It’s that time of the year again; we’re all starting to get our invites to our work and friends Christmas/Holiday Parties. So we ask ourselves the same question we do every year:
“What am I going to make?“
So here are something’s to consider before deciding what to bring to a Potluck lunch/dinner:
How many people will be attending?
If there are quite a lot of people, make sure you prepare something that’s easy to share, easy on your wallet, and enough to feed the crowd. Good examples are: Lasagna, Pasta Salad, Baked Beans, your favorite Dessert Square Recipe,etc.
Will there be an oven/stove/microwave available to use?
This can be the make or break of any good recipe – If there isn’t anything to warm up/cook your dish, you may be forced into bringing your own device, such as a slow cooker. On the other side, salads, dips, desserts, and sandwiches/wraps are always easy and great for this type of “dilemma”.
Will there be a fridge accessible?
If there is limited to no fridge accessible (like an outdoor picnic), you may want to rethink what to bring. Any dish with dairy, should always be kept cold until ready to serve. Also, you may have to think of how long your food will be sitting out before consumption time. Try packing your food in a cooler with ice or icepacks, this will prevent your food from spoiling.
Will you be preparing it ahead oftime?
This is the big one – how much time do you have? Will you be making it the day before? Day of? This can limit your selection of dishes. For things like Sandwiches, Pastas Salads, and Chili – you can make them ahead of time; it’s less stress on you and less to do for when time comes to eat.
NOTE: If you are extremely short on time, you can always go to the closes grocery store and find veggies and dip trays – But that’s cheating! 
Do you need to bring a servingdish/spoon?
Make sure you have the appropriate serving materials, from serving dish to serving utensils. Never assume that the location holding the party will be supplied with exactly what you need. You know your dish; you know the attention it needs, so bring the essentials.
Is there a theme?
If the host has decided on a theme – don’t be lame, do some research. If it’s Mexican, you can bring a layered dip, or a jalapeño rice dish. For Italian, try some Caprese Salad on a skewer or Lasagna Roll-ups.
Be creative, have fun with it!
Meeesh's Kitchen 