Side dishes for potluck

[MrsJWine]

I need to make two side dishes for a potluck this Sunday. I'd like something healthy, preferably. The potluck is after church, and mornings are a frantic rush at our house, so it also needs to be something that can keep overnight. Help, please!

[Shoo]

I like Texas Caviar and tortilla chips. 

1 each (chopped):  green, yellow, red bell peppers
1 very finely chopped jalapeno
1 chopped red onion
1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
1/2 bottle of your favorite Italian dressing

Mix it all up in a bowl, and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Some people will just serve some on to their plates to eat without the chips (I do that sometimes).

[Moray]

Sauteed kale takes less than 15 minutes including prep and is hearty enough to keep overnight if you don't add the vinegar till the next day. Bonus: it tastes great at room temperature. Depending on the size of your congregation, you might want to double or triple up.

1 large bunch kale, rinsed, stems removed and chopped into about 2" pieces
2 cloves thin sliced garlic, or equivalent minced stuff from the jar
1 slice raw bacon, diced. (bacon optional, add an extra Tbsp of oil if not using)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c water
2-3 tsp malt or red wine vinegar
salt/pepper

In large skillet, cook bacon and olive oil over Medium-High until bacon is just shy of crispy. Add garlic and cook until soft (3-4 min). Crank the heat up to High and add the kale and the water, stirring to quickly coat the kale in the liquid. Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, turn the heat back to Medium-High and stir until the liquid is gone. Salt/Pepper to taste and shove it in the fridge. Stir the vinegar in before you head to church.

[cicero]

how about:
* cabbage salad (I make it with oil and vinegar/lemon and not mayo).
* tabouli. you can also make it with quinoa instead of wheat/bulghur for extra health.
* pasta salad (I like this one http://jewishfood-list.com/recipes/salad/pasta_salads/pastasaladgreek01.html , or you can try one of the noodle and peanut butter sauce salads.
*platter of roast vegetables (differet kinds or just a few peppers in different colors)
*couscous salad (whole grain couscous mixed with some cooked garbanzos, grated lemon rind or preserved lemon,chopped mint, chopped olives, a little olive oil).
*frittata? they can be made in advance and served cold/room temp, in an array of veg/cheese.
*tortilla roll ups? spread with cream cheese , veg, smoked salmon, or omelete, or cold cuts, rolled, then sliced and held together with toothpicks.

would any of these work?

[Harriet Jones]

Broccoli Slaw

2 bags of broccoli coleslaw (found near the bagged salad)
1 bag of dried cranberries (6 oz)
2 bundles of green onions, chopped (only the white parts/bottom of onions)
1 C of Pinenuts (can sub w/ almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflowers)
12 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled 
1 bottle of Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing

Toss together.  Enjoy.

[NyaChan]

Black Bean and Corn Salad
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (I put more, about 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon salt, then add to taste once mixed
1 TBL chili powder & 1 TBL cumin to taste depending on how hot the jalapeno is
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno, remove seeds and mince

In a jar put lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and spices in jar.  Shake up to mix.  I marinate the avocado in the jar with the dressing (keep in fridge) since it helps keep it green and adds flavor.  In bowl mix black beans, frozen corn, jalapeno, and cilantro.  Shake dressing then pour over and mix lightly when ready to serve.  Taste and add more salt/spices/jalapeno if needed.

[EmmaJ.]

Deviled eggs are my go-to dish for a potluck. 

They can be made a day ahead, it only costs about $2.00 for a carton of eggs which then makes 24 servings, everyone loves them, and there are no leftovers to deal with. Win win win!

[jpcher]

Veggie pizza?

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/veggie-pizza/

That recipe is more detailed than what I usually do, but you get the idea.

I usually do the crust as suggested in the above recipe, then buy a whipped cream cheese to mix with dill and garlic (or whatever spices you like with your salad.) Chop veggies of your choice . . . broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red onions (go easy on these) maybe some pea pods and water chestnuts . . . whatever chopped veggies you like.

Do not use cucumber or tomato if you prepare it the day in advance. Also make sure that your washed veggies are well drained of water (otherwise your crust can get soggy.)

[Lynnv]

Broccoli Salad:

1/2 - 2/3 c slivered almonds, toasted
6 strips bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled
6 c broccoli florets
1.5 c green grapes
1.5 c red grapes
2-3 chopped green onions
1 c (or so) raisins or craisins

Dressing
1 1/4 c mayo-I use either light or olive oil-the fat free doesn't, IMO, work well here
1/3 c sugar
2.5 Tbsp cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Toast the nuts and set aside to cool.  I like almonds best, but have used other nuts and even sunflower seeds and it is still good.

Cook the bacon, drain, set aside to cool.  A nice, thick cut, peppered bacon is really good here.  But even the stuff that is precoooked and you just nuke to crisp works well-and if you do that, you don't even need to do any real cooking...just assembly.

The grapes can be cut in half, but I usually just leave them whole.  You can also use all red or all green if you want (I think it is a prettier salad with at least some red grapes, and tend to do all red mostly because I think it looks better).  Be sure to use seedless grapes.

Chop the onions, cut the grapes (if you are doing that), cut up the broccoli.  Add raisins or craisins to taste. 

Then make up the dressing-but don't dress the salad until serving time.  Depending on what mayo you use, you might need to cut (or add) sugar or vinegar to balance it all out.  I have also added toasted sesame oil (a VERY small amount) or balsamic vinegar and had it come out well.  I have also subbed cauliflower for some (up to 1/4) of the broccoli and that is nice.  You can add radishes or celery if you want a little more crunch to the salad.  I like radishes myself, but if I do that, I usually omit the raisins/craisins.

