Message 87 of 2267

Potluck help?

I need to bring something to a potluck next week. I'd like to bring something hearty enough to be a main dish, but it needs to be something that can be served at room temperature. I'm drawing a blank. Any ideas?
webserf's profile
Replies 1 - 10 of 13
If it was summer this would be easier. People do not mind room temp. As it gets colder people want warmer stuff.
A spicey noodle dish might work.
I am going to a potluck and will be bringing roasted sweet potato salad but that is served cold.
Potlucks can be an issue since there are so many people with allergies.
A mixed bean casserole might work too. I just get all kinds of beans, canned, rinse, and mix together with a spicy sauce or any sauce of your choice. People seem to like that.
lovesreading's profile

about 1 month ago
I like to bring a couscous to potlucks. They are easy to make, you can bring it in the pot that you made it in, you don't have to refrigerate it (for a while anyway) and it is good at room temperature. Everyone usually loves couscous.
BalboaJeep's profile

about 1 month ago
I'm going to a potluck tonight and one of the things I'm bringing is a large todd's waldorf.
chopped apple, red sweet pepper, tomato, onion, avocado - splash of olive oil, bit of salt and cayenne pepper. Stir it up really good -- a different and pretty dish.
Levamssg's profile

about 1 month ago
The couscous sounds like it might be the kind of thing I'm looking for. What do you put in them?
webserf's profile

about 1 month ago
I also really recommend taking a nice little card that lists all the ingredients. There are so many diets and wishes and allergies. I really love it when people do that and I can make up my mind whether I want to eat it or not. I try to be really specific (without listing amounts) because I would really want to know if someone used chicken broth, for example. Even restaurants forget to tell you unless you ask.
I just think it's a nice gesture for all. And maybe people will pick up on it.

I learned it in vet school where we had lots of potlucks and people cared about different things. I've just kept it up. What's funny, although a bit of a sadness, is that if people read the card they prejudge the dish. Even if they've tasted something a different way, if they see it's in your dish they won't even try it.
I had that problem recently with pickled okra. Everyone just said they didn't like okra but hadn't had it pickled.
bordercollie2go's profile

about 1 month ago
Gosh, Webserf...You can buy the tabouli (couscous) pre-packaged where you just add tomatoes, lemons and olive oil. They are wonderful, simple and everyone loves those. Or make you own. You can also add cashews and raisins. Here is something that I found on the web that you could modify…

Sweet Couscous

Ingredients:
2 cups couscous
3 cups water
1-3/4 cups raisins
boiling water to cover
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
4 Tbsp slivered blanched almonds
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
sea salt to taste
3 Tbsp honey
2 oranges, peeled, white membranes removed, chopped

Instructions:
Place the couscous in a bowl and pour on the water. Let sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Place the raisins in a bowl and pour on boiling water to cover. Let sit 15 minutes, then drain and retain the soaking water. Add water to measure 2 cups.
Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan . Sauté the onion over medium-low heat until it begins to turn golden. Add the raisins, almonds, dried apricots, spices, honey, and soaking liquid from the raisins. Cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes.

Add couscous and transfer to a platter and toss with the sweet, spicy sauce and the oranges. Serve at once. (I would leave this in the pot and bring the whole thing.)

Here is another one that I found:

Vegetarian Couscous

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium onoin, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 carrots sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock if not strictly vegetarian, divided use 2 yellow crookneck squash, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 can chickpeas, drained (about 1 cup) and run water over it
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup couscous
• Finely minced parsley for garnish

Directions
1. Heat a large frying pan for 30 minutes and add the oil
2. Heat the oil for 15 seconds and then saute the garlic and onion until lightly golden
3. Do Not Burn The Garlic (changes flavor of the dish, and never put oil in cold frying pan)
4. Add the carrots, tomato sauce, raisins, salt, cumin and 1 cup of stock to the pan
5. Cover and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes or until the carrots are crisp tender
6. Add the crookneck squash, the zucchini, and the chickpeas
7. Cook until the squashed are tender (this can be done the day before)
8. In a 2 quart saucepan, heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and butter or margarine
9. Add the couscous
10. Cover, remove from the heat, and allow the pan to sit for 5 minutes (if part of buffet, use 2 cups or more of couscous)
11. To serve, spoon the couscous in the center of a large rimmed dish, and surround with the cooked vegetables
12. Pour the sauce evenly over all
13. Sprinkle with a little parsley for garnish if you like

Good luck! Let us know what you decide and how it goes for you!
BalboaJeep's profile

about 1 month ago
This will stay warm in your crockpot, a long time after you unplug the pot.I believe this would be good at room temp too.

This easy crock pot green bean casserole recipe uses canned soup so it's ready to cook in your crock pot or slow cooker in just a few minutes. Mushroom soup is usually not vegan, so although this recipe is vegetarian, it is not vegan.

Ingredients:
2 bags frozen green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can French-fried onions
Preparation:
Mix together the green beans, soup and milk in the crock pot or slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and half of the French-fried onions.
Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Top with remaining onions just before serving.
snoweyrose's profile

about 1 month ago
Just unplug the pot, it will stay warm.When you get there take the bowl out and serve.

Sweet potatoes slow cooked with apples and spices in the crock pot makes for a healthy vegetarian and vegan side dish perfect for Thanksgiving or any day.
Ingredients:
4-5 sweet potatoes, sliced or chopped
2 apples, chopped
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp margarine, melted
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Place apples and sweet potatoes in a crock pot or slow cooker. Sprinkle remaining ingredients on top of the potatoes and apples.
Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
snoweyrose's profile

about 1 month ago
Those recipes sound yummy snoweyrose, but I don't have a crock pot and I don't drive to work, I take a bus. Work potlucks drive me crazy. It's so hard to transport things on the bus, we only have one tiny microwave for warming anything up, and I always have to bring a main dish if I want to have one because everyone else's always have meat in them. I might bring a couscous dish but I should look up whether it has gluten. We have one other "special diet" person in the office. She has celiac disease (an autoimmune reaction to gluten) and I try to bring something she can eat too. Even though she eats meat, she can't eat a lot of the things other people bring because it has noodles, breadcrumbs, etc.
webserf's profile

about 1 month ago
Snowyrose: I thought your sweet potatoes and apple recipe sounded delicious! I am going to try that.

Webserf: Good for you for riding the bus. Even though I have a car, I ride the bus all time to work, shopping, etc. It stops right in front of my home so it is easy for me. Plus I knit or crochet a project while I am riding. I save so much money when I ride the bus. You are doing something to help the environment. You’d be surprise at the reactions that I get when I tell people that I take the bus. The first thing that they think is that I got a DUI. (Not!) People here in So Cal just don’t get it but if you go to foreign countries, New York or San Francisco that is how they get around…public transportation.

Can you carry your potluck pot in paper bag with handles? Those usually work for me if the pot can fit in the bottom of it. I double bag.

BalboaJeep's profile

about 1 month ago
Replies 1 - 10 of 13