Bringing Food to a Party and Then Taking It Home Again

Dave and I are lucky that many of our extended family members and most all our friends live within 30 minutes of our house (and many more tend to visit our area during the summertime months). This means lots and lots of parties, BBQ'due south, picnics, and gatherings from Memorial Twenty-four hour period through Labor Day.

And what's a great party without great food?

Most of the parties we're attention (or hosting) are some sort of potluck where each person brings a dish to pass and everyone can endeavor a footling of everything — potlucks are my favorite! I beloved the simplicity of making one large dish of food to pass (with only one dish to wash after the party) and in return, getting to sample 15-20 different things.

For me, potlucks are one of the simplest means to enjoy a variety of foods with minimal effort on my part. However, later talking with several friends and family members, and after receiving many emails from readers, I realized I might be i of the few weirdos who feels similar potlucks are super simple.

Many people I talked with have mentioned how hard it is for them to make up one's mind what to bring, or how they e'er bring the verbal aforementioned things every year, or how they tin can never get the timing merely right and their food is either underdone or over-done and then doesn't get eaten.

I know there are hundreds of "recipe circular-upwards" posts out there — and so I'chiliad not going to share specific recipes with you today (although feel complimentary to browse my online recipe box when yous're trying to decide what to bring to your next political party). Instead, I'm going to share some of the things I personally consider when I'grand bringing a dish to laissez passer at an office potluck, summer BBQ, church building picnic, or any.

If you've always dreaded "bringing a dish to laissez passer" or stressed nigh what type of foods you should bring to your next potluck party, I hope my tips below will aid.

.

1. Detect a recipe that tin be made in advance.

Whenever I'm making food to take along with me, I always make sure there is little to no last-minute prep work — partially because I don't desire to monopolize the host's kitchen or assume he/she has sure tools I might need, simply also because I don't want to be cooking or assembling food when I'one thousand at my party. I'd rather bring a more depression-maintenance food that I tin can only set on the buffet table and then become mingle.

I normally look for recipes that can be made the solar day before or the morning of, and so kept warm in the tedious cooker during the political party — think deadening cooker meatballs, bacon-wrapped sausages, make-ahead lettuce salad, cookies, confined, or block that can be made the day before (or, if you're similar me, pulled from the freezer the day before!) Fifty-fifty a pan of lasagna tin easily be assembled the forenoon of then simply pulled out of the oven before you lot leave (after baking for an 60 minutes, it should stay hot for a long time!)

By making your food ahead of time, y'all'll eliminate stress from the twenty-four hours of your political party, and you lot'll be able to enjoy your party more than.

ii. Consider nutrient that can exist eaten at room temperature.

The food volition be hot (or cold) for the first round, but what happens subsequently information technology'south been sitting out for an hour or more?

If you bring an ice-cream dessert (I've seen this washed SO many times and however wonder why) it's going to cook and be ruined. If you lot bring a breakfast casserole that tastes disgusting at room temperature, y'all'll either need to re-heat it or yous'll cease up taking most of it home over again. If y'all bring something with mayonnaise or sour cream, bring an actress bowl filled with ice and then it will stay chilled longer.

I usually steer clear of everything I mentioned higher up, just because it'south actress hassle and not necessary in my opinion.

There are so many other recipes to choose from, and I tin always observe something that tastes good at room temperature (or something that tin can be fabricated in a dull cooker to keep warm.) In fact just last weekend I brought a bunch of confined, cookies, and muffins to one party and the bacon-wrapped sausages in a slow cooker to another party. Never one time did I demand to worry virtually keeping things hot or common cold or reheating annihilation. I just plugged the dull cooker in and set out the baked goodies. Done!

3. Create small portion sizes.

I don't know about yous, but when I take 30 food options sitting in forepart of me, the last matter I want to practice is have a monstrous serving size of 1 particular nutrient. I want to accept a tiny bit of everything so I tin try each different recipe.

Whenever I bring food to a political party, I ever keep this in mind and brand sure the food I bring is in "mini class". I'll make my cookies bite-size, I'll make mini muffins and mini cupcakes instead of more traditional full-size items. I'll cut larger chunks of meat or cheese into bite-size pieces, and always set up out a knife next to my food for anyone who only wants a one-half.

four. Bring food that is easy to serve with one hand.

Although I love a good soup and salad buffet, or a brand-your-ain-sandwich bar, those types of nutrient are usually not practical for large crowds of people all standing in line waiting for the people ahead of them to move frontwards. Anything that involves using both hands to add a variety of toppings or extras is going to majorly back things upwardly — not to mention create anarchy for parents trying to assemble plates for small children at the aforementioned time!

I personally try to stay away from whatsoever recipe that involves calculation toppings or "extras" — unless it'southward adding whipped cream to pie! I try to make sure that all the person needs to exercise is scoop or stab or grab with one hand while their other paw is gratis to concur their tray or squirming kid 🙂

five. Plan ahead for "wet" foods.

