Potluck help

[Soror]

Here is what I need, maybe you guys can help me think of some fresh ideas. I love to cook but this is stresssing me out. I want to make sure it is something I will like and can eat b/c I can't bank on there being anything else for me but don't want to make the dish that everyone thinks is gross. I'm <> close to just bring my own food in my purse, sigh. Last time I brought chili, I don't make the best but the kids love it. This time I'm making a strawberry salad w/ chicken (and b/c of the not lots of components rule it will all be together).

Needs to be:

-gluten-free 

-can be eaten luke warm/cold or kept in a crock pot

-not a lot of separate pieces

-real food - single ingredient food preferably

- inexpensive to feed many

-crowd pleaser (probably obviously) I don't know any individual likes or dislikes

[Rachel]

What about hummus? Or guacamole?  Either could be served with veggies or chips. You could bring your favorite gluten free chips but also something else for people who aren’t avoiding gluten. 

Cowboy cavier is another idea. There are a bunch of ways of making this but I make it with corn, onions, peppers, black beans, and balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I’ll throw in avocado. We eat it with corn chips. 

[Daria]

Red beans and rice?

 

[Daria]

4 minutes ago, Rachel said:

What about hummus? Or guacamole?  Either could be served with veggies or chips. You could bring your favorite gluten free chips but also something else for people who aren’t avoiding gluten. 

Cowboy cavier is another idea. There are a bunch of ways of making this but I make it with corn, onions, peppers, black beans, and balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I’ll throw in avocado. We eat it with corn chips. 

 

These are great ideas, but as someone who eats gluten, I'm not sure why you'd need to bring something separate for us gluten eaters.  Corn tortilla chips or veggies to dip are delicious.

[Bambam]

Beans? (with ham added, but you may prefer no) or baked beans?

Green salad (lettuce, tomato, carrot sticks) - so yummy in this hot weather

Baked apples in the crockpot - like applesauce but don't cook it as long and cut the apples bigger. Btw, this is great on homemade ice cream. 

Strawberries. Just wash them and toss them in a bowl. They will disappear. Or watermelon. 

Chips & Salsa. 

 

[Rachel]

2 hours ago, Daria said:

 

These are great ideas, but as someone who eats gluten, I'm not sure why you'd need to bring something separate for us gluten eaters.  Corn tortilla chips or veggies to dip are delicious.

In my mind I was thinking of pita chips with the hummus. ? 

[mumto2]

I have never made one but gluten free crustless quiche.  Great cold, can be warmed.  Filling if that’s it for you.  Quiche in general is pretty quick and there appear to be lots of recipes on the internet. ?.  Our church has monthly potlucks and the minister’s wife generally brings several types of quiche depending on what she has in the frig.  They all get eaten. 

[regentrude]

Salads are always crowd pleasers here. You can throw in whatever you like, and it is only one item to take. One of our perennial favorites is chick pea+butternut squash with lemon tahini dressing. Or pepper+tomato+cuke (+optional feta cheese). Potato salad. Tabuleh with quinoa instead of the bulgur wheat. 

And fresh fruit is always a hit. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches - thrown together, one bowl. Always gets gobbled up and is almost no work.

 

[BarbecueMom]

I would not do a dip with gluten and GF options.  That’s a set-up for cross contamination.

My first thought was the cowboy caviar with tortilla chips.  You can bring some fresh or jarred salsa for a non-chunky option.  Mixed fruit salad works too.

What about a batch of GF cornbread and some honey butter?

[umsami]

I've had good success making a large Greek salad for potlucks.

Romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, feta, and pepperoncini.   

I usually make a red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, and a little dried oregano dressing.... but bottled works well too. 

 

 

I usually get two of those metal half tray/catering pans (we buy them in bulk at Sam's and Costco).  I buy a large bag of precut Romaine.... a 3 pack of the English cucumbers or a bag of the baby cucumbers... tomatoes (usually the campari kind).... and a large bottle of kalamata olives (pitted).  Often the feta is just too large at warehouse stores, so that I'll buy at my local grocery store along with a jar of pepperoncini.  

