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I made cheese straws and they were completely not worth the effort. Not great. Puff pastry and parmesan cheese.
On the other hand, I just made a terrific dip with cream cheese mixed with hot pepper jelly rolled in crushed walnuts.
Sesame chicken strips good.
(I haven't cooked this way for years, so my skills are rusty)
Any successes, any food fails?
Oh yes, I have made a version of sesame strip chicken, it was chicken strips with peanut sauce on skewers. thanks for reminding me of this, I forgot about it and need to keep this on a food rotation list.
deviled eggs is a current go to dishes for potlucks because people like them, and they’re inexpensive.
The potluck we attended 10 days ago was one where I had to provide “the meat “because for some reason it is incumbent upon the president of the organization to provide “the meat.” I find this assumption of a main course meat irritating, but I’m not willing to change it yet. Anyway, it was very easy to buy a pre-cooked ham and dump brown sugar and pineapple juice on it and slice it after being in the oven for an hour. People said the ham was very good. I am not a fan of salty ham and can’t eat it at the moment anyway as I am avoiding beef and pork.
years ago, I made spring rolls for a few neighborhood events and people absolutely loved those, but those are a lot of work. an easy version of spring rolls is to buy little wonton squares and put spring roll filling in them. I put them in mini cupcake pans and bake in oven for a few minutes.
As for dishes that are not worth it: last year I made the potato casserole known as “ funeral potatoes” which is a casserole of shredded potatoes and cheese with creamy stuff topped with crunchy stuff. It was not at all good. But then someone at the potluck last week brought their version and it was much better.
Last week for the ham event, I also made a side dish of scalloped potatoes, and they did not travel well at all, and they were just not good when cold.
Big wheel of Brie and crackers. Can never go wrong with this.
I recently attended a holiday open house in the neighborhood where everyone brought something. Among all the sweets, there was one savory item - deviled eggs. They were gone in five minutes and the sweets not so much other than some fudge.
Wow, the deviled eggs seem to be a winner! My son told me yesterday about a variety called Drunken Eggs--should look this up.Quote:
Originally Posted by pinkytoe
One of my friends used to make them with blue cheese mixed in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tybee
For every potluck I had to attend, I usually made my pasta salad with a vinaigrette dressing. It has pasta, cubes of white cheese, walnuts, broccoli, and kidney beans so it is very colorful. Serves well cold or room temp and leftovers are great.
If a dessert was needed, a bundt cake was easy and did not require icing. Or my nobake fudge was easy. Lost that recipe unfortunately.
Last huge bbq we went to had 3-4 people bring the same Chinese noodle salad.
I need to find my old no bake fudge recipe. I tried making fudge and that was one of my fails--it never set. I guess it will because hot fudge sauce. Which is something that I don't like, but maybe others in the family will.
Tybee, I did some research and here is the Fudge Nougat recipe (use the original one) that I used for decades. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing.
Note: The rolling boil will help smooth out the mixture since the sugar will really dissolve and start to carmelize. Does not get hard and stores well.
https://grandmaloyskitchen.blogspot....e-nougats.html
Next year I think the fudge and some orange flavored candied pecans will be Xmas presents.
We went to our cousins' house last night and they put out a nice little spread. My personal favorite was caprese-on-a-skewer, with cherry tomatoes, tiny mozzarella balls, and fresh basil leaves, with a balsamic drizzle.
Thanks for the fudge recipe, so much!
The caprese skewers sound really good.
My daughter-in-law made a wonderful salad that had a little chicken and garbanzo beans and people were really eating that.
The funeral sandwiches were a success. I would do those again. Would not bother with the mini quiches again.
I took tortilla pinwheels to one of my events and it was a hit as a snack. People asked for the recipe. It has some variations, but this is basically it.
https://www.culinaryhill.com/mexican...lla-pinwheels/
Favorite of mine and others in the family is a shoepeg corn, black bean, feta cheese and scallion mix with a cider vinegar, olive oil and garlic dressing. Usually eaten with scoop chips - or whatever is handy or nothing! Taking this today!
I would definitely go for this one and Rogar's if I were a guest. I never think of things like this to make, so thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by happystuff
What are funeral sandwiches?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tybee
I think it is a Southern thing? You take a big package of sweet rolls, like the Hawaiian ones, and split them. You mince an onion and heat butter, the onion, a tsp of worcester sauce plus whole grain mustard together. You open the rolls, paint the surface with butter, then put cheese and meat (I used turkey but also made them with beef and with the traditional ham). Then close the bread and paint the other half of the butter onto the top, then make 15 minutes or so. They are good hot, warm or cold.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
For “make ahead” dishes, Tybee you might consider turkey meatballs because your husband can eat them and they freeze nicely.
I made a big batch last week and froze them. I will eat a few at a time, and could also use them for a potluck. Unfreeze them and cover in some sort of sweet/spicey sauce. I use apricot jam mixed woth BBQ sauce. I have also used balsemic reduction for the sauce.
Those would be great to have on hand!Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
we have lots of freezer capacity and so this kind of thing is good to have around.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tybee
Do you make this or is it premade? I like balsamic and would probably use something like this alot.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
I buy it, a great product! It is “Alessi traditional Balsamic”Quote:
Originally Posted by happystuff
We took cheese straws (NYT recipe) to Christmas Eve at my brothers, they were a huge hit so we made more for Christmas Day. There were none left over, sadly. They are pretty easy to make, and puff nicely with only three folds. I'm not a great baker, so when I say easy, I mean it, lol.
My DIL made a chutney cream cheese dip that was delicious. My son is the deviled eggs guy. I don't have a regular thing, and I didn't make anything special for Christmas except for my mother's Christmas sugar cookies. I haven't made those in literally decades, but it made me happy because I had her hand-written recipe, complete with butterfat stains from years of use, as my guide.
Thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
I take sticky pecan bun cinnamon buns for Christmas breakfast to my sister's family. Always a hit!
Looks like it is easy to do too. Just read Costco magazine and recipe there.Quote:
Originally Posted by happystuff