The Ultimate Potluck

Probably the easiest to prepare, and least expensive way to entertain for a meal is to host a potluck! Maybe it's because I love the suspense in not knowing just what the meal will turn out to be, but the potlucks I've hosted have ended up being some of the most fun and stress-free events I've hosted!

There are several ways to host a potluck, depending on how much luck you want to rely on, or how much control you want to have over the types of dishes that are brought. Most of my friends love to cook, so I know that when I have a completely random potluck, the dishes will be filling, unique, and something that was actually prepared homemade, rather than a simple bag of potato chips plopped on the table! (That bag of chips, though, is often quickly consumed by some very happy children, by the way!)


So, you have a range of options: from assigning each guest a specific dish (even offering to provide a recipe for that dish), to requesting a certain type of dish (such as appetizer, main dish, side dish or dessert), to having people bring dishes prepared by various local restaurants (a catered potluck of sorts!), to having everyone focus on a certain theme: Italian, vegetarian, finger-foods, soup and sandwiches, desserts only...the possibilities are limitless!

Depending on the circumstance of your group, you can have guests sign up to bring a dish, drinks, plasticware, napkins, cups, ice, etc. Or, you, as the hostess, can the necessary non-food items. As I mentioned on my post on invitations, you there is a place right on the Evite invitation where guests can sign up for what they want to bring. Even with a completely random potluck, I like to word my invitation in such a way to request that my guests bring a unique (to hopefully avoid repetition in dishes) and preferably homecooked dish.

There are several things you'll want to have available when hosing your next potluck: A table or counterspace large enough to hold all the delicious dishes that will be served, plenty of serving utensils for those who forget to bring one for their dish, and I like to keep plenty of extra napkins, plasticware and cups in case more is needed.

One more thing you'll need, (and this is especially true if you're going completely with luck in what people choose to bring!): Have a sense of humor! It is quite possible that the selection of dishes brought may not be as wonderful as you had envisioned! Perhaps everyone decided to bring the same thing, and all you have to choose from are hot dogs or more hot dogs! If you're hosting a potluck for those who would not have such a sense of humor or who would find this a turn-off, then put a little extra effort into organizing the dishes that are brought to the potluck to avoid such disasters! As for me and my great group of friends, we'd have fun anyways...after all, we're just happy to spend time together! I hope that no matter what ends up on the table at your next potluck, you and your guests will feel that way too!

Copyright 2008 Entertaining On A Dime