 

I start by thinly slicing red onions....and will sprinkle them in the bottom of the pans, along with some salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar.  Let it sit for a bit.... salting the onions is an easy trick to make salad taste better.

Then I'll add in the chopped lettuce.....and start adding in the other ingredients.   I usually chop the things finely....because that's a Middle Eastern thing...but do what you like.   I like to make it look really pretty....with all the chopped veggies on top, olives, and crumbled feta.  I put the pepponcini around the edge.  I also add a little salt and pepper as I go.    I will use some of the kalamata olive juice either directly on the salad or in the dressing.  I often will mix the dressing in the old kalamata jar so I can easily bring it with me.  Bring a pair of tongs so you can easily toss.  I never have taken any home. :)

 

Dressing is two cloves of crushed garlic, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, a spoonful of dried oregano (crumbled), maybe some lemon juice if I have some, and olive oil.... shook in a jar.  I've added in onion and garlic powder as well.  

[Soror]

Thank you guys so much for the ideas! I forgot to add in my list, this will be my meal for the evening so it needs to be filling and not just snacks.

I also agree w/ BBQ Mom- I can't do gluten items w/ a dip or it would be contaminated but I could do a veggie tray and hummus/guac w/ gf crackers. My kids and I love that.

I like the idea of bringing more salads- I never make Greek salads but they are yummy.

Fruit salad would be an easy dessert option. 

@heartlikealion I'm paranoid about bringing gf pasta dishes to potlucks b/c I'm afraid too many will try and expect gluten! 

@mumto2I've only made quiche a couple of times and it has not been a hit with my family. Maybe I need to try again? Any particular quiche combos that are better than others?

Curious to see two cowboy caviar rec's, I've heard of it but never made that.

@Daria do you have a redbeans and rice recipe? I've rarely made that and don't have a go to recipe.

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, soror said:

Thank you guys so much for the ideas! I forgot to add in my list, this will be my meal for the evening so it needs to be filling and not just snacks.

I also agree w/ BBQ Mom- I can't do gluten items w/ a dip or it would be contaminated but I could do a veggie tray and hummus/guac w/ gf crackers. My kids and I love that.

I like the idea of bringing more salads- I never make Greek salads but they are yummy.

Fruit salad would be an easy dessert option. 

@heartlikealion I'm paranoid about bringing gf pasta dishes to potlucks b/c I'm afraid too many will try and expect gluten! 

@mumto2I've only made quiche a couple of times and it has not been a hit with my family. Maybe I need to try again? Any particular quiche combos that are better than others?

Curious to see two cowboy caviar rec's, I've heard of it but never made that.

@Daria do you have a redbeans and rice recipe? I've rarely made that and don't have a go to recipe.

Quiche......Going to be honest and say I never bother to make quiche anymore because somebody else always does for a bring and share.  I tend to do chicken drumsticks now because they make Dh happy.  

I generally like most things in quiche but find that for the rest of my family it tends to go more along the lines of what they will eat in omelets.  I am not a fan of salmon in quiche, that’s one that my friend makes frequently, it always goes first so it must suit most tastes. ?  I love crab, even fake crab stick things, and Swiss cheese.  The basic ham or bacon with cheddar is the standard.  For the veggie quiche people like to add zucchini which I find mushy and I think it adds too much water.  Other than that tomato, peppers, and a bit of onion is good.  ?.  Broccoli and chicken is good too..........

Finally dd’s absolute favorite is artichoke but it’s not really quiche but the bread crumb version of this recipe I just found https://www.eastewart.com/fall-recipes/a-is-for-amazingly-addicitive-artichoke-squares/.  In England I can get canned artichoke at Aldi for slightly more than £1,  not sure if they have the same deal in other places.  I do make this recipe for lunch treat fairly often.  Both dcs like it.

[Toocrazy!!]

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/black-bean-salad-with-corn-red-peppers-avocado-lime-cilantro-vinaigrette.html

this is similar to a cowboy caviar and is great as a dip or a salad with grilled chicken. She has a lime chicken on her website that goes well with it.