From as far back as I can remember there have been special occasions when a communal “potluck” meal was the order of the day. This way of entertaining is such a good idea because it removes most of the stress from a single person. There are two ways you can approach this. Firstly you can hold a party and have your guests each bring one dish. Secondly if you have ideas for potluck parties in your street you can actually move from house to house between each course. These have been some of my most fun events, and it shares out the washing up!
Now these occasions work best if you enter in to the spirit and show some imagination. Far too many times I have watched as person after person walked in with store purchased fried chicken. Whether the reason for this was lack of time, lack of planning, or lack of ideas I was never quite certain. I was certain, however, that this was not isolated to my experience alone.
Be Adventurous With Potluck Dishes
I am vegetarian and don’t eat chicken at all. Even so to my mind the whole point of a potluck is to sample different dishes that you wouldn’t normally eat. One of my favourite times when this was obvious was when I was on an international sailing rally. There were so many nationalities on the rally that most of the dishes were things I had never eaten before. How wonderful to try exciting dishes from all over the world.
It may seem odd but I have travelled extensively and experienced many areas of differing cultures and some things are universal. One thing that seems constant no matter what, is that someone inevitably brings fried chicken from a local restaurant or deli as his or her potluck offering. There is nothing wrong with this of course, but there are so many great recipes available. It seems odd that so many resort to this tired old tradition rather than spicing things up with a spicy taco casserole or sweetening the deal with some delightfully delicious and simple to make dessert.
Potlucks obviously aren’t the only time when cooking a special meal or making a dessert is a good decision. They are, however, some of the most fun which is why I love them. We sometimes have ‘pitch ins’ at work that require a food contribution. These are an excellent opportunity to make coworkers envy your culinary talents. For those who are health conscious, however, there are many wonderful types of salads that can be prepared for occasions such as this. So you have no excuse. You can provide a guilt-free offering at the next event for which you are preparing.
Cook What You Enjoy
You do not have to choose unhealthy calorie or fat filled dishes for your offerings. In fact, when you are doing the cooking you should cook the things you enjoy eating. Most of us are much more likely to put our best efforts into preparing the foods we enjoy rather than those that feel as though they are a chore for us to make. The same holds true when cooking for potlucks and such. Just be careful that you do not prepare the exact same dish every time or people will think that it is the only dish you can prepare. Of course if it is the only dish you can make perhaps you should be adventurous and try something knew.
I recommend checking out cook ahead recipes online and in your favorite magazines. Magazines that offer healthier eating options often have a casserole, large salad, or even a healthy dessert you can prepare in advance for these events. My personal solution has always been to collect recipes over time that I would like to try out. I then use the potluck audience as my recipe guinea pigs. This way if my family or I do not like it, we won’t be stuck with leftovers for a week. If we do like it, we can put it into our rotation of recipes for use at home. If you are a more cautious individual you may prefer to stick to a tried and tested recipe.
Ideas For Stress Free Potluck Parties
Cooking doesn’t have to be nearly as stressful as many of us make it out to be. Many wonderful crock-pot recipes can actually be prepared while you sleep. Just load your slow cooker with the proper ingredients and turn it on before turning in. You should awaken to the wonderful aroma of whatever delightful dish you have prepared and still manage to get ready in record time. This tried and true technique is a great way to make your entertaining quick and easy.
Even if you are one of the many who have very limited culinary talents it is quite possible to wow your friends, relatives, and peers with the correct ‘simple to make’ recipe. Desserts are often the best way to go in this effort. You can make these the night before (in many cases) and store in the refrigerator. Desserts are almost always a good bet and very few people ever complain about them regardless. There are many websites offering some fabulously easy to make and delicious desserts if you need inspiration. You should have a look online, you are sure to find ideas for potluck parties to impress. So next time it is your turn to join in on the potluck preparation don’t resort to fried chicken. Dish up something that will truly turn heads instead.
