COME ON OVER Y’ALL!

Written by GAIL McGLOTHIN    |    Photographed by APRIL ELLER-McGLOTHIN  

Can I bring the plates and napkins? Rolls and butter? Tea, beer and ice?

People who don’t cook, for whatever reason, have figured out the easiest, most welcome things to bring to a potluck.

If you enjoy cooking, though, a potluck is time to bring out the recipes that fall in the “most favored” category. Whether planning a potluck or invited to one, knowing the occasion and how it is organized is helpful.

Occasions for a potluck are varied. Baby and wedding showers, tailgate parties for football games or parades, neighborhood gatherings, church socials, family reunions, holidays with friends, and club meetings are just a few times when everyone brings something to enjoy.

The type of potluck often determines the amount of organization needed. For more formal parties such as baby and bridal showers, the hostesses always gather and determine the menu, sometimes down to the recipe, then divide up the labor. If my only job is pound cake, then I can dedicate myself to my very Luscious Lemon Pound Cake.

Organizing for April’s Sunday night grill dinners at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary was limited to, “Bring a side and your meat (or tofu) for the grill.” Somehow there was always a well-rounded meal, not like the Cinco de Mayo party when no one brought chips and salsa.

Many potluck meals start with the hosts providing a main entrée and guests contributing a dish that complements the entrée. Tailgating requires a little more planning, preferably over beer and popcorn and the Friday night highlights. Whose truck and grill? Who's icing down the beer and soft drinks? Whose folding table? And don’t forget the tablecloth! With logistics out of the way, what's being grilled and what sides are needed to round out the meal?

With electrical outlets in most vehicles now, slow cookers full of baked beans, melted beer cheese, string beans, and chili are easy enough. Small potatoes cooked in a slow cooker and covered in garlic, butter and rosemary will be gone in a flash. Add a veggie tray and a disposable pan full of Mardi Gras Slaw plus Blueberry Muffin Cookies to finish off the meal.

Our version of tailgating at Mardi Gras parades involved pulling a red wagon from the car to our favorite parade watching spot. The wagon was full of soft drinks, shrimp po-boys, Zapp’s chips, pralines and king cake on the way to the parade. Beads, trinkets and throws filled it on the way back to the car.

For community potluck dinners such as church socials and club Christmas parties, a few may decide on the main entrée and leave the rest up to chance. But remember, a potluck is not the time to experiment on new recipes. Save them for the people who will love you anyway.

Keep index cards and markers on the tables to mark your dish. I know my Spinach Balls are Spinach Balls but you may not. Even better, now is a good time to start identifying dishes as gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, etc. What a nice way to show love to your friends and church family.

Potluck enthusiasts agree on one recommendation: When making your plate, get a little bit of everything, and then go back for more of what's best.

Few agree on how to handle potluck leftovers. Some say fix yourself a plate to take home, but others want only their own leftovers. Observe and do as the natives do.

When attending your next potluck, be sure to take at least one dish that complements the main entrée. Hot food should be hot, and cold food should be cold.

Slow cookers are a lifesaver for hot food; just set it on low and forget it. When Andrews Chapel United Methodist Church, in Newnan, renovated its social hall, they added enough electric outlets to power 47 slow cookers.

Now, that’s a church that loves its covered dish suppers.

Mardi Gras Slaw

PICTURED ABOVE

“Mardi Gras Slaw is colorful enough to catch every eye. It’s also very nutritious, but don’t tell anyone. They will never know by the taste.”

• ½ cup orange juice

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground pepper

• 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• 1 cup minced celery

• 4 cups finely shredded kale

• 1 large unpeeled apple, shredded

To make the dressing, shake together orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper until emulsified.

For slaw, place vegetables in large bowl; add shredded apple on top, and toss. Immediately add dressing, and toss well.    

Spinach Balls

“These Spinach Balls will likely need a sign to identify them, but they are a great finger food which encouraged my kids to eat them. You may want to pack up the leftovers fast because three spinach balls topped with a poached egg (see photo below) is breakfast done right!”

• 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach

• 2 eggs, beaten

• ½ cup butter, melted

• 2 cups herb croutons

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• ¼ teaspoon thyme

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• 1½ teaspoons garlic powder

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Thaw chopped spinach and squeeze dry. Mix all ingredients together. Place in refrigerator to chill about 1 hour. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls.

To serve immediately, bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes. To serve later, freeze balls overnight on a baking sheet. Remove from freezer a half hour before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Place toothpicks beside spinach balls to serve.

Mama Stelle’s BBQ Chicken

“I’ve eaten this chicken too many times to count and not enough to stop cooking it. My grandmother, Charlie Estelle Pope Ward, often had it for Sunday after church. I like to make it now with just chicken legs. It is absolutely finger lickin’ good.”

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1½ teaspoons salt

• 1 (4 to 5) pound chicken, cut up

• Oil for frying

• 2 cups ketchup

• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• 3 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

• 3 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 cups water

On wax paper, mix flour with salt. Dredge chicken pieces in mixture and place to one side. Heat vegetable oil or shortening in a large frying pan, about 2 inches deep, to 350 degrees. Fry chicken 15 to 20 minutes on each side until almost done. Drain and place in a Dutch oven.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender and deep red in color.

Colorful Veggie Couscous

“Couscous can be made in a jiffy, so put it on while you are chopping the vegetables.  This dish serves just as good cold as hot and works well at room temperature.”

• 1½ cups water

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup couscous

• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 cup diced peeled carrots

• 1 cup diced zucchini

• 1 cup diced crookneck squash

• 1 cup small broccoli florets

• 1 cup diced red bell pepper

• ½ cup diced red onion

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• Salt, to taste, if desired

• Pepper, to taste, if desired

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Bring water and salt to boil in a large saucepan. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Uncover; fluff with fork.

Whisk 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar in small bowl. On medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet. Add carrots; stir fry for 3 minutes. Stir in zucchini, crookneck squash, red bell pepper, red onion and garlic. Stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add couscous and vinegar mixture. Stir fry for 1 minute. Stir in basil and mint. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with toasted almond slivers.

Luscious Lemon Pound Cake

“Pound cake goes well at every potluck.”

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1¼ cups sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup orange juice

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons lemon extract

• 4 eggs

• 1½ cups powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, orange juice, vegetable oil, lemon extract and eggs. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into Bundt pan, and bake 40 to 50 minutes until it tests done.

After cake is done and while it's still in the pan, prick deeply every inch or so with a fork. Blend powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spoon 3/4 of glaze over hot cake in pan. Let stand 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Slowly spoon remaining glaze over cake. NCM