I organize at least one pot luck per year, more if you count family gatherings. I usually take a Potluck Mac 'n Cheese and another dish or two. I seldom bring anything home, even though I have prepared for a crowd.
The Pot Luck Mac 'N Cheese is a crowd pleaser, if basic comfort food, and is easy peasy to prepare. Check out the link for the Rx.
@k4evryngPot Luck Mac 'n Cheese link.
I make this dish for every potluck and for most family gatherings. It takes about 15 minutes to put it together the morning of. Less if you do some things the night before. It is made in a crockpot, which if you use a liner, there is very little clean up. I hardly ever bring any leftovers home, and if I do, it’s a minimal amount. BTW, I don’t put in that extra stick of butter as it has enough calories to begin with.
If you make it to take someplace, be sure to pack a serving spoon and an extension cord. You would be surprised at how often that extension cord saves the day. And when you arrive and service starts, do not forget to turn the crockpot down to “Warm” setting. If you don’t as the pot empties the bottom will get very dark, and crusty to burnt. Not a problem if you like that part of the M&C like I do. Just turn it down and be safe.
BTW, I read today that mac and cheese is in effect the National dish of Canada. 37 million Canadians eat 55% more mac and cheese than do all Americans put together. “Kraft dinner,” they call it.
If they ever discover this potluck m&c, look out Nelly, for it is light years better than powdered cheese spread on elbows.
For the Pies, I usually whip real cream for the white layered fillings and frosting.
For the NC RAC, I have converted to a whipped cream-cream frosting from the boiled buttermilk icing as in the Rx. When I did use the boiled buttermilk icing, I usually cooked it to a liquid temp of around 125-128°F. Less and it was too thin. More and it became too gooey and candy-like. I also add a healthy dose of cardamom to the NC RAC, mostly because I like it and I have it on hand, from my Indian spice ingredients.
Not too long ago, I took Swedish meatballs and gravy with hot egg noodles to a family funeral. Eighty people showed up after the funeral for the family reception. There wasn’t nearly enough food provided It turned out that my contributions feed most of them in addition to the provided food. Now that was a project! I had made a couple of hundred meatballs (mixture of beef and pork), cooked them, made the gravy the night before the funeral, along with a North Carolina Raw Apple Cake (>5.5lbs of cake) and a couple of batches of Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies. The morning of the funeral we had to drive 100 miles, one-way, to get to the funeral in time, bringing with me to the church kitchen and community room everything I thought I would need (pots, pans, serving trays, utensils, cardboard serving bowls, plastic ware, the noods, which had to be cooked on site, etc., etc., etc.)
I had to laugh as I was carting all this stuff into the church kitchen, one of the church ladies looked at me and said “Are you a caterer?”
I have pictures of many of these dishes on my phone, but I don’t have time at the moment to dig them out and post them here.
I also have all the Rx converted from volumetric to gravimetric (weight or mass), which is more precise, accurate (they are not the same thing, btw). Cooking by weight with a digital scale is scads quicker. And one doesn’t mess up unnecessary utensils, bowls, etc., so there’s less clean up.
And as a retired organic chemist, I keep a notebook (of course) on the many, many dishes which I cook from time to time.
Details of anything I have mentioned here on request.
@Jackinga thank you sooo much for the Mac n Cheese recipe and tips! An extension cord is a great idea that I likely would forget when taking a crock pot dish somewhere! The other recipes look great as well! I always feel better making a recipe that I know someone has actually tried (and likes), so I’ll be saving those, (along with the other ideas posted in this thread).
And wow…a couple hundred hand made meatballs with gravy? And cake? And cookies? I’m quite sure you were the hero of the day with all that food, and that it was so greatly appreciated by your family! You probably should start catering, lol!
@k4evryng You’re welcome for the recipes. I have a lot, lot more, of course.
I do want to correct one thing which I wrote. I cooked the North Carolina Raw Apple Cake, boiled buttermilk icing to 225-228°F not 125-128°F.
