Need potluck food ideas that are fast

[Bensmom]

We are having a potluck at church next week and I am on the planning committee so it is a given that I am supposed to bring extra large dishes to share. This is usually not a problem, but this time I will be out of town Fri. afternoon through about time for setting up for the dinner on Sunday evening.

The meat, potatoes, and rolls are provided by the church, so I don't want to bring those items.

I am going to be super short on time and I need 3 large dishes to share (2 sides, 1 dessert).

 

Any ideas?

[unsinkable]

You could sauté some bacon, garlic and shallots, then throw it in the freezer. Then on Sunday, steam some green beans and add the sautéed mixture.

 

A pasta salad with mostly canned goods...pasta, oil and vinegar dressing, garbanzos, olives, jarred red peppers. And then whatever fresh stuff you have time to chop.

 

Dessert...a trifle? Frozen pound cake, instant pudding and pie filling.

 

These are my ideas for quick stuff, not necessarily "foodie" stuff, KWIM?

[KatieJ]

Dessert could be made a head of time ( cake, cookies, etc) something that would sit fine for two days or possible a frozen dessert. 

 

Sides - bagged coleslaw and bottled dressing to be thrown together at the last minute.

           - Prep a green salad before you leave and toss it together when you get home. 

           - Broccoli Salad,   Fry the bacon, cut up the onions and broccoli, etc. mix the dressing and then toss it together just before serving.

            - make some homemade applesauce ahead of time

            - asparagus cooks in minutes

            - candied carrots - prep ahead of time, they cook pretty quickly

[KungFuPanda]

I'd do this:

 

Raw veggie platter

Cowboy caviar (served with scoopy chips)

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=29527

Raw fruit platter

 

These are quick, easy, no cooking, and can mostly be made the day ahead. Church dinners are notoriously fat-laden (albeit delicious) and it's NICE to have some balance on the table.

[Susan in TN]

Possibly a big bowl of fresh fruit - clementine oranges, small apples, bananas (not peeled) cut into halves or thirds, grape bunches. Looks pretty, too.

[PeachyDoodle]

My grandma used to make a Chinese salad that was awesome for this kind of thing:

 

1 head lettuce, shredded (or use the bagged kind to save time)

3 small green onions, sliced

3 T poppy seeds

3 oz can chow mein noodles

Dressing: 4 T sugar, 4T vinegar, 1/2 c oil, 1 t salt, 1/2 t pepper

 

You can mix the dressing ahead of time and just shake well before you use it (I dress it to taste and don't usually have some left over). Everything else can be prepped ahead too. When you're ready to serve, just toss it all together and top with the chow mein noodles. And it's easy to double or triple. It gets gone every time I take it to a pot-luck. In fact, I'm making it for one at ds's preschool on Monday!

[Annie G]

I would cook a batch of green beans Friday and just keep them in the fridge until Sunday. Takes like ten minutes to reheat them and the bacon and onions will have time to spread their deliciousness while you're away. 

 

There are lots of desserts that will last that long- rice krispie treats will and they're usually one of the hot items at potlucks we attend.  

 

But I like the ideas above- lots of good suggestions!!

 

[ThisIsTheDay]

One big bag of frozen meatballs, thrown into the crockpot.  Add one big jar of grape jelly and one jar of bbq sauce. Plug in wherever (home, church), and cook on high for 3 hours to heat through.  (I'd count that as a side dish, since it's not one of the main meat dishes.)

 

This super easy and fast macaroni and cheese. And inexpensive too.

 

Doctored up baked beans. I open a couple of cans, add ketchup, dry mustard and brown sugar, and then bake uncovered for 2.5 hours at about 300.  Again, inexpensive.

[MeAndTheBoys]

Buy a bag of frozen fruit and thaw it for one side (berries, peaches, etc).

 

Buy a cake and cut it up for a dessert.

 

Buy a frozen mac and cheese for another side :)

 

I like to cook, and always make homemade food for my family, BUT potlucks are becoming more and more fast-and-easy for me and more convenient.

 

Cheese ball and crackers are another "side" possibility--our local Aldi often has good cheese log type things, or salsa and chips.

 

B--

[KungFuPanda]

A fruit crisp is super easy if you use frozen berries instead of peeling apples.

[MeAndTheBoys]

Maybe it's just me but I tried to use frozen fruit for a fruit dish (just a fruit salad. I could see a crisp being a diff. story) before and it was a disaster. No amount of thawing is going to make it the right consistency/texture/temp/whatever for me. I think they really are best for smoothies. Don't ask me about the time I tried to thaw frozen broccoli for pasta salad :laugh:

 

i just thaw it overnight in the fridge and serve while it's a bit frozen.  The kids especially seem to love it, with toothpicks.

 

B