What to bring to a 5:00 potluck dinner? Movie night. I asked the hostess

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barb_b

Well-known member
what she is doing, so I was thinking a side or appetizer, then she said something about she is only making pasta and everyone brings something.... "You just bring what you want to eat!" (And share) : ) (In her words, and imagine her enthusiasm.)

This is new to me, especially for dinner.....What to do. This is not a time to pull together a great salad. (I think 50 people have rsvp'd) I know my hubby, he is going to need to eat something substantial. I did a search on our site and Ron's chicken came up a few times, which could work.

I was thinking chili but it will be too warm tomorrow night!

Thoughts?

Maybe a vat of Joe's sausage w. bread?

I'm stumped....

Did I mention this is tomorrow! I hope the weather is nice and look forward to a fun movie! BUT, what to bring... 5:00 is just a lil off for me, I'm used to bringing appetizer/dessert ((WINE)) parties......

 
She is going to wind up with WAY too much food telling that many people to bring

Substantial things. I'd just take whatever I felt like doing.

 
You can't go wrong with Joe's sausage recipe. Or the sausages with grapes. Different but

So yummy

 
Any sausage recipe--doesn't have to be mine. But you could saute everything and put it in a crockpot

to bring. (Just bring the warm pot. Fifty people scrambling for an electrical outlet sounds like trouble.)

Or Italian sausages in a tomato sauce, or grilled Polish sausage, or sliced weenies--everybody loves sausage.

I agree with Melissa--this will be truly hit and miss. But actually that is what potluck really means.

 
If 50 folks have rsvp'd, then is this an "outdoor movie" setup? So...how about

picking up licorice or boxes of movie candy or big bags of popcorn.

 
What Marilyn suggested and then have a couple of subs cut in pieces in a cooler in the car

for your DH. What you don't eat, you can take home. Colleen

 
Thanks so much for the suggestions / advise. I went to the store, and both sausage and

chicken were on sale. I made the chicken and it was a huge hit. It was so easy and very tasty. dh gave it a thumbs up. There were lots of snacky stuff, so I am glad that I brought something substantial.
I can't entertain like this. It was a learning for me, in the event I am put in this situation to host a party like this. Guests need some direction. I am sure everyone wants to help / contribute, but with no direction, it was a lil wacky. The hostess made her pasta bake in a lasagne pan (ie small), and we had my chicken (4+lbs). 6 different versions of green salads (all great!), and lots of salsas / taco chips/popcorn.

I did purchase the sausage also, because for some reason, I could not make a decision. I will be making Joe's sausage rec today and saving some for ((Moyn's)) rec of sausage and tortellini soup.

Thanks again for the ideas / suggestions!

 
I went to a potluck at a friend's house where no direction was given

and she would up having at least 4 potato salads. I brought chicken which was almost the only protein offered. We delegate sides, salads, mains, etc.

 
Okay, I'm curious. How could this have gone better? What direction would you give for a

potluck? I like to have potlucks and based on this discussion, I think I've gotten pretty lucky. What do you say to improve the odds you aren't buried under a pile of potato chips and potato salad?

 
As the insigator of multiple-dozens of pot-lucks (every show, 2 pot-lucks) I found unless you post

a loose theme AND do a sign up, you wind up with deserts, bread and chips galore but "real" food doesn't present itself. To that end, I ALWAYS made a main dish that would feed at least 30-40 people with a protein in it and possibly a vegetable. (Gumbo, Green Chile Stew, Stir-Fry's, Mustard Chicken and Rice, Smothered Pork Chops, etc). That way, everyone could have a little.

Additionally, the sign-up allows you to steer people towards the direction in which they are comfortable. Some have no kitchen skills and have to buy stuff, others have limited skills, etc. etc. Of course the down side of the list is the person who signs up to do an entree but decides a chocolate cream pie would be better but still . . . remember, no good deed goes unpunished.

 
Agree. Our first school potluck ended up with SEVEN salads...and the chicken

I made.

I made sure the next one had a theme and a sign-up list with categories.

We do a pot luck here at work 2-3 times a year and I've noticed that certain individuals always sign up for the cheapest item (plates or bread). The same folks take multiple platefuls of the protein and then loop back for more to take home. Apparently "potluck" is code for "free meals for a week".

 
That's inevitable. All you can do is make the highest caloric/fattening thing possible

Then sit back and smile as they loop around for seconds...chuckling quietly

 
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