To all y’all who are rich and/or have never attended a potluck before, let me tell you what a potluck it because as the economy continues downward, you may well be attending or giving a few potlucks.
A potluck is a buffet where all the food is provided by the attendees. Each person invited to the potluck brings one (or two) dishes to share with everyone else, so they have to prepare enough of the dish to feed every other guest - which can range from 4 or 5 to 50 or more. It can be a themed potluck, it can be a general potluck. Some people call these “church suppers”, but the difference between a “church supper” and a “potluck” is both location and timing - church suppers are usually held at churches after services and potlucks can happen anywhere at any time.
There are cookbooks devoted to cooking for crowds, to potluck dishes, and to “traveling suppers” (a variant of the potluck). I will share at the end of this article some of my most often requested potluck dishes. Before that, though, there are some important things you need to know about potlucks, both as the host and the guest. We’ll start with the host.
If you are hosting a potluck, there are some things you provide that others usually don’t: the venue, the tables, the seating, ice both for drinks and to keep cold foods cold, electrical outlets to keep hot foods hot (or sterno trays/chafing dishes), and often the dishes and flatware and napkins as well as a trash can, a place to wash things up, and access to toilets. You may also be expected to provide music, decorations, and some form of entertainment. Sometimes, the host is expected to provide the main entree and/or a spectacular dessert, but that depends entirely upon the social position of the host - if you are the president/supervisor/boss at work and hosting a potluck for your employees (an excellent way to keep up morale and give your employees a little perk without bankrupting the company), then you are definitely expected to provide at least two main course entrees - a meat one and a vegetarian/vegan one. The host has the option of making this main course entree themselves, buying it from a restaurant, or catering it in.
The venue should be clean, and should have provisions for washing things up, and food should be kept at safe temperatures. Small potlucks where everyone knows everyone else don’t need a lot of extra precautions taken for health and safety reasons, but larger ones and ones hosted by a workplace or organization where members may not be as familiar with one another need to take extra precautions and to be seen taking those extra precautions. This is because so many people now believe their personal preferences and quirks supersede the comfort and happiness of the group as a whole. They aren't team players anymore and a potluck is a team player activity.
Actually, by hosting a potluck, people (and employers) can quickly spot who the troublemakers and slackers will be (in the company) by how their friends and neighbors (employees) behave at the potluck, showing them the people upon whom they can depend and the ones who will flake out. I recommend survivalists have frequent potlucks for just this reason.
The precautions are:
1. Cold foods must be kept cold - below 50º. Keeping them on ice is the usual choice, so providing deep trays or bowls of ice in which to nestle the prepared dishes and checking them to drain and refill with ice as needed is an essential duty of the host. It can be delegated, but it is still the responsibility of the host to make sure it is done.
2. Hot foods must be kept hot - above 140º. This can be done with hot plates, crock pots, chafing dishes, or sterno buffet trays.
3. Dishes must be labeled - Have labels and pens available so guests can write down the name of their dish, their name, and the ingredients in it so other guests will know what’s in it without constantly having to ask.
4. Segregate special dishes for those with allergies - Have a special table set aside for those who have (......censored......) allergies so the food can be segregated for their enjoyment. (......censored......)
5. Wash your hands before re-arranging or adjusting things on the tables or removing empty dishes to replace with filled ones. I generally keep a bottle of Germ-X nearby, but some people prefer to use disposable plastic gloves. Many people have been removing food from the used dish and it’s been sitting out a while, therefore moving the dishes or re-using the same serving dish is inadvisable because of food-borne germs.
6. Set out small portions of the food on clean dishes and hold the rest in the refrigerator or in an oven set at 200ºF until time to put them on the serving tables. Again, this is to prevent food-borne illnesses and the spread of germs.
7. Replace or remove food that’s been sitting out for more than 2 hours. Most potlucks don't last thatThe recommendation is to discard it because it will have attracted food-borne germs, because there are three nasty food-borne germs that love food like that - and they can’t be seen or smelled on the food. Better safe than sick. Compost the leftovers if possible.
