Bring Something New To Your Potluck

 in Demos

Summer is in full swing, and chances are, you have more than one backyard barbecue to attend before it wraps up. While you might just decide to bring your tried-and-true macaroni salad, why not change it up for your next potluck? If you feel like your friends and family have come to expect the same old dishes that you perfected in culinary academy, throw them for a loop and try something new for the next gathering.

Instead of chips and dip…
Make this corn and jalapeno hummus from How Sweet it Is. It’s a quick and simple recipe, only consisting of six ingredients. Begin by roasting the jalapenos in your broiler – you can roast the corn as well to give it all a nice smoky flavor. Then de-seed them and toss them along with the corn into a food processor with the chickpeas. As you’re blending everything together, add some olive oil, salt, pepper and any other seasonings you want to include. Voila!

Instead of Rice Krispie Treats…
Try these brown butter malt ball treats from Joy the Baker. They do still incorporate rice cereal but in a much more interesting way than simply sticking them together with melted marshmallow. In addition to the marshmallow, these treats use chopped malted milk balls and butter that’s been browned on the stove for a richer flavor. The top is sprinkled with some coarse sea salt. Every flavor you could need in a dessert is exemplified here!

Instead of a charcuterie plate…
If you’re willing to put in a little extra effort with your potluck contribution, consider these antipasto skewers from Live Love Pasta instead of your typical charcuterie and cheese plate. This recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, black olives, salami, basil, tortellini noodles and balsamic glaze. However, you can mix and match with any ingredients you’d rather use. You can use prosciutto instead of salami, green olives instead of black or your favorite flavored olive oil instead of balsamic glaze. Get creative!

plate of multicolor tortilla chips and corn tomato salsa

Instead of macaroni salad…
There are always so many different salads to choose from at a potluck. Combine a couple of the favorites with this Chicken Caesar pasta salad from Spicy Southern Kitchen. It takes what we love about pasta salad – the noodles and tomatoes – and what we love in a Caesar salad – the zesty dressing, croutons and Parmesan cheese. This doesn’t use any old Caesar dressing either – you make your own out of garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Throw in some grilled chicken, and this salad can be an entree all on its own.

Instead of dinner rolls…
Try making a large pull-apart pretzel, like this one from Food 52. With just some active dry yeast, salt, lye and butter, you can have a delicious treat that serves up to 10 people – depending on how greedy they are and how awesome your pretzel is. Making a pretzel is a bit of a process, though, so this isn’t something you’ll be able to pull together a couple of hours before you have to leave.

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