In hindsight for the Swedish meatballs, I should have just gone to a store and bought a bunch of bags of frozen, ready prepared meatballs. Since I generally don’t like to use prepared things, that never crossed my mind. So I bought a lot of ground pork and ground beef, Panko, eggs, etc., and made and cooked my own.
What a job! It was a lot of work. Dat’s a lotta meat-a-balls!
The cake and cookies were far and away less work. I make those kinds of things often to give away at doctor’s and dentist’s offices, etc. (You would be surprised at how your treatments and charges change when you do this on a regular basis. Believe me, when you come in the door with a covered dish, they flat know who you are.)
I did overhear someone say something intimating that whomever made the Swedish meatballs must have bought a lot of bags of meatballs. Unable to resist, I corrected that lady, whom I didn’t know, and said, “No, these are all handmade, homemade and not purchased.” I sort of remember that she sort of sniffed and wasn’t impressed in any case.
I would say that 95% of those, who attended that funeral, had no idea where the food came from or how it got there. My contributions were in addition to a large grocery store deli platter of small sandwiches and another platter of salad finger food and dips, that had been ordered by the church, along with a couple of desserts made by one or two of the church ladies. All in all, there wasn’t nearly enough to feed 80+ people.
As far as those 80+ people went, they just accepted it without question as if it was their due and went on.
That was OK by me, as it was a funeral reception and not my party. I neither sought nor expected any particular credit.
@Jackinga I would wager a good amount that even if you didn’t know it, you were someone’s Angel that day. Things are hard enough at funerals, and to know that someone else is taking something off of their plate, so to speak, means so very much.
The woman that wasn’t impressed was just jealous that she couldn’t do something as impressive as that that. .
And I chuckled at dat’s a lotta meat-a-balls (and totally read/heard that in the voice of the commercial! ) because yes, that is indeed a lot of meatballs!
Also…chemists are some of the best bakers because at its roots, baking IS chemistry!
@Pony Same here, on both counts.
If I were going somewhere and didn’t have a clear assignment already, I’d probably ask the organizer what category I should bring.
@brennyn@mycya4me Over the course of each year, I collect up all of the fast-food utensil packs that we don’t use, and donate them to the hospitality room at the convention we attend in January.
@brennyn@werehatrack That is a good Idea, After I collect a bag or two of Hotel samples in the Rooms. You know the Soap, Shampoo, & items, then Donate them to the Homeless shelters. You know they need them.
As someone with lots of food restrictions, a potluck is a Nope! if it can be avoided. If I can’t politely decline, I will ask what non-food items (napkins, plates, etc.) or drinks I can contribute. Then I find something I can drink/carry around while talking and deftly avoiding all of the food. It mostly works, except for the occasional person who gets offended if anyone refuses to sample their culinary masterpiece.
@rockblossom VERY Good Idea. I just don’t drink the Punch or anything that has CO2 in it… My Tummy don’t like it! So I will request if not offered water.
@rockblossom It can be useful. Although I’ve failed to develop a reputation for bringing food no one wants, I’m an expert in keeping anyone from wanting me to make coffee for them.
No happening. No picnics when it is 104F
Myself empty handed. I’m that guy…
My appetite!!
/showme starving man at a potluck picnic
@mediocrebot AI always looks weird.
Dessert, so I have something to look forward to.
I bring a side…chick
@somf69 wow
@mycya4me @somf69 Enough to go around?
I’m participating in a potluck? Sure. I’ll stop by Hell and pick up a load of snowcones.
/showme soapilla cheesecake
A spoon
Taco Layer Dip and/or desserts. Usually both. 7-layer bars. Gotta love layers!
I organize at least one pot luck per year, more if you count family gatherings. I usually take a Potluck Mac 'n Cheese and another dish or two. I seldom bring anything home, even though I have prepared for a crowd.
The Pot Luck Mac 'N Cheese is a crowd pleaser, if basic comfort food, and is easy peasy to prepare. Check out the link for the Rx.
