Help with my company potluck please?

Question

My office is having a potluck this Thursday and I need some really good recipes for stuff to bring. People are already bringing dessert, fondue, pigs in a blanket, sweedish meatballs, lasagna and chili cheese dip. I am looking for something that is going to blow all these out of the water. I just want to bring something really good that everyone will love. any ideas? There will be about 15 people there.

Answer 1

Decker's Favorite Cheese Dip
Prep: 20 min.
Cook: 10 min.

Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
2 tablespoons butter
1 10-1/2-ounce can chili without beans
1 10-ounce can chopped tomatoes and green chili peppers
1 4-1/2-ounce can diced green chili peppers
1/4 cup picante sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed or 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound process cheese spread, shredded
12 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)
Tortilla chips or large corn chips

Directions
In a large saucepan, cook onion in butter about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chili, undrained tomatoes and green chili peppers, undrained chili peppers, picante sauce, and cumin. Add cheeses. Stir over medium-low heat until cheeses are melted. (If desired, transfer mixture to a 3-1/2- to 4-quart electric crockery cooker; keep warm on the low heat setting.) Serve with tortilla chips or large corn chips. Makes about twenty-eight 1/4-cup servings.
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Mango Salsa
2 cups
Ingredients
1 mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 Scotch bonnet or hot green chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1. In medium bowl stir together mango, sweet pepper, green onions, chile pepper, oil, lime peel, lime juice, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Store in refrigerator up to 24 hours. Makes 2 cups.
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Mango Salsa
about 2 cups
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 2 hours

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups chopped, peeled mango, papaya, peaches, plums, and/or pineapple
1/2 cup chopped red or green sweet pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (2)
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
1 to 2 fresh jalapeno or serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped, or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Anaheim pepper

Directions
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together fruit, sweet pepper, green onions, cilantro or parsley, lime juice or lemon juice, and jalapeno, serrano, or Anaheim pepper. Cover; chill at least 2 hours before serving.

2. Serve as a dip for chips or fresh vegetables or as a condiment for tacos, quesadillas, burgers, steaks, chicken, or fish. Makes about 2 cups.

Make-Ahead Tip: Spoon the salsa into a storage container. Cover and chill for up to 2 days.
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Papaya Salsa

Ingredients
1/2 of a small papaya, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 small nectarine, pitted and chopped
1 hot red or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon snipped cilantro or parsley
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon honey

In a bowl stir together the papaya, nectarine, hot red or jalapeno pepper, cilantro or parsley, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon honey. Cover and chill thoroughly.
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Chunky Guacamole
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 1 hour

Ingredients
2 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 of a small red onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 ripe avocados, seeded, peeled, and coarsely mashed
Tortilla chips

Directions
1. In a bowl combine tomatoes, red onion, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Gently stir in avacados. Cover the surface with plastic wrap. Chill for up to 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

2. Makes 2 cups (sixteen 2-tablespoon servings

Answer 2

I have a quick and easy...but impressive dish.

Bruchetta.

By a couple of Italian baguettes, ripe tomatoes (plum work nicely), a bag of shredded Italian cheeses. (onions if you like)

You will need Italian seasonings (I use the mixed type you can by from the grocery), olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

First seed the tomatoes. With the plum type you only have to cut through them and then scoop or push the seeds out.

Dice tomatoes and marinade in 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil.
Refrigerate.

Slice the baguettes on a bias, so that they have a little more surface area, about 1/2 an inch thick.

Brush bread slices with olive oil, sprinkle with some Italian herbs.

Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes, until lightly brown.

Mix 2/3's of the cheese into the tomatoes.

Spoon onto bread slices, top with a little more cheese and reheat for 4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

It is super yummy and people think is expensive and fancy!

Answer 3

Since you will already have some rich meat dishes (chili cheese dip and lasagna) a really fresh salad would be a good choice. I know of two that are good for impressing. One is Romaine lettuce, navel oranges, toasted pecans with a red-onion vinegrette. You could try a google search under Best of Bridge. The other one is a seven layer salad that you make the night before and use a clear glass bowl so everyone can see the different layers.

Answer 4

BEST EVER BANANA PUDDING

1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups cool whip or other whip topping
36 vanilla wafers (more or less)
3 medium bananas

Combine milk and water. Add pudding, mix well. Chill this mixture for 5 minutes in refrigerator. Add cool whip, fold well, do not over mix. Layer this mixture in a bowl alternating with bananas and coolwhip. Keep chilled in refrigerator.

SWEET CHICKEN BACON WRAPS

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
(about 4 breasts)
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon in 3rds
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tablespoons chili powder
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.
Cut each bacon slice into thirds.
Wrap each chicken cube with bacon
and secure with a wooden pick. Stir
together brown sugar and chili powder.
Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture.
Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick
cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack
in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes
or until bacon is crisp.

These are great dipped in bbq sauce.
Bacon can be partially cooked in microwave.

