Potluck Without Tears
Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - Posted by Maria Zannini - 6 comments

One of the things I hate most is having to figure out what to make for dinner. The husband, spoiled as husbands are apt to be is sometimes finicky and always seems to want the one item I don't have in the fridge. If I say we're having chicken, he wants beef. If I say beef, he wants fish. I can't win.

But then I got to thinking--when we visit friends and have dinner at their homes, we don't get a vote on what's for dinner. Why is it the menu isn't an issue then?

It's because we're not cooking the meal--only enjoying it. So why not extend that concept a little further. Create a Potluck Club. Get together with two or more friends who have the same number of mouths to feed as you do and exchange meals.

Here's how to do it.

1. Invite several families to agree to a dinner exchange. Good friends are best, but keep the number small. You don't want to cook for an army.

2. Discuss ahead of time if there are any allergies to consider.

3. Create meals that are freezable. Casseroles, stews, and crockpot dishes work best.

4. Write down everyone's menu so there are no duplicates.

5. Decide on a day for the exchange.

6. Whatever dish you make must be multiplied by the number of families in your group.

The beauty of this exchange is that you only cook once, but you walk away with an equal number of different meals from however many members are in your group.

You get a lot of variety for very little work.

Tip: Invite friends who are good cooks, and share similar culinary tastes so there aren't any surprises.

What's your favorite meal to bring to a potluck? My specialty is Mexican Lasagna. It's always a crowd favorite.

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6 comments:

    LD Masterson said...

    I'm ready. Now, how exactly are you delivering the mexican lasagna? (Sound yummy.)

  1. ... on July 3, 2012 at 10:43 AM  
    2. Maria Zannini said...

    Linda: I'll post that recipe next week. It's really quite good, and always a crowd favorite.

  2. ... on July 3, 2012 at 11:47 AM  
    3. Raelyn Barclay said...

    "Get together with two or more friends who have the same number of mouths to fee as you do..."

    Whatcha smokin'?

    LOL

    Sadly, this just is NOT an option for me. However, I am looking forward to you posting that Mexican Lasagna recipe!

    I usually asked to bring dessert at potlucks...can't imagine why :snort:

  3. ... on July 3, 2012 at 1:35 PM  
    4. Maria Zannini said...

    Raelyn: LOL! You are definitely the exception to the rule.

    Do you think baking is your forte? Or do you prefer cooking?

  4. ... on July 3, 2012 at 3:51 PM  
    5. Angela Brown said...

    It's funny you mentioned this. Me and a couple of girlfriends have done something similar. After a nice holiday dinner, we helped each other out on a couple of occasions when one of us sort of tight real close to payday :-)

  5. ... on July 3, 2012 at 7:20 PM  
    6. Maria Zannini said...

    Angela: We did this with lunches for a while. It really works. And it's kind of nice not eating your own cooking. :) It's like eating out.

  6. ... on July 3, 2012 at 9:53 PM  
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