Favourite pot luck dishes?

I live in a condo complex with 157 units. Occasionally we have pot luck dinners. One is coming up next week, so I thought I'd ask for a different suggestion for a dish to make. We seem to get lots of salads and desserts, but not meat/protein dishes.

Give me some unusual ideas, please!

I've made cucumber cups filled with finely chopped salad....cucumbers cut about 1 1/2", on an angle and the seeds scooped out with a spoon.  In the cavity you add a small scoop of well seasoned chicken or tuna salad.



Another one I've made is Chicken Teriyaki on Skewers....threaded chicken pieces separated w/pineapple chunks on bamboo skewers ~ baked & brushed with a homemade teriyaki sauce.  Placed on a bed of puffed rice noodles and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.



Little sausages heated in a mustard/grape jelly sauce and kept warm in a chafing dish was always easy and a hit with men.



And, very labor intensive (but could be made ahead) were the little spinach feta spanokopita pies.  They were served hot from the oven with a homemade tzaiki sauce.

The chicken skewers look really good. And different. At what temperature are they baked?

Niagara Visitor wrote:I live in a condo complex with 157 units.  Occasionally we have pot luck dinners.   One is coming up next week, so I thought I'd ask for a different suggestion for a dish to make.  We seem to get lots of salads and desserts, but not meat/protein dishes.  

Give me some unusual ideas, please!  

I never was much of a pot luck girl, in the neighborhood or at work. But I'd imagine salads and desserts are a lot cheaper to make than meat or protein dishes. How many people is one's dish supposed to serve?

The only thing I can think of is stuffed bell peppers, with the peppers blanched and cut in half prior to stuffing. I'd stuff with a ground beef/bread stuffing.

Niagara Visitor wrote:The chicken skewers look really good.  And different.  At what temperature are they baked?

I probably did them at 425°, which is a normal browning temp for me. They were small pieces so it didn't take long for them to get done.

Another good thing is they were still fairly good tasting at room temperature so we didn't have to worry if they cooled off somewhat. If you want to keep them hot longer without electricity heat a pizza stone in the oven while the chicken is cooking (I usually cover it with foil because mine is stained). Mine also has a little wire stand that makes it easy to move and position on a buffet table.

Crybaby wrote:

Niagara Visitor wrote:I live in a condo complex with 157 units.  Occasionally we have pot luck dinners.   One is coming up next week, so I thought I'd ask for a different suggestion for a dish to make.  We seem to get lots of salads and desserts, but not meat/protein dishes.  

Give me some unusual ideas, please!  

I never was much of a pot luck girl, in the neighborhood or at work.  But I'd imagine salads and desserts are a lot cheaper to make than meat or protein dishes.  How many people is one's dish supposed to serve?  

The only thing I can think of is stuffed bell peppers, with the peppers blanched and cut in half prior to stuffing.  I'd stuff with a ground beef/bread stuffing.  

Ohhhh! What about those little tri-color sweet peppers they sell in mixed bags? Those would be really pretty sliced lengthwise in a single layer and stuffed with a ground beef filling. You could add cheese, too, if you wanted.

Lore - I just looked at that pic again and remembered more about that night.....

I cooked the chicken chunks and pineapple in a skillet IN the teriyaki sauce and after it was cooled I threaded the cooked pieces on the bamboo skewers.  That made sure my chicken was cooked through and it also allowed the pineapple to cook down after releasing a lot of the natural juices into the sauce.  

Then I put the cooked skewers on a foil lined sheet pan (sprayed with PAM) and I stuck them under the broiler to reheat them prior to service.

The teriyaki sauce I cooked the chicken and pineapple with got reduced down so it was thick and then used to brush on the skewers after I got them ready to put under the broiler. On second thought, I probably had enough sauce to just dip those in the sauce instead of taking the time to brush each one.

I'm so terrible ~ I don't make enough notes for myself when I do a big party to remember what I did from one time to the next. Keeps my life interesting, that's for sure! LOL

The puffy rice noodles can be done a day ahead and just rewarmed in the oven for a few minutes - or maybe I used mung bean thread. Hmmmm, have to google that. They're the Chinese product you drop into hot oil and it instantly puffs up, gets turned once and then removed from the pan. Super easy and people just love the stuff because it's something different. Yeah, I think it was mung bean thread....yeah.

I have made a lot of stuffed peppers in the last year or so. I am an expert on them. But don't ask me for a recipe 'cause they are never the same. My son and DIL love them, so that is how I've become the self proclaimed expert. Those small ones would be nice, great presentation and I can prepare the stuffing early, then just fill and bake to do the pepper. Thanks.

You'll be the hit of the party!

Thanks.............. I made chicken wings the last two times which also go over well and were snapped up very quickly!

As to how many people your dish should serve? I have no idea, but I do know last time my 50 wings were gone before the party was half over. And, they are an expensive dish to make. I don't mind the expense, but truth be told, the residents here are not going to the food bank at the end of the month, and some dishes are really meager. Turnout of residents is generally about 50.

We have monthly patio parties 'during the season' which is starting soon as many of our Northern snowbirds are returning for the winter.  We usually get about 50, also.  I don't worry too much about if my contribution is enough to feed everyone.  There is usually a wide assortment brought.  It amazes me how many go to the grocery store to purchase their dish and don't even go to the trouble to put it on a nice plate or platter.  

But as long as everyone has a good time it really doesn't matter.  It's more for the 'social community' that we hold these monthly events.

One time I made 'Walking Taco's'....individual bags of Frito Corn Chips (sold at Sam's Club or Costco in a 50 bag carton), crush the chips a bit before opening, then spoon on hot taco meat (kept warm in a crock pot) and then add toppings ~ onions, cheese, tomato, sour cream, lettuce etc.  Those went over really well AFTER I explained the process.  I even printed out a sheet of 'instructions' and placed it in a picture frame on the buffet table.  LOL

Oh, for those of you who aren't familiar with these, the bag the Fritos come in is the 'dish' you eat your 'Walking Taco' from. No need for a plate or bowl, just a spoon, fork or SPORK.