what do you bring to a potluck!!

[anyabooger]

i'm going to a potluck tomorrow and i usually bring store-bought desserts, but it always turns out there are way too many sweets and not enough actual food. i want to try making something this time as well. hmmm.....
what do you guys usually bring to a potluck? share your regrets and successes, i would love some ideas 

[IceBear]

sausage balls!!!!

use like a sheet pan and mix 2 cups bisquick, 1 lb pork sausage, 16 oz grated (sharp) cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup milk, and your pick of italian seasonings amounting to abt 1.5-2 teaspoons.

1) preheat the oven to 350 and spray the sheet pan with non-stick whatever juice.
2) take all your ingredients and mix em together in a bowl. just slop them in and mush them around until they have an almost cookie dough-like consistency
3) Use a cookie scoop to make little balls (like 1 inch/3 cm diameter) and put them on the tray
4) bake until they're browned (like 20-25 mins) and done!

You can reheat them if you bake them the day before, just throw them in the fridge overnight and reheat at 350 for 7 minutes (12-15 if frozen).

They're super yummy too. It should make about 28-30 (if you make them that 1 in/3 cm tiny). You can make more than one sheet, just do the whole thing again (or just double the ingredients and put them in the same big bowl. it doesnt really matter)

[haumeaGeth]

Oh hey, I'm going to a hanami potluck on Sunday! I was originally going to make yakisoba, but I haven't had a lot of spoons lately, so I'm just bringing blanched bok choy and a bottle of fish sauce and furikake for people to season it with to their liking. People rarely bring any veg to potlucks, so when I said I was iffy on the yakisoba idea, the host begged me to bring some kind of veg instead xD

Bringing supplies is also generally appreciated! Plates, cutlery, napkins, even water.

If you can, I'd try to see what others are planning to bring so you can fill in any gaps.

[TheFrugalGamer]

Yes, I also love bringing veggies because they're so difficult to find at potlucks. I'm a vegetarian, which can make it difficult for me to eat when I'm out, so my favorite dish to bring is sauteed green beans:

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp
• Fresh green beans, two or three bags depending on how much you want to make
• Minced garlic, 1/3 cup
• Soy sauce, low sodium if possible, 2 tbsp
• Teriyaki glaze (or just a thick sauce, 2 tbsp
• red chili paste 1 tbsp

Instructions

Saute the minced garlic in 2 tbsp of olive oil for a few minutes on low-medium heat. Garlic burns quickly, so you just want to warm it up and get it going.

Add the green beans. You can blanch them first if you're in a hurry, but it's not required. Add the sauces on top and stir everything to mix together. Keep it on low-medium heat with a lid on top, stirring frequently. If the heat is too high, the soy sauce burns and gets a certain taste to it, so you just want to sweat the green beans so they get wilted and yummy.

Keep stirring until the green beans are either just soft (if you like them that way), or all shriveled up (my preference). Then serve.

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These have actually proven to be really, really popular, and I've had folks tell me they look forward to them! They're easy to make and very tasty, and like I said it's nice to have a vegetable available at potlucks.

[anyabooger]

sausage balls!!!!

use like a sheet pan and mix 2 cups bisquick, 1 lb pork sausage, 16 oz grated (sharp) cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup milk, and your pick of italian seasonings amounting to abt 1.5-2 teaspoons.

fantastic!! I think I'm gonna try this recipe tonight, although subbed with chicken or beef since I believe there will be some Muslim attendees.

Oh hey, I'm going to a hanami potluck on Sunday! I was originally going to make yakisoba, but I haven't had a lot of spoons lately, so I'm just bringing blanched bok choy and a bottle of fish sauce and furikake for people to season it with to their liking. People rarely bring any veg to potlucks, so when I said I was iffy on the yakisoba idea, the host begged me to bring some kind of veg instead xD

Yes, I also love bringing veggies because they're so difficult to find at potlucks. I'm a vegetarian, which can make it difficult for me to eat when I'm out, so my favorite dish to bring is sauteed green beans:

thank you both for this suggestion, now I'm thinking back on the previous potlucks I've been to and I definitely have said out loud "I need more vegetables" My favourite way of preparing veggies is to chop up an assortment of them (I like potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, cauliflower), put them on sheet pan with olive oil, pour some melted butter with cajun seasoning over top, and let it bake in the oven. I'm not great at giving measurements or times for recipes, I tend to just eyeball it. I'll have to be more mindful next time I cook so I can share it here for the next person!
I'll be posting what I end up bringing here. If anyone else has photos of meals they've brought, don't be afraid to share 

[MrsMoe]

A really, REALLY good caesar salad probably. I think that when it comes to salad, people usually do the bare minimum with it because it's a healthy "diet" food and therefore (in their minds) doesn't need to taste amazing, but you have to MAKE it taste amazing. Put chicken, "real" bacon bits (not just that kibble shit), crispy onions/jalapenos, lemon juice and garlic into that shit right now.