What’s for Dinner: Potluck Ideas

Our Parent Potluck Dinner and Business Meeting is coming up on January 25th, and that means we will be sharing a meal together! Typically parents sign up to bring a soup, salad, bread, dessert, or drinks. Are you thinking about what you’ll bring? (Sign up here.) Need some fresh ideas?

Last year we posted links to some sites with tons of appetizing ideas for soups, salads, breads, and desserts – click here for that blog post. Today I’ll add just a few more. Any of the following would be fabulous to bring to our potluck dinner, or just to make any old night:

Beef and Cannellini Bean Minestrone

Giada De Laurentiis
Serves 4 to 6

Here’s a hearty, wonderful winter soup that’s simple to prepare and can be multiplied easily to feed a crowd! 

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 rib celery, trimmed and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces lean (8 percent fat) ground beef
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ½ cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add the oil and heat over medium heat. Stir in the onion, carrot and celery and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. 
2. Increase the heat to high and add the ground beef and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the beef is browned and cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes. 
3. Stir in the tomato paste and mix to combine. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. 
4. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan.

Turkey Vatapa

Cooking Light
Serves 6

I’ve posted this on the blog before, but it really is a unique and delicious soup and I would LOVE to find this at our potluck, so I’m sharing it again. A few options: you can use olive oil or coconut oil if you don’t have peanut oil. You can finely chop the peanuts if you don’t want to grind them in a grinder. And of course, you can substitute chicken instead of turkey if needed.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
• 1 cup water
• 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (12-ounce) can light beer
• ¼ cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• 3 cups chopped skinned cooked turkey
• ½ cup light coconut milk
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add ginger and jalapeño; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in water, tomatoes, and beer; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Place peanuts in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Add ground peanuts, turkey, and coconut milk to pan, stirring to combine. Increase heat to medium. Bring mixture to a simmer; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley, cilantro, juice, salt, and black pepper. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Broccoli Slaw and Kale Salad with Chicken

Jessica Gavin
Serves 4

Here’s a new favorite salad of mine! A friend made this for a gathering and I was hooked. It can easily be made without the chicken if you want it to be more of a side dish. By all means buy the veggies pre-shredded if you can, and this salad is a snap to make.

Ingredients:

Broccoli Kale Slaw–

• 1 pound cooked chicken, sliced (optional)
• 3 cups of thinly shredded broccoli steams (can purchase broccoli slaw)
• 3 cups thinly shredded kale
• 1 cup thinly shredded carrots
• 1 cup thinly shredded red cabbage
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup teaspoons sunflowers seeds

Dressing–

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ⅛-¼ teaspoon chili powder (add to your liking of spiciness)

Directions:

1. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Combine all dressing ingredients. Add ½ cup of dressing to the mixed salad ingredients, add more as desired. Season with pepper as needed.

Cold Spelt Salad

Kitchen Stewardship

There aren’t any measurements for this salad, because it’s just something you can throw together with whatever you have on hand until it looks and tastes right, rather like a pasta salad. I love using whole grains and have made this salad with spelt, with farro, and with wheat berries. This makes a very tasty and filling lunch salad, but would also be great at a potluck.

Ingredients:

• cooked spelt berries (soaked overnight, covered with water and simmered for an hour after boil)
• carrots
• pea pods
• red onion
• cubed cheese
• broccoli
• green olives
• garbanzo beans
• homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing (see below)

Directions:

1. Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. For the dressing, whisk together:
   1 Tbs Dijon mustard
   2+ Tbs balsamic vinegar
3. Add ½ cup Extra Virgin olive oil in a stream, stirring constantly.
4. Add:
   1 tsp onion flakes or powder
   1-2 cloves minced garlic (fresh is best)
   ½ tsp thyme
   ½ tsp basil
   ½ tsp salt (optional)
   You can use Italian seasoning instead of the thyme and basil
5. Shake well. You can store this on the counter. Olive oil tends to get solid in the refrigerator. Lasts at least 4 weeks, probably more!

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