With the holidays, come holiday parties and one or two of those may be a potluck. Potlucks are not the time to try a recipe out of Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” You want a simple dish that is easy to prepare and better yet something you can make ahead.
Maybe you already have a go-to potluck dish, but if you don’t or you want to try something new, we’ve found five tasty foolproof recipes that even beginner cooks can make.- 1
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- If you don’t have much experience in the kitchen or don’t have a lot of time, appetizers are the way to go. This Tomato Crostini recipe made by the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten couldn’t be easier.
Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
6 oz. good feta, crumbled
2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
⅔ cup good olive oil, divided
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. minced shallots (2 shallots)
2 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 tbsp. good red wine vinegar
2 lbs. ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, ½-inch-diced
3 tbsp. julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
20 to 25 (½-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted (see note)
2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts
Directions:
Up to an hour before serving, combine the shallots, garlic and vinegar in a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the ⅓ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the tomatoes, toss lightly and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in basil and salt and pepper to taste.
To make the whipped feta, add the feta and cream cheese in a food processor and pulse until the cheeses are combined. Add ⅓ cup olive oil, the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon pepper and pulse until smooth.
To assemble the crostini, spread a generous amount of the whipped feta onto each slice of bread. Using a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Serve the crostini on a platter and scatter with the pine nuts. Top with extra basil and serve.
Note: Place the bread slices on sheet pans, brush with olive oil, and bake at 425°F for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Everyone loves mac and cheese, this Smoky Macaroni and Cheese is a surprising twist on the traditional comfort food.
Smoky Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 8
Ingredients:
Nonstick spray
1 lb. medium shell pasta
6 tbsp. butter
⅓ cup all purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2½ teaspoons smoked paprika
4 oz. cream cheese, softened, cut into cubes
2 cups shredded smoked Gouda (8 ounce block)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Make pasta according to the directions on the box, but cook for 1 minutes less. For the cheese sauce, melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. Next, slowly pour in the milk while whisking making sure to get rid of any lumps and simmer on medium heat until mixture is thick, about 4-5 minutes. Once mixture has thickened, stir in cream cheese until it melts, add Gouda and ½ cup of the mozzarella by handfuls, stirring until all the cheese is melted and there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until the pasta is coated in the sauce. Pour the pasta into the casserole dish, sprinkle the panko on top as well as the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- If you can make an omelet, you can definitely make this Spinach Quiche.
- If you’re looking to impress a crowd, these sweet and sticky tenderloins will sure do it.
- Nothing says Christmas like some good ol’ fudge and this fudge is just the perfect dessert to make for a potluck.
Speedy Spinach Quiche
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained well (or fresh)
1 9-in. refrigerated ready piecrust (1/2 box)
1 tsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) grated Parmesan
5 eggs*
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese (can substitute with ricotta cheese)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. dried dillweed
*Adjustment: recipe only calls for 4
Directions:
Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add spinach and stir until dry or if you’re using fresh spinach, cook until wilted. Cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Dust 1 side of crust with flour and transfer to 9-inch diameter quiche or pie pan with the floured side facing down. Press into pan, sealing any cracks and trim the edges. Sprinkle the cheese onto the bottom of the crust and top with spinach mixture. In a large bowl, beat eggs, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and dill weed in large bowl and pour the mixture over the spinach. Bake for 50 minutes or until filling is set and top is golden brown.
Tip: You can make this quiche the night before and just heat it up before you serve it.
Tangy Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pork, lean tenderloin
½ cup(s) preserves, apricot, light, sugar-free
¼ cup(s) vinegar, cider
½ tbsp. sage, dried
½ tbsp. basil, dried
½ tbsp. thyme, dried
2 clove(s) garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper, black ground
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Trim the visible fat off the tenderloin and set aside. In small saucepan, combine preserves, vinegar, herbs, and garlic over medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes to make the the glaze. Season all sides of the tenderloin with salt and pepper and place in shallow baking dish. Spoon the glaze over the tenderloin, coating it evenly and bake for 30 minutes or until the pork is done (145°F). (Check with a cooking thermometer.)
Foolproof Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients:
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 dash salt
¾ cup chopped nuts (optional)
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt over low heat in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 8 or 0-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Lift fudge out of pan and place onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Cover and store in refrigerator.
Happy cooking!
(Feature Photo via Traeger)