The Dreaded Potluck
Avoid covered-dish pitfalls with these simple schemes.
By Rebecca Kazzaz
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Appetizers or side dishes
This is a tough one. If you are responsible for an appetizer or a side dish, ask the host about the entree; otherwise, you might end up bringing a food that clashes with the meal. Chana Novack, co-director of St. Louis Chabad on Campus, cooks for an average of 60 guests a week at the Jewish organization which serves Washington University. She suggested a versatile Oatmeal-Cranberry Bake. "It's quick, easy and can serve as both a side dish and a desert," she said. In addition, you can serve it hot or cold, which can prove to be a big advantage at potluck dinners when there are often more dishes that need heating than there is room in the oven.
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Whether you were invited to a potluck dinner or you are hosting one, Novack said that "you want all the guests to leave full and happy."
Oatmeal-Cranberry Bake
Recipe courtesy of Chana Novack
1 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 16-oz. can cranberry sauce (with whole cranberries)
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
Combine the flour, oatmeal, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Add the butter and mix well.
Place half the oatmeal mixture into an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.
In another bowl, mix the cranberries and pineapple and pour them over the oatmeal mixture in the baking dish.
Top the fruit with the remaining oatmeal mixture in the baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes or until it's golden brown and bubbly.