Now, as guests, let me assure you that the food you will be eating at a potluck has a higher than average chance of being good food well and safely prepared. People who bring food to a potluck are bringing their best and they take extra precautions to be sure the food is tasty and safe to eat. People want to show off their food and that isn’t going to happen if it makes you sick. Trust that they are as careful with their food as you are with yours, and relax and enjoy the food.
Allergies and food intolerances are a problem at most potlucks and buffets, and you, as guest, will have to decide what level of discomfort from your food intolerances you are willing to tolerate. As a guest, it is your responsibility to know what food items trigger any reaction - from the mild to the severe - and it is your responsibility to avoid those foods. The host and other guests have done their part by labeling the foods they brought, and providing a separate table for those with allergies. If you choose to eat foods to which you know you are allergic or to which you have a food intolerance or that is not on your diet or that you don't like, then you cannot blame the other guests or the host when you choose to eat them.
If you are among the (......censored......) people who have a food allergy (......censored......), your host should provide a special table for food safe for you to eat - and you are responsible for bringing food you can safely eat and letting the host know of your allergies, if they don’t already know. Friends may cater to your allergy by also providing food you can eat, and your host will provide at least one dish you can eat, assuming you let the host know of your allergy. If you don't let anyone know you have a food allergy, then only you are responsible if you have an allergic reaction to a dish. If you don't know if you are allergic and you've never eaten that food/ingredient before, take only a tiny portion and sample it - a true allergic reaction will appear rather quickly. Then you'll know to avoid that food/ingredient in future.
All guests are expected to comply with the 7 precautions above for their own health and the health of the other guests.
All guests are expected to bring enough food so everyone at the party can have at least a sampling. They don’t have to make the dish. They can stop somewhere and buy it, but they have to buy enough for everyone. It’s often cheaper to make it than to buy it and the whole reason for a potluck (other than to show off your culinary expertise) is to have an inexpensive party with your friends.
There are some special potlucks that are done differently - the Pig Out Potluck and the traveling potluck.
Let me explain what these are.
The Pig Out Potluck is composed entirely of take out dishes. Each guest is responsible for bringing one dish from one restaurant in sufficient quantity for all the other guests. All of the food is set out on tables and all the guests get to nibble food from many different restaurants all at one place. This works best in a place with a wide variety of restaurants. You’ll get everything from Thai and Chinese take-out to fried chicken and catfish to cole slaw, loaded potato bites, biscuits, fried okra, pizza, soups, sliders, baked beans, barbecue, chicken strips, bangers, cheesecakes, and whatever else may be available in your area. The Pig Out Potluck can get a bit pricey, so planning it in advance and setting spending limits can make it more enjoyable for all the participants.
The traveling potluck is organized among a number of hosts, with each host sponsoring either a course or a country’s cuisine. If this can be done in a neighborhood walking distance from one another, this is best, but it can be accomplished by carpooling from house to house. Timing is crucial on this. The host of the next stage needs to leave far enough ahead of the others to arrive at their home to do the last-minute touches and preparations for their course or country and the other guests need to delay their start so they arrive when everything is ready but hasn’t been sitting out for too long.
Now, here are some guidelines for guests:
1. Bring your own serving dishes and clean serving utensils. The host may not have enough, and it’s only courteous to allow other guests to be able to eat the food you brought. It’s really sad to have to scoop up soup with a teaspoon because there aren’t enough ladles.
2. Your dish should be ready to serve - pre-sliced, bite-sized, already portioned. Nothing is worse than bringing a lovely pot roast that just sits on the buffet table because there’s no way to cut it up and serve it. And there’s nothing so pathetic as stopping at the grocery store for a cheese tray and having to stand there and rip open the packages and try to arrange them on the platter you didn’t bring. Take the time to have the food all set up before you arrive so all you have to do is set it on the table and remove the cover.
