Potluck dinner ideas that you need to try.
Photo by Sara Dubler on Unsplash
The holidays are a busy time and that’s when potluck season kicks into high gear, but let’s be honest – a potluck is good for any season and any holiday. This is why it’s important to have reliable recipes on hand to ensure your dish is the best dish on that table. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the host or a guest, it’s your time to shine.
The best part about potlucks is that they’re informal. There’s no need to dream up fancy dishes, you’re looking for a tray of food that will be popular with the majority of people and tick as many boxes as possible. If you’re the host, well, you’ll know to draft in biodegradable disposable tableware and to have handy labels to note what each dish is. That’s the easy bit, every potluck revolves around the dishes on offer. Let’s make sure yours wins.
As the host, you may want to consider a snack offering that keeps people going until all the potluck dishes are on display. What potluck would be complete without a well-crafted grazing table? Alternatively, you can create a grazing table made up of mini potluck dishes.
Classic Mac ‘n’ Cheese
You cannot go wrong with a generous serving of a classic. There is nothing more comforting and reminiscent of one’s childhood than a delicious spoonful of creamy macaroni. The best bit is there are so many recipe options out there that you can keep it as simple as you like or push the boat out and opt for four kinds of cheese and a crumbly top!
Tortilla pinwheels
When it comes to keeping the kids and adults happy, pinwheels are a winner. Again, they’re so easy to make, you can keep it simple with cream cheese and ham or amp it up with olives, cheddar, spring onions, and salsa. Simply spread your toppings on the tortilla, roll them up in cling film and refrigerate for two hours before you unwrap and slice them. You’re left with delicious and attractive pinwheels to please even the pickiest eater.
Grilled cheese tomato bake
If you think comfort food, you think grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup – the latter being great for this time of year if you or your children are suffering from a cold or the flu. Well, why not throw it all together in the ultimate bake? This is a crowd-pleaser that’s difficult to beat. You’ll need to mix basil and cream cheese in a small bowl. This is then spread onto six slices of bread. You’re going to top it with mozzarella and then spread the outside of each bread slice with butter just as you would for a traditional grilled cheese. Place those completed sandwiches into a baking dish.
Now, you’re going to combine salt, pepper, garlic, basil, and tomato paste in a small saucepan. Once you’re given it a minute or so to heat you can whisk in a quarter cup of milk. Allow it to simmer for four minutes after you bring it to the boil. Whisk two eggs and slowly combine the milk mixture with them before you pour it all over the dish of sandwiches. Top with a blend of Italian cheeses and bake at 180° uncovered for 30 minutes.
Heirloom tomato tart
If you’re looking to impress your friends with minimal effort, then an heirloom tomato tart is an excellent place to start. What you have is a pie that looks fantastic and has mind-blowing flavors. Everyone will wonder where you got the time to put it all together and they’ll probably question where you get the idea. It’s up to you whether you decide to share the secret.
Peanut butter fudge
All you need is butter, peanut butter, sugar, milk, and marshmallow crème. It’s so easy but so delicious that no one will know just how little effort you had to put into it. Of course, you can also use almond or cashew butter if you’re not big on peanut butter.
Cob loaf
You might have images of a cob loaf brimming with a savory dip, but we’re going in a different direction. Instead, fill your cob loaf with melted Caramilk and provide marshmallows and biscuits for dipping. You just changed the game and made new friends. If it’s all too much for you to consider, why not leave it to the professionals and consider hiring a private chef to come to assist. It’ll save you a lot of time and stress.