@Jackinga is there a recipe link I’m missing? I don’t see it in the pinned recipe post. Mac ‘n cheese is always a popular dish and that sounds yummy!
@k4evryng Yeph, half the message got dropped when I reactivate the message for an edit. I’ll try to recreate it along with the other missing material.
@k4evryng Pot Luck Mac 'n Cheese link.
I make this dish for every potluck and for most family gatherings. It takes about 15 minutes to put it together the morning of. Less if you do some things the night before. It is made in a crockpot, which if you use a liner, there is very little clean up. I hardly ever bring any leftovers home, and if I do, it’s a minimal amount. BTW, I don’t put in that extra stick of butter as it has enough calories to begin with.
If you make it to take someplace, be sure to pack a serving spoon and an extension cord. You would be surprised at how often that extension cord saves the day. And when you arrive and service starts, do not forget to turn the crockpot down to “Warm” setting. If you don’t as the pot empties the bottom will get very dark, and crusty to burnt. Not a problem if you like that part of the M&C like I do. Just turn it down and be safe.
BTW, I read today that mac and cheese is in effect the National dish of Canada. 37 million Canadians eat 55% more mac and cheese than do all Americans put together. “Kraft dinner,” they call it.
If they ever discover this potluck m&c, look out Nelly, for it is light years better than powdered cheese spread on elbows.
Other dishes I take to potlucks are things like Key Lime pies, Pineapple Upside downcake, Possum Pies, Blueberry and Cherry Yum Yums, North Carolina Raw Apple Cake, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Cookies, Kaiser Rolls, and French baguettes, all homemade from scratch ingredients.
For the Pies, I usually whip real cream for the white layered fillings and frosting.
For the NC RAC, I have converted to a whipped cream-cream frosting from the boiled buttermilk icing as in the Rx. When I did use the boiled buttermilk icing, I usually cooked it to a liquid temp of around 125-128°F. Less and it was too thin. More and it became too gooey and candy-like. I also add a healthy dose of cardamom to the NC RAC, mostly because I like it and I have it on hand, from my Indian spice ingredients.
Not too long ago, I took Swedish meatballs and gravy with hot egg noodles to a family funeral. Eighty people showed up after the funeral for the family reception. There wasn’t nearly enough food provided It turned out that my contributions feed most of them in addition to the provided food. Now that was a project! I had made a couple of hundred meatballs (mixture of beef and pork), cooked them, made the gravy the night before the funeral, along with a North Carolina Raw Apple Cake (>5.5lbs of cake) and a couple of batches of Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies. The morning of the funeral we had to drive 100 miles, one-way, to get to the funeral in time, bringing with me to the church kitchen and community room everything I thought I would need (pots, pans, serving trays, utensils, cardboard serving bowls, plastic ware, the noods, which had to be cooked on site, etc., etc., etc.)
I had to laugh as I was carting all this stuff into the church kitchen, one of the church ladies looked at me and said “Are you a caterer?”
I have pictures of many of these dishes on my phone, but I don’t have time at the moment to dig them out and post them here.
I also have all the Rx converted from volumetric to gravimetric (weight or mass), which is more precise, accurate (they are not the same thing, btw). Cooking by weight with a digital scale is scads quicker. And one doesn’t mess up unnecessary utensils, bowls, etc., so there’s less clean up.
And as a retired organic chemist, I keep a notebook (of course) on the many, many dishes which I cook from time to time.
Details of anything I have mentioned here on request.
@Jackinga thank you sooo much for the Mac n Cheese recipe and tips! An extension cord is a great idea that I likely would forget when taking a crock pot dish somewhere! The other recipes look great as well! I always feel better making a recipe that I know someone has actually tried (and likes), so I’ll be saving those, (along with the other ideas posted in this thread).
And wow…a couple hundred hand made meatballs with gravy? And cake? And cookies? I’m quite sure you were the hero of the day with all that food, and that it was so greatly appreciated by your family! You probably should start catering, lol!
Thank you again!