3. Do not plan to cook your contribution at the host’s house. If it needs to be warmed up, that’s absolutely OK (ask first), but to cook the entire thing? No, just - no.
4. If your food has to be kept cold or hot, bring something in which to keep it cold or hot. The host will provide extension cords and outlets if needed for hot foods, but they shouldn’t have to also provide crock pots, hot plates, etc. nor should they have to provide nesting bowls for icing down your cold dish (although they will have ice for yours).
5. If you are going to be late, bring a dessert. If you are going to be a lot late, call ahead and apologize. The host will let you know if there’s any food left so you can eat before you arrive.
6. Don’t bring chips (unless it’s a themed potluck and chips are needed) unless you are in college and this is a college potluck. In which case, you’ll probably have your choice of 2 dozen different types of chips and dips and not much else.
7. If you don’t cook or don’t have time to cook, you have several choices: 1. offer to bring the cups, plates, napkins, serving utensils (potlucks never seem to have enough serving utensils), flatware; 2. Offer to bring the beverages; 3. Ask what gaps there might be and bring take out to fill in that gap; 4. Offer to bring condiments - often potlucks are scarce on essential condiments; or 5. Offer to arrive early and do the decorating and set up, then stay late to help clean up afterwards.
8. Bring something to carry away your own leftovers and dirty dishes. Remember that leftovers are probably not safe to eat, so put them in your compost as soon as you get home. If your host has a compost, carry the leftovers out to their compost for them.
Now, on to some suggestions.
If you are a total non-cook, consider your wide choices for participating in a potluck:
Beverages can range from wines to juices to a coffee or hot cocoa bar or even bottled sodas.
Breads, especially rustic breads, rolls, baguettes, or biscuits are always a good choice particularly if you remember to bring butter.
Speaking of butter, consider making and bringing molded herb butter - it’s simple: buy some fresh herbs at the grocery store and chop them up very fine. Let the butter soften to room temperature. Whip the herbs into the butter, then spoon the butter into candy molds. Put it in the refrigerator or freezer to harden, pop them out of the molds (roses are popular, but you can get a collection of molds and theme the shape of the butter to the party), put them in a pretty bowl that can nestle into a larger bowl of ice (so the butter doesn’t soften), and supply a pair of tongs or a spoon to serve the butter pats.
Store bought pies, cakes, and cookies are acceptable, particularly if they are interesting ones. Visit an ethnic bakery to see what’s available. The German and French have the prettiest cakes and pastries, the Mexicans have some really yummy pastries, and the Chinese and Indians have some exotic desserts, too.
Antipasto platters, fruit platters, and vegetable platters are easy to put together. Don’t buy pre-made ones, make your own. They’re easy. No cooking is involved.
Antipasto platters can be put together with deli sliced or cubed meats and cheeses (slices are nicer) and drained jars of pickles - olives, roasted red pepper strips, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, sweet or dill gherkins, marinated onions, jardiniere, or Japanese Tsukemono, and crackers or thin slices of bread. Arrange them prettily on a platter, cover with a plastic wrap to transport it, and bring serving tongs or forks to set with it and a label naming the ingredients and if it’s spicy or mild (especially for the jardiniere or tsukemono). Providing mustard and mayonnaise to spread with it is a nice extra touch.
For fruit platters, wash the fruits first, then cut the fruits into bite sized pieces. Peel and seed citrus fruits. If you leave grapes on their vines, cut them into smaller, individual portions. Have at least 5 different fruits and 3 different fruit dips (chocolate, caramel, and creme fraiche-y are popular). You can buy the dips or make your own. If you buy the dips, transfer them to a pretty serving bowl to nestle among the fruits and bring serving spoons and tongs (toothpicks can work in place of tongs).