Just before serving, toss everything together and add the dressing.  You can do everything a day in advance and toss at the last minute.  Just give the dressing a shake in case it has separated a little bit.

Easy-peasy.  Flexible.  And tasty too.

Otherwise, my favorite go-to potluck dish is deviled eggs.  And now you can buy hard-boiled eggs that are already peeled at Costco (and I am assuming other places as well)...even though it costs a little more, it makes it a very simple dish to throw together.

[blarg314]

Italian green bean salad. This is an Italian side dish I discovered that's dead simple, served at room temperature, disgustingly healthy, and very tasty.

Steam whole green beans until tender but still with a bit of bite. Drain. Mix red wine vinegar, good olive oil, and a smashed garlic clove, and let it sit for about half an hour. Remove the garlic, and dress the beans with the vinaigrette, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve at room temperature. You can do the same thing with asparagus, but that gets pretty pricy for a potluck.

[Venus193]

Bean salad:

5 cans Goya beans (various types)
5 scallions, chopped
5 lengths celery, diced
1/2 cup each dill weed (picked small) and chopped parsley
Lemon adobo
celery seed
extra virgin olive oil
red or white wine vinegar

Drain and rinse beans in colander until water runs clear; add other ingredients, toss, and refrigerate overnight.

Pasta Salad a la Venus

1 lb small cooked pasta*
5 scallions, diced
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
bunch dill weed, torn into small sprigs
1 can Green Giant Mexicorn, drained
1/2-1 cup fresh green peas (or equivalent frozen; no cans)
1 cup blanched broccoli and cauliflower florets (cut small)
Lemon adobo
olive oil
white wine vinegar

Prepare pasta, peas, broccoli, and cauliflower to al dente instructions, rinse in ice cold water, and toss in large bowl with remaining ingredients.  Chill in fridge three hours before serving.

*To make it more fun, choose a shape to suit the occasion.  Here are a lot of interesting ones:

http://www.pastashoppe.com

[sweetonsno]

Marinated vegetable salad:
Steam 1 head of broccoli and 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets.
Peel and slice a few carrots and steam them as well.
You want the veggies to be cooked enough that they don't taste raw, but to still have some crunch.
Slice a large onion, yellow or red. If you hate the raw onion taste, nuke it in the microwave for a minute.
Put all of these veggies into a large bowl. You can add some drained canned beans (wax, green, and kidney are my favorites) and sliced bell peppers if you like them.
Meanwhile, bring to a boil in a large saucepan: 2/3 c. cider or wine vinegar, 2/3 c. sugar, 1/2 c. canola or vegetable oil, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper. (Depending on the quantity of veggies, you might want to double the recipe.) Turn the heat off, dump the veggies into the pot, stir, then cover and remove from heat. When it's cool, pop it in the fridge. Give it a stir when you think of it, so the marinade gets on everything. That's it. Yum yum. It's also nice with the non-oil-packed sun dried tomatoes in there. The main benefit of this one is that you need to let it marinate overnight, so it's no fuss last-minute.

Tabouli (the mixes are often delicious... you just need to add your own cucumber and tomato)

Cole slaw (my version):
Grate or slice into ribbons half a head of cabbage (use the whole thing if it's small)
Grate in a pound of carrots (optional)
Put this into a large bowl

Grate an apple (use the crisp and sweet variety, like Braeburn or Fuji) and a small yellow onion into a bowl. Add about half a cup of mayo (I use Veganaise and it's great), a big squirt of ballpark mustard, salt and pepper, a teaspoon to a tablespoon of sugar, and enough apple cider vinegar to make a fairly runny mix. Taste it and adjust accordingly. Toss that into your cole slaw. Fin.


Grated Carrot Salad (aka Dragon Breath for Bunnies)
Peel and grate carrots. You'll probably need a lot if this is supposed to feed a lot of people. 5 pounds? Get your loved ones to help or drag out the food processor.
Put the carrots into a bowl. Press a few cloves of garlic in. If you really don't want to use raw garlic, zap it in the microwave with a few drops of water. That will take some of the edge off. (Turn the fan on if you do this.) You want it to stay soft. I use about 1 small/medium clove per pound of carrots if I'm making this to share. If I'm going to eat it all by myself, I might use two.
Mince fresh tarragon until you have about 3-5 T. Toss that in, too.
Make a vinaigrette of one part red wine vinegar to two parts olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the carrots, garlic, and tarragon.

Have fun at your potluck!

[MrsJWine]

These all sound fabulous. It's too bad I don't have the time, money, or dishes to make all of them. I'll just have to try them out on my own family, too. Thank you!

[Outdoor Girl]

The wild rice salad recipe I've already posted in the recipe section is a good one, too.  It is supposed to be made ahead and keeps really well.

ETA:  found it!

Wild Rice Salad

2 cups cooked wild rice, drained well
2 large apples, peeled and diced
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
fresh or frozen dill, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup mayonnaise (I use light Miracle Whip)
1/2 cup sour cream (I use light sour cream)
garnish:  almonds, walnuts or orange slices (I've also used cranberries)

Combine the rice, apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, dill, salt and pepper and refrigerate the night before serving.  8 to 10 hours before serving, combine the mayonnaise and sour cream.  Fold into the wild rice mixture and refrigerate until serving time.  Garnish just before serving.  Serves 6 to 8.

[Aggiesque]

cooked carrots. Seriously.

It's a hit with the little kids- something they can eat. Steam some baby carrots the night before (or slice up big ones), throw in the fridge, and serve warmed up, or leave cold!