@k4evryng You’re welcome for the recipes. I have a lot, lot more, of course.
I do want to correct one thing which I wrote. I cooked the North Carolina Raw Apple Cake, boiled buttermilk icing to 225-228°F not 125-128°F.
In hindsight for the Swedish meatballs, I should have just gone to a store and bought a bunch of bags of frozen, ready prepared meatballs. Since I generally don’t like to use prepared things, that never crossed my mind. So I bought a lot of ground pork and ground beef, Panko, eggs, etc., and made and cooked my own.
What a job! It was a lot of work. Dat’s a lotta meat-a-balls!
The cake and cookies were far and away less work. I make those kinds of things often to give away at doctor’s and dentist’s offices, etc. (You would be surprised at how your treatments and charges change when you do this on a regular basis. Believe me, when you come in the door with a covered dish, they flat know who you are.)
I did overhear someone say something intimating that whomever made the Swedish meatballs must have bought a lot of bags of meatballs. Unable to resist, I corrected that lady, whom I didn’t know, and said, “No, these are all handmade, homemade and not purchased.” I sort of remember that she sort of sniffed and wasn’t impressed in any case.
I would say that 95% of those, who attended that funeral, had no idea where the food came from or how it got there. My contributions were in addition to a large grocery store deli platter of small sandwiches and another platter of salad finger food and dips, that had been ordered by the church, along with a couple of desserts made by one or two of the church ladies. All in all, there wasn’t nearly enough to feed 80+ people.
As far as those 80+ people went, they just accepted it without question as if it was their due and went on.
That was OK by me, as it was a funeral reception and not my party. I neither sought nor expected any particular credit.
@Jackinga I would wager a good amount that even if you didn’t know it, you were someone’s Angel that day.
Things are hard enough at funerals, and to know that someone else is taking something off of their plate, so to speak, means so very much.
The woman that wasn’t impressed was just jealous that she couldn’t do something as impressive as that that.
.
And I chuckled at dat’s a lotta meat-a-balls (and totally read/heard that in the voice of the commercial!
) because yes, that is indeed a lot of meatballs!
Also…chemists are some of the best bakers because at its roots, baking IS chemistry!
Depends on the potluck. Not that I go to any nowadays, but usually there’s at least some coordination as to what’s needed and who will be bringing it.
@Pony Same here, on both counts.
If I were going somewhere and didn’t have a clear assignment already, I’d probably ask the organizer what category I should bring.
Depends on what I feel like bringing and what others are bringing (something there’s a sign-up form).
@kittykat9180 yep…
Plates, because 4 times out of 5 nobody else remembers to bring any.
@brennyn agree!
@brennyn @mycya4me Over the course of each year, I collect up all of the fast-food utensil packs that we don’t use, and donate them to the hospitality room at the convention we attend in January.
@brennyn @werehatrack That is a good Idea, After I collect a bag or two of Hotel samples in the Rooms. You know the Soap, Shampoo, & items, then Donate them to the Homeless shelters. You know they need them.
Hand-cranked ice cream freezer
@fultonmartin I hope you will be the Cranker hehehe
As someone with lots of food restrictions, a potluck is a Nope! if it can be avoided. If I can’t politely decline, I will ask what non-food items (napkins, plates, etc.) or drinks I can contribute. Then I find something I can drink/carry around while talking and deftly avoiding all of the food. It mostly works, except for the occasional person who gets offended if anyone refuses to sample their culinary masterpiece.
@rockblossom VERY Good Idea. I just don’t drink the Punch or anything that has CO2 in it… My Tummy don’t like it! So I will request if not offered water.
…My handsome face for everyone to appreciate .
Because no one wants you to bring food?
@rockblossom It can be useful. Although I’ve failed to develop a reputation for bringing food no one wants, I’m an expert in keeping anyone from wanting me to make coffee for them.
@rockblossom @werehatrack Tuna Casserole inspired chocolate cake is delicious no matter what some may say.
Dessert
My sparkling personality.
Booze.