Here’s an easy fruit dip suitable for apples, pears, and plums: Mix 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/3 cup of light brown sugar. Spread in the bottom of a shallow serving bowl. Top with caramel ice cream topping and chopped pecans
Vegetable platters are done pretty much the same as the fruit trays - wash the vegetables, then cut the vegetables into bite sized portions, have at least 5 different kinds of vegetables and at least 2 dips. If you provide cherry tomatoes, cut them in half so guests don’t inadvertently squirt one another when they bite into the tomatoes. A warm cheesy dip (in a small crock pot to keep warm) and a cold sour cream dip are the most popular.
A favorite winter holiday potluck drink is Cranberry Kir - it’s suitable from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. You’ll need cranberry juice, creme de cassis, and champagne. For each drink, pour 2 tablespoons cranberry juice and 1 tablespoon creme de cassis (black-current liqueur) into a champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne. You can garnish it with a toothpick of dried cranberries and dried currants.
For those who cook, here are some of my most requested recipes.
Two Nuts
Caramelized Nuts
2 cups nuts
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if you want it milder)
1 tablespoon olive oil
In a baking pan, mix 2 cups of nuts (pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, or walnuts) with 4 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes at 350ºF, then allow to cool on a nonstick surface. If you have a nut roaster, this is even easier to do on the stove top following the nut roasting directions.
Makes 2 cups
Caramelized nuts make a nice nibble. (Enclose them in a zippered plastic bag first to maintain freshness.)
Cinnamon Roasted Nuts
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup melted butter
3 - 4 cups nuts
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
But as much as people like these caramelized nuts, they really love my cinnamon roasted nuts. Beat 1 egg white with 1/2 teaspoon water until very foamy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter and toss in 3 - 4 cups of nuts (pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts). Coat with a mix of ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom. Roast in a nut roaster according to directions, or bake at 250ºF, in a single layer on either parchment paper or quick-release foil (for easy clean-up), and stirring every 15 minutes until the nuts are dry and fragrant.
Makes 3 - 4 cups
These are my two most requested entrees:
Hot Beef Sundae
This is just a different way to serve up a pot roast, one that everyone seems to love because it's kind of like an ice cream what with adding toppings and all.
Hot:
1 catering tray (9 pounds) of mashed potatoes (I use German butterling potatoes or Yukon Golds)
1 catering tray (2 quarts) of very thinly sliced/shredded pot roast in gravy (your favorite recipe)
1 crock pot (2 quarts) of veggies in gravy (the same gravy as the pot roast): celery, carrots, green beans, peas, onions, corn, butter beans....your choice of veggies
Cold:
1 bowl (1 1/2 pound) of shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar)
1 bowl of cherry tomato halves (20 whole cherry tomatoes)
1 stack of buttered toast points (25 slices of toast, cut diagonally in half)
A set of ice cream sundae bowls, a portion scoop each for the potatoes, veggies, roast, tongs for the cheese, tomatoes, and toast points.
Portion it up as 4 - 6 ounces of mashed potatoes, 2 ounces of veggies, 2 ounces of sliced roast, 1 ounce of shredded cheese, and one cherry tomato (halved) with one or two toast points per person.
Serves 25
Tuna Waldorfian Salad
This one never has leftovers.
3 cans water-packed tuna, drained
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
½ cup finely chopped dill pickles
6 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 crisp red apple, cored and chopped (leave the peel on - I like Honeycrisp or Cameo)
1 tart green apple, cored and chopped (Granny Smith)
½ pound green grapes, halved and seeded
½ pound red grapes, halved and seeded
1 cup toasted pecans
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup creme fraiche (you can substitute sour cream or crema salvadorena)
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Toss the tuna, celery, scallions, pickles, eggs, fruit and pecans together. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, dill weed, and parsley and coat the salad mix. Use more mayonnaise for a velvetier salad, and less for a drier salad. Chill and serve cold on a bowl of ice. Add crackers or rustic bread slices and provide a serving spoon.
Serves 20