Jen's Kitchen
 Potluck
 Jennifer Leiter

July is the perfect month to think about potluck dishes. With a Fourth of July party and all those summer cookouts to attend, you can never have too many go-to recipes on hand.

Traditionally, a potluck is a gathering of people where each person, or family, contributes a dish to be shared. Historically, the word, “pot-luck,” referred to “one’s luck or chance as to what may be in the pot (cooked for a meal).” Many times leftovers were stored in a pot and kept warm, especially at taverns and inns during the medieval times, and when a guest arrived and wanted a meal, they took their chances with whatever was being served that night.

The idea of a community meal started in the late 19th century in the Western part of the U.S. and was especially popular with church groups, weddings, and funerals. Since then, it has grown beyond that and has become a popular way of entertaining. It is the ideal casual get-together — guests are expected to bring a dish to share, usually a family specialty, and the costs to individuals are minimal. In some parts of the country a potluck dinner is referred to as a covered-dish supper.

It doesn’t matter how many people are attending, plan to bring enough to feed your family plus a little more. The idea is that everyone will only take a small portion of each dish, so there should be plenty to go around. Some traditional potluck dishes include casseroles, dips, cookies, and salads.


FAST AND EASY POTLUCK IDEAS

Devilled eggs: Slice the boiled eggs lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork and add mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, prepared mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pasta salad: There are literally thousands of pasta salad recipes. Just cook up your favorite, and share with friends.

Fruit salad: Chop assorted fruits in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup honey, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup canola oil, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. dijon mustard. Pour over fruit, and gently stir to combine.

Baked mini chicken wings: Buy some frozen marinated chicken wings, and bake such as buffalo wings or honey barbeque wings. After baking, arrange on a nice party plate, and serve with a dip of your choice.

Coleslaw: Start with a bag of shredded cabbage mix. Mix in coleslaw dressing or make your own. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Veggie tray: This is easy to make. Chop vegetables into easily handled pieces such as broccoli, carrots, red and green bell peppers, celery, and cucumber. Arrange them on a tray and serve with a veggie dip.

Corn: Grocery stores sell frozen corn on the cob that has been cut into thirds — perfect for smaller portions or smaller people. Just boil, top with butter and salt, and serve.

Meatballs: In a crock pot, add one bag of frozen meatballs. Add one small bottle of ketchup, one jar of chili sauce, and a jar of grape jelly. Combine, and cook on low for about 4 hours. Serve with toothpicks.


Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded
3/4 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Crystal®), or to taste
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or colby-jack cheese
Celery, cleaned and cut into sticks
Tortilla chips

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm chicken and hot sauce until just starting to bubble. Add cream cheese and ranch or blue cheese dressing, stirring to combine. Cook until warm; transfer to an 8x8 glass baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese, cover, and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.


Creamy Coleslaw
1 bag shredded cole slaw mix
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. dry mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION
In a medium bowl, stir the mayonnaise and remaining ingredients with a whisk. Add the cabbage mixture, stirring well to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Five-Layer Bean Dip
1 16-oz. can refried beans               
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup prepared salsa                  
 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder                  
 1/3 cup pickled jalapeño slices, chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese   
2/3 cup sour cream
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped           
1 medium avocado, chopped
 cilantro (optional)

PREPARATION
In a medium bowl, combine refried beans, black beans, salsa, cumin, chili powder, and jalapeños. Scoop into a 2-quart microwave-safe dish; sprinkle cheese on top. Microwave on high until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot, 4 to 5 minutes. While still hot, evenly spread sour cream over the bean mixture, top with tomatos, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

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