4 Easy & Tasty Last-Minute Potluck Dishes

Does this sound familiar? You finally get around to opening your email at work and see an invitation to a potluck dinner tomorrow evening. Or, you pick up your church bulletin and realize that the potluck you talked about going to with a friend is this Sunday. It's short notice, so the idea of making your famous homemade seven layer German sweet chocolate cake is out of the question. But, you don't want to just show up with a bag of chips and tub of dip from the supermarket either. So, what's the answer?

Let's take a look at four quick and simple offerings that won't make you look, or feel, like a loser at the potluck table.

Green Stuff

This is a guilty pleasure for many folks, especially at holiday meals. So, why not give everybody what they want, but are too shy to ask for?

The recipe is so simple it's almost sinful, just like the creation itself. There are many options, but basically you will need to stop at the store and get pistachio pudding, a big tub of whipped topping, a can of crushed pineapple, and some nuts. Some people add cottage cheese or marshmallows to their Green Stuff. It's totally up to you how you make it. The wonderful thing is it goes together in minutes and is ready when you are. And, everyone loves this stuff! No reason at all to be embarrassed showing up with this offering.

Bean Salad

The beauty of this salad is it can be different every time you make it. It all depends what you want to throw in. You can easily begin in your own pantry and refrigerator and go from there, perhaps not even having to make a trip to the store at all.

Gather together canned beans, any variety; black, pinto, cannellini, navy, kidney, lima, green, yellow waxed, etc. Then, look in your freezer and grab whole kernel corn, green peas, mixed veggies, or anything you have on hand. Drain the cans, thaw the frozen, and throw them all into a big bowl. Dig through your crisper and grab some onion, celery, and radishes, too, and chop those up. Now dress the salad with that bottle of Italian dressing you have had in your refrigerator just waiting for emergencies. Voila! You have a very presentable tangy and tasty salad. No apologizes needed because this is one delicious dish!

Cole Slaw

It's true that cole slaw may be the laziest way out of a tight potluck predicament. And, if you are not careful, it will taste lazy, too. But, there are ways to turn even a humble bag of cole slaw into a welcome dish at any potluck.

The trick with cole slaw salad is to give it a twist. Make your salad sweet and savory by adding pineapple, raisins, and nuts (my favorite!), then mixing up a dressing that has a savory edge using apple cider vinegar and Greek yogurt or mayonnaise. Then throw in some sunflower seeds or nuts for more color and crunch. Or create a satisfying cole slaw salad by adding lots of crumbled bacon, broccoli, sweet red bell pepper, and toss with a smoky style dressing. You just want to make sure that you add some surprises when offering a cole slaw salad, then it will look like you thought about bringing this dish for days instead of hours.

Mixed Nut Nibbles

Of course you never want to just bring a can of mixed nuts and dump them out into a bowl and serve. That just shows absolute disinterest in the event and the other guests. It's better not to show up at all if this is the case. Instead, create a flavorful homemade treat that takes minutes but tastes like you really put some thought into the preparation.

Just spread mixed nuts out onto a baking sheet. If you want a sweet nibble, toss with a little light oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar and bake in a medium oven, stirring occasionally, just until hot and fragrant. If you want a savory nibble, toss the nuts with olive oil and spices like hot pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Bake until fragrant, stirring every few minutes. Remove and let cool, then put the nuts in a pretty bowl. When you set these nuts out, provide a spoon and a tiny candy cup or muffin cup, whatever you have, so guests can fill up the cup and walk around, nibbling and chatting. What will they be chatting about? I suspect they will be talking about how delicious these nutty treats are!

Even with very short notice you can create a dish to bring to a potluck meal. You don't have to resort to a bag of chips and tub of purchased dip. You can bring something to offer that is truly delicious and definitely worthy of a spot on the potluck table!

Be sure to check back here later this week for some more quick and simple potluck recipes.