Answer 5

Big Ol' Mess
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into chunks
3 jalapeno peppers, sliced
1 green bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks
1 sweet onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup Tabasco sauce
10 ounces sweet and sour sauce

Mix together in a pan, bake at 400 until vegis are soft (you can vary the amount of jalapenos and remember removing the seeds reduces the heat)

Serve with slices of crusty french bread-yummy yummy
I use this for office parties, super bowl parties, Friday nites with beer. Easy and tasty.

Answer 6

this is a dessert but it is to die for it's from the taste of home magazine that i get in the mail.
Caramel Pecan candy
1/3 cup plus 1/2 c butter
20 cream filled cookies- crushed, i use oreos
1 package caramels (14oz) bag unwrapped
3 cups pecan halves
Topping
3/4 cups chocolate chips
3 tbls butter
3 tbls heavy whipping cream
3 tbls light corn syrup
3/4 tsp vanilla
melt 1/3 c butter, stir in cookie crumbs press this into a 9 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, let cool. Melt the caramels and butter in a sauce pan on the stove. stir in pecans. pour this over the crust. in a sauce pan again combind chocolate chips butter heavy whipping cream, corn syrup till it smooth remove from heat and stir in vanilla pur over caramel layer. cool it completely and cut into squares.
This is a very good recipe i make it alot it's big hit with family and friends.

Answer 7

I always take deviled eggs and they are always gone!

For a hot dish, how about some pulled pork. Easy, breezy
Season up a pork shoulder or butt, put in your crock. After about 1-2 hours on high, add in a can of Coke and some brown sugar, let it finish cooking, another 2-3 hours on high or so. Take it out, drain the juice out of the crock, shred the meat or dice it up and put in your food processor (it works great) add your favorite BBQ sauce and mix and heat through. Serve on crusty rolls.

Answer 8

This is always a winner where I work never any left.
Christmas tree cheese spread
1 envelope onion recipe soup mix,1 c butter or margarine(softened),2 tblsp milk, 2 tblsp preparred mustard,2 c shredded cheddar cheese,2 c shredded swiss cheese,2 tblsp pimentos chopped,chopped parsley
In med bowl blend onion soup mix,butter,milk and mustard. stir in cheeses and pimento. spoon into serving platter,building up mixture to form the shape of a cone. garnish by pressing parsley and if desired additional chopped pimento onto cone. chill . serve at room temperature.

Answer 9

this is simple but great and people love it and easy enough you can try it in advance ,,1 small jar of marshmello fluff and 1,reg size pkg cream cheese,then dip in it grapes,strawberries,star fruit,graham crackers,and what ever you like,just make a pretty tray and a bowl in the middle with the fluff,,it will be gone in no time

Answer 10

With the things you listed that others are already bringing, I would bring some type of salad.

This is what I usually throw together for a potluck and everyone always asks for the recipe (I just have it in my head, lol) but it's very easy and good.

Boil some chicken breasts on the stove.

Cool, then cut in 1/2" chunks.

Boil some water and cook some multi color pasta according to the instructions on bag (or any pasta of your choice).

Drain pasta & rinse w/ cold water.

Add a very small amount of Italian dressing (you just want enough to make the mayo stick)

Add the chicken, mayo, chopped red onion, chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, celery (& anything else you want).

Then, chill


Or... my husbands favorite... use the chicken to make some chicken salad and serve it cold on warm tortillas.


If you do want to bring a dessert... this is SOOOO good, my absolute favorite (and easy!). It's always a huge hit.

Tiramisu Layer Cake

Original recipe yield: 1 - 3 layer 9 inch cake.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours
Servings:12

INGREDIENTS:
CAKE:
1 (18.25 ounce) package moist white cake mix
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1/4 cup coffee
1 tablespoon coffee flavored liqueur

FILLING:
1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur

FROSTING:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur

GARNISH:
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) pans.
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Divide two thirds of batter between 2 pans. Stir instant coffee into remaining batter; pour into remaining pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. In a measuring cup, combine brewed coffee and 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur; set aside.
To make the filling: In a small bowl, using an electric mixer set on low speed, combine mascarpone, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur; beat just until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the cream, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur until stiff. Fold 1/2 cup of cream mixture into filling mixture.
To assemble the cake: Place one plain cake layer on a serving plate. Using a thin skewer, poke holes in cake, about 1 inch apart. Pour one third of reserved coffee mixture over cake, then spread with half of the filling mixture. Top with coffee-flavored cake layer; poke holes in cake. Pour another third of the coffee mixture over the second layer and spread with the remaining filling. Top with remaining cake layer; poke holes in cake. Pour remaining coffee mixture on top. Spread sides and top of cake with frosting. Place cocoa in a sieve and lightly dust top of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
To make the chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler and run it down the edge of the chocolate bar.

Answer 11

Here is a really yummy desert!

Strawberry Pretzel Jello
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1843,159175-243197,00.html

This is really good. My family begs me to make it for every get together!