Potluck Gold

This is a serious post. I am not joking when I say that I seriously care about what I bring to a potluck. It is not funny to me if people don't like what I bring, if they look at it and think, "Eww!" or "Boring!" When my food is the only one left sitting on the table, (or worse yet), is barely even touched, it is no joking matter.

I am looking for potluck gold. Today we had a potluck dinner after church - everyone brings a main dish, and then half of the people bring a side dish and half bring a dessert. I have finally figured out the side dish - bring a fresh salad. There are usually so few salads, and enough healthy eaters present, that a salad gets gobbled-up within the first few minutes. Add a few pieces of bacon or cranberries and eggs, and you're a salad chef extraodinare!

Desserts - a little harder to gauge. People LOVE desserts, but if you want to be the best out there, you have to bring your A-Game. I have realized that homemade speciality breads like banana bread or muffins - though very appreciate in real life - usually don't get chosen first at a potluck. People, and especially kids, go for sugar. Lots of whipped cream, sprinkles and chocolate. Throw in a little colored icing and bamm! You've got a winner. I hate to admit it, but the non-baked (and therefore usually not completely "homemade") desserts are usually the most loved. I made a chocolate eclair dessert today and it was demolished. SCORE.

Main dishes still have me a little stumped. I have started looking intently at recipes labeled "potluck pleasers" and so on. I tried a homemade beer mac n' cheese today. It was very good...but there were about 3 other mac n' cheeses there as well. First rule in potlucks:  be a standout original. Second rule:  don't bring a chicken and rice casserole (no hating, just a suggestion). I am still not sure what to do for the main dish to ensure my potluck success. Meaty? Casserole? Cheesey? Ethnic? I do think sometimes there is so much food that hardly anything gets completely eaten; but if there is the chance, I'd like to take it!

Yes, you could say these comments are a bit prideful - but pride can be good sometimes. When you care about making healthy, delicious food for yourself and others.....and having your food be the talked about, yearned after, best food in the room....well, isn't that just called winning?......err.... having fun? :) I wonder what YOU would care to eat at a potluck?