Potluck recipes to the rescue

Everyday Kitchen -

Just about every get-together I've been to this summer has been potluck style. I'm not complaining - with the price of food through the roof and time as scarce as hen's teeth, a potluck might mean you have a party when otherwise you couldn't see your way clear.

Now I'm going to complain. If you're invited, pull your weight. I'm not saying you must come up with a gourmet dish, but if your time or competency dictates a purchased contribution, at least buy something good. A box of frozen meatballs or chicken wings can be delicious with a quick homemade sauce - a jar of peach jam heated together with a bottle of chili sauce elevates even the poorest little morsels.

And you don't have to cook enough food to feed the neighbourhood. Bring enough to feed yourself and maybe a couple of spares - that's plenty if everyone is bringing a dish. The host will appreciate an appropriate serving utensil, too.

If you are the host, then the best thing you could do when your guests ask what to bring - and they will - is have a bunch of suggestions on the tip of your tongue. Presuming you know the attendees well enough to assess their capabilities, you can keep loose track of what's coming and at least have most of the food groups covered.

So, today I'm sharing my go-to potluck dishes in hopes we won't be invited to the same party and show up with exactly the same thing. Although, these are so delicious, twice as much is twice as good.

Bold 'n' beefy tortilla rollups

Any meat-like substance rolled in tortillas disappears instantly from a buffet table. They are easy to eat, don't require juggling plates and forks, and are generally hard to screw up.

Just a couple of quick sandwich pointers. Keep soggy stuff away from bread layers. Lettuce has a shelf life of about six seconds once it's on a sandwich, so avoid it unless you're taking the build-your-own approach. Also, avoid really wet ingredients, like diced tomatoes or chopped salads with the dressing mixed in.

This recipe solves all those problems. These are delicious, with a little nip but lots of bold beef and cheese flavour, and so attractive cut on the diagonal and arranged on a serving plate, you'd be proud to bring them anywhere.

4 oz. goat cheese

3 oz. softened cream cheese - low-fat is fine

2 oz. crumbled blue cheese

1 tbsp. each prepared horseradish and Dijon mustard (or more to taste)

1 small onion, minced

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

6 large flour tortillas

large bunch fresh spinach, washed and thoroughly dried

3/4 lb. deli-style shaved roast beef

1 medium jar roasted red peppers, well drained and cut into slivers

Mash together cheeses, horseradish and mustard. Stir in onion and pepper. Spread on tortillas, going right to the edges. Place a single layer of spinach leaves on top of cheese spread, followed by a layer of roast beef. Top with red peppers - dry them with paper towels to get rid of all the moisture. Roll tortillas up as tightly as you can and wrap each in plastic, sealing well. Refrigerate an hour or two before cutting and serving.

Corned beef hash

Not the mushy canned stuff, this big, bold, meaty mixture flies off the table. While this dish is particularly welcome at brunch, it makes a great supper side, as well. This amount is perfect in a small take-along casserole dish or serves four with a lovely fried egg on top and served with crunchy toast tomorrow morning at your breakfast table. Feel free to stir in chopped cooked carrot or turnip or a can of corn, well drained. If you prefer a softer texture to your hash, substitute two or three cups of diced cooked potatoes for the hash browns.

1 small bag frozen hash browns

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup each red and green bell pepper, diced

1 can corned beef, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Fry hash browns in oil until starting to brown. Add salt, pepper and onion and fry until tender and potatoes are cooked through. Stir in red and green pepper and corned beef and cook 6 to 10 minutes or until softened and hot through. Add parsley and serve.

Sausage and peppers pasta bake

Who doesn't want to see a pasta casserole at their next potluck? Well, me, if it's limp or gluey or tasteless. Using penne instead of macaroni prevents the dreaded pasta collapse, and a generous amount of bold sauce ensures it keeps on tasting great even as it cools down along with your party. This recipe isn't any of those bad things. Please try the anchovies - I know they aren't commonly used here, but what incredible flavour they add! If you choose not to, you might have to increase the salt slightly. Serve to six for supper or bring along to the party and make a bunch of your friends happy.

6 large hot Italian sausages, the leaner the better

1 tbsp. olive oil (divided)

1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes

1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1 large stalk celery, minced

1 large onion, chopped

6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional but, oh boy, so good)

3 bell peppers - 1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow or orange are the prettiest, cut into 1/2-inch strips

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup dry red wine (Use chicken broth if you prefer but it's not as good.)

1/2 tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 oz. uncooked penne

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

handful chopped fresh basil leaves

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Prick sausages with a fork and fry in about half the olive oil in a Dutch oven until browned but not quite cooked through. Remove from pot, cool a little, then cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat remaining olive oil in pot and add red pepper flakes, dried herbs, celery and onion. Fry over medium heat until vegetables are soft. Stir in peppers and garlic and fry 2 minutes longer. Add diced and sun-dried tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper. Return sausages to pot and simmer uncovered 15 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened and everything is tender.

Cook penne according to package instructions. Drain and stir into sausage mixture along with fresh parsley and basil.

Pour into a greased casserole dish. Combine cheeses and sprinkle over top.

Bake uncovered at 350 F for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Cynthia Stone is a writer, editor and teacher in St. John's. Questions may be sent to her c/o The Telegram, P.O. Box 5970, St. John's, NL, A1C 5X7.