I've been looking at some recipes and I finally went to the grocery this afternoon to look at how much it would cost me to bring one dish and I found that I'd be spending a bit more than what I'd like to. I'm already getting gifts for everyone so I'd like to keep my potluck dish expense as low as possible. Also, I don't have a big oven so my choices are limited, but I'd still like to impress everyone with something that I possibly don't have to bake or spend so much time and money on. I've been looking at no bake cakes but so far all I'm finding is either too much work or too expensive. I'm trying to find something I can make for a party of around 20 people, and either dessert, main dish, or appetizer would do.
Well, you can just make a cheesecake or chocolate mousse. They are not very expensive to make especially if you will search for the basic recipe online. All you need for the chocolate mousse is cocoa powder, jell-o, and cream.
Gingerbread snaps or similar cookies are a great choice, simple to make and popular with the kids. Plus they're not as perishable as more moist foods. Let's face it, there're always leftovers at the end of every potluck, better give the host something that can keep longer in the fridge!
Fruit, potato and garden salads are relatively easy to prepare. You may want to consider whipping up these side dishes. They're also good for large parties. Just buy large servings of all necessary ingredients. Spaghetti a la Carbonara and Bolognese are likewise affordable and easy to prepare. Good old mango float never fails to lighten up peoples' faces in a party. You just need packs of graham, cream, condensed milk and mango slices.
Speaking of chocolate mousse, there are a number of recipes online for a 2 ingredient chocolate mousse which calls for just chocolate chips and water - seriously. Here is one of them, but there are more if you are interested: Log In You could dress them up even further by picking up some plastic martini glasses at your local party supply store to serve the mousse in, and pipe it into the cups with a pastry bag for a nice swirly pattern, then garnish with some chocolate shavings. Perhaps serve with some home made whipped cream and a fresh strawberry or cherry. You could also flavor the mousse pretty easily with some other extracts or a splash of liqueur. "Party potatoes" are usually a crow favorite, provided nobody else is making them. I know you mentioned you'd prefer not to bake, but this dish is super simple, you just mix everything together and throw it in a casserole dish. All you need is a bad of frozen diced potatoes, a can (or two, depending on how much you're making) of cream of chicken & mushroom soup, some sour cream, milk, shredded cheddar. Mix everything together, reserving some of the cheddar to top it. For the topping, crushed Corn Flakes mixed with melted butter is traditional, but I also really like (and prefer) seasoned Panko breadcrumbs instead mixed with melted butter. Top with reserved cheese then the buttered breadcrumbs, and bake for about an hour uncovered at 375 degrees in a glass baking dish. Try not to use a really deep dish that is small length and width-wise. You should use a larger casserole dish, so your potato mixture is only a couple inches deep, no more. Otherwise it won't cook evenly. Meatballs are always a hit too. Plus, often times ground turkey is on sale, which will save you some money vs. buying ground beef, and turkey meatballs taste fantastic too - plus people will feel like they are eating a little "healthier" with them as well. Serve them in a marinara sauce in a crock pot, then just pick up a bag of hard rolls and some cheese to go along with them.
I've seen recipes for making cookies from a box of cake mix. Apparently, it makes a good number of cookies, and you can usually find cake mixes on sale this time of year. You could even prepare the mix as cake and decorate it or make cupcakes (probably cupcakes if you have a small oven). You can add fruit or nuts to dress it up if you like. A white cake with butter cream frosting topped with slivered almonds makes pretty party food. For a side dish, pasta salad is a great choice. One package of pasta goes a long way. I like to use Angel Hair pasta, and break it into small pieces before boiling. It's delicate and makes a pretty salad. Cool the pasta, add dressing or mayo and some chopped celery, onion, pickle, etc. or whatever you might have around (shredded carrot, sliced olives, petite diced tomatoes). Chill before serving. Tri-color, spiral, or bow-tie pasta looks nice too. Pasta works for a main dish too. Fettuccine Alfredo or fettuccine in cream sauce is simple and only requires a few ingredients, some of which you may already have around the house. A bit of butter, milk, and cornstarch makes a nice, rich sauce. Hope these help. Enjoy your party!
For potluck occasions I like the spinach dip and rye bread. It's a great appetizer and somewhat healthy. It's very simply to make and pretty inexpensive. The quantity it makes would depend on how much sour cream you buy. I get a pack of Lipton veggie dry soup mix, small amount of fresh spinach, chop in eatable pieces, and sour cream. Mix. Rye bread, fresh. I usually get the big round kind and dig out the inside and use it as a bowl for the dip and take the pieces and place them around the bowl. The highlight is the presentation. You can also use some of the spinach as a garnish placed on something holiday related or plain white or ivory ceramic dish or platter. It has never failed me.
Oh, the spinach dip in a bread bowl is always a nice touch, MrsJones. I forgot to add an appetizer to my replay, but that one is always a winner. If you can't find the round bread to make the bowl, cocktail rye slices work nicely as well. A relish tray is very simple too. Just use a divided dish and add black olives, green olives, sweet pickles, and dill pickles. You could also put in pepper rings, pickled okra, or anything else you like, but I usually just keep it simple with the first four. There's usually something for everyone in that mix.
I think the easiest thing to do, while still being tasty is dessert like chocolate mousse, jello, pudding or a cheesecake. Those are very good, everyone likes them and you can whip them up in 10 minutes tops.
Besides stopping by KFC to buy a bucket of chicken, visit White Castle and buy a box of burgers. Office workers would especially love those. If that does not work, then try a box of simple tacos from Taco Bell. Most people love Tacos. Try a box of cookies or donuts from Dunkin' Donuts or Tim Horton's. If you really want to try something inexpensive try Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, or Dollar General for a few tins of cookies. Now that's as cheap as one could get!
Yes, Jell-O would definitely be an inexpensive option. Good tip, Strykstar. I rarely think about making Jell-O any more, but it used to be quite popular. I remember all of my aunts bringing their special Jell-O salads to family holidays and other special occasions. A bit of fruit makes it a nicer dish, or you can always do something decorative with it. One relative of mine used to make a dessert with it. It had a layer of Jell-O, topped with a layer of pudding, and then a layer of Cool Whip. She would add sprinkles on top and serve it in a deep glass bowl so you could see all the layers. It looked pretty, and it made a nice lighter dessert after all the heavier foods.