If y'all're going to bring a very liquidy or "wet" nutrient like my succulent hot fruit salad, fresh salsa, baked beans, etc. plan ahead and have small serving cups or bowls prepare to get. Or, better yet, quickly dish up small servings in cups earlier people become through the line. This style, they won't "ruin" everything else on their plate with the juices from your food, and the line volition go along moving.

6. Choose something yous'll eat as leftovers.

There is nothing worse than bringing a massive amount of food to a party but to come up dwelling house with well-nigh of information technology because people didn't show up, there were too many other options, or maybe people just didn't love your dish. For this reason, I always attempt to bring recipes that Dave and I will happily eat as leftovers so I won't be totally crushed if I bring most of my food back home again.

This brocoslaw recipe actually tastes better the 2nd day, then I'll often bring this to BBQs or cookouts. And of class, near all cookies, brownies, bars, crackers, cheeses, etc. sense of taste fine a day or ii later. We also Dear leftover cheesy potatoes, leftover meatballs, leftover pasta, and leftover casseroles — so I'll usually bring something like that over something else that might exist completely soggy by the next morn. Plus, the casseroles and other hot dishes tin can be fabricated ahead and served from a slow cooker (see #1 and #two above!)

seven. Consider the type of party or the theme of the party.

This is not necessarily a huge concern for me; nevertheless, the type/theme of political party you're attending could potentially play a role in how you choose your recipe.

Where I alive in Michigan, nigh summer and autumn parties are outside… while winter holiday parties are always inside due to freezing temperatures. So, if your party will exist exterior, you'll want to realize that bugs and other weather conditions might affect your food. Plan appropriately and bring a towel or lid to keep your food covered.

Besides, I'd definitely bring something different if I knew I was going to an titbit / dessert political party versus a total-blown Thanksgiving church building potluck with piles and piles of delicious foods. And I would most probable alter my recipes if I'thou cooking for but adults or including kids in the mix — so it always pays to consider who, what, where, when, etc.

viii. Stay away from foods that look gross 🙂

Distressing, I'm non sure of the best way to word that — but you know what I'chiliad talking about. Some foods, no thing how delicious they might be, merely look very unappetizing.

I certainly don't think all potluck and party-going foods need to have a professional looking advent, merely when yous bring a pot of chili that looks like road-kill or a cheesy dip that looks like orangish slim, it might not go over every bit well as you were hoping.

Now, if the recipe is something y'all'd love to eat equally leftovers (see #six higher up) then you'll be fine. However, if you don't want to bring it home with yous, pick a recipe that is more visually highly-seasoned!

.

9. Take the time to list out ingredients.

I don't always do this, only if I'grand going to a gathering with people I don't know that well, I often bring a recipe card or at least a list of ingredients and tape it to my dish. That way, if there is any concern with allergies or food sensitivities, it'southward not MY fault!

Nosotros are fortunate not to have any allergies or food intolerances in our family, but lately, it seems like every fourth dimension I plough around, someone else is going gluten free, dairy complimentary, vegetarian, allergic to peanuts, allergic to ______, you name it.

I don't desire to be the one who caused them to get sick, so by listing out the ingredients, I feel like I clear myself and brand it easier for those people to know if they can or cannot eat my food

ten. Keep it simple.

One of my favorite things to bring to almost whatever party is cheesy potatoes because they are SO unproblematic to make, tin can easily be made ahead of time, kept warm for hours in a deadening cooker… and EVERYONE loves them. They besides go with most any blazon of meat and piece of work almost any time of the year.

Trays of cookies, brownies (from a box), rice krispy bars, and other bars are also a staple for me every bit they tin can be made ahead of time and cut into small bite-size servings.

Sometimes, I experience like nosotros needlessly try to come up with elaborate creations to bring to our vacation parties… when simple chocolate scrap cookies or cheesy potatoes would be a huge hit.

Of course, there are occasions when I take a trivial extra time time to whip up my famous vacation four-layer chocolate, peanut butter, caramel fudge (seriously, divine!) — But for the most part, I notice it'southward then much easier and less stressful if I keep things elementary!

Oh, and don't feel bad if you go the shop-bought road. I happily scooped upward a piece of store-bought triple-chocolate cheesecake at a potluck this weekend and I savored every last crumb!

Where to notice your next potluck recipe!

If yous're looking for a good recipe to take to your next potluck, picnic, or political party, I would suggest searching through my recipe box (all those recipes are uncomplicated), searching Pinterest, and browsing AllRecipes.com — you are bound to notice at to the lowest degree ten-15 recipes that use ingredients you have in the house and won't take more than than 20-30 minutes to whip together.

If all else fails, just Google "super simple potluck recipes" and run into what you lot come up with!

OK, are you excited to start cooking and blistering for your next BBQ, party, potluck, or picnic?

Hopefully these tips volition give yous something to remember nearly as you cook and broil your way through the summer season and beyond!

What are your best tips for bringing a dish to laissez passer?

photo source

eckhardtupoopturt.blogspot.com

Source: https://andreadekker.com/10-tips-for-bringing-a-dish-to-pass/

Share this post