Question: I am attending a potluck on Friday night, and have been asked to bring a “main dish.” I have very little time to prepare it between the end of work and the beginning of the potluck, but want to bring something healthy and delicious. Any suggestions?
Answer: Since you’re short on time, you’ll need either a quick dish or something you can make ahead and then warm up when you get to the potluck. Here are a few things that come to mind…
- Creamy Squash Mac ‘n Cheese (see above). After making this mac on the stove (add an additional 1/2 cup of regular milk so its a little wetter), pour it into a baking dish and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with a little olive oil and cover with foil. When you get to the potluck, bake it at 350 for about 20 minutes (covered), then another 10 minutes uncovered.
- Brown Rice Salad with Chicken and Apples. If there’s no oven at your potluck, this is a great cold entree option. To save even more time, you could buy the pre-cooked packets of brown rice (or any other grain medley) from Trader Joe’s, and use dried cranberries/cherries instead of pomegranate seeds.
- Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans. Make this in a flash in a big skillet at home, then cover it with foil and bring it to the potluck, right in the skillet. You can reheat briefly in the oven if it gets cold.
- Warm Chicken Sandwiches. These individually wrapped sandwiches are perfect for a potluck because you can bake them at home then throw them (with foil still on) in a basket that goes straight to the serving table at the potluck. They’ll stay warm for about an hour when wrapped in their little pouches. And you can add whatever twists on flavors that you want.
Hope these ideas help!
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