted, or with baked pizza dough strips)

 

[worm761]

It depends on the group of friends. But my go to's are broccoli slaw, couscous salad, and jalapeno chicken dip. All three are big hits. Though the biggest is the jalapeno dip. And DH is always told to bring his mac and cheese.

Couscous Salad:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/tracies-couscous-salad-recipe.html

Jalapeno Chicken is not hot and you can leave the jalapenos out and it is still good. It is also a pseudo recipe. I never measure.

Shredded chicken (I shred a whole chicken)
A large container of sour cream
a bag of shredded cheddar (I shred an 8 oz block)
diced jalapenos
frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained well)

Shred your chicken, add in the spinach, a few spoonfuls of the jalapeno (how much depends on how hot you like it), mix in the sour cream and add the cheese. I then heat it in the oven at 350 for around 20-30 minutes until hot.

For holidays/hosting events, I keep it hot in a crockpot. I serve with tortilla chips. We like the bowls. For Thanksgiving I make a double batch since the guys eat it up first. This freezes well too.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

Bacon tater tots (cut bacon slice into 4 pieces, then halve each piece, then halve again. Wrap each piece around a thawed tater tot--not cooked, just thawed. Roll in a mix of brown sugar and chili powder. Place on rack on cookie sheet. bake 375 10-15 min, then turn oven up to 400 and bake another 10 min, watch to make sure they don't burn.)

Oh my!!! I need a drool bucket!!

I have GOT to try this!!

 

[pigletgirl]

Depends on the pot luck, but I either make my tortellini pasta salad or some sort of dessert. I love to bake.

 

[Turn the Page]

Blue Cheese Bites.

It's a crowd pleaser and it's easy.

1 tub of blue cheese crumbles, 1 tube of refrigerated biscuit dough, and one stick of unsalted butter. It's very important to use unsalted butter. I tried it with salted butter once and it did not work. Way too salty.

Simply spread the blue cheese crumbles on the bottom of a pie pan. Dice the biscuit dough and put on top. Melt the stick of butter and drizzle on top. Bake at 325 or so until the biscuits are done and whala. Done.

Of course this means you either need a way to keep it warm or have oven space to bake it at the party. However, it's nice in that it's basically finger food so you don't even really need utensils or anything to serve it.

 

[ronandannette]

LOL...I'm chuckling to myself as I type this...Although I'm quite a good cook and have a number of recipes that would be suitable, most of the time for a potluck I take a giant bucket of KFC. You wouldn't believe how fast it goes. It's absolutely beloved by the men and kids. Our circle includes a ton of SAHM's who do an excellent job of feeding their families wholesome, healthy meals. Apparently so much so that a bucket of salt and fat is a real treat!

PS: I have made some very ugly threats to my DS about what will happen to him if he EVER tells how often we eat stuff like this...