Any ideas???

Come on you guys, most of us get in this position and there just has to be a good answer. Everything seems so ordinary when it gets to a potluck.

I made Baklava one year, that wonderful cookie with puff pastry, honey and nuts. Took me all day, it was fabulous, but still got lost in the crowd of food.

well idno how much work you're willing to put in... but a really healthy and creative option would be a couple of Truffle Roasted Chicken Pizzas:

2 rolls of pizza dough (I usually get them from a local pizzeria they're only a few bucks)
3 whole butternut squashes
Arugula
2 packs of soft goat cheese crumbles
1 pack of boneless chicken breasts
1 whole onion
1 tblsp White Truffle Oil

Preparation:
Braise boneless chicken by pan-searing it in olive oil until the outside is browned but the inside is still raw
Then put it in your crockpot with some chicken broth and water on medium heat all day

Skin butternut squash then microwave with a little water for 10 minutes or until soft
Chop up into 1" pieces
Put in food processor or blender until smooth
Mix in 1/2 cup of your favorite pizza sauce (mine is Prego) with the butternut squash puree

Chop up the onion into slivers and pan-sear in olive oil until browned

Roll out pizza dough
Pour puree mixture over dough and spread it out
Top with arugula and soft goat cheese
Bake at 425F for 20-30 minutes, depending on how you like your crust!

While the pizza is baking, remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred it with a fork

Once the pizza is baked to your liking, top with caramelized onions, shredded chicken, and drizzle the white truffle oil on top

DeLISH =]

Many years ago, we went to a similar function at church, and there was a salad we LOVED, and still make today. AND it's super easy!

Fresh, baby spinach leaves (I use organic)
mandarin oranges
sliced almonds
all natural poppy seed dressing

That's it! You can leave the dressing on the side, for folks who may like it plain, or so ppl can use the amount they like. Or throw it all togather!

Hope you have fun. ~ellie

My favorite thing to cook in the crock pot is tortilla soup. No one ever brings that sort of thing to a pot luck, but it's crazy delicious and really easy.

frozen chicken (2 breasts)
can of black beans
can of corn
can of crushed tomato
can of enchilada sauce
1 carton of chicken broth
1/2 white onion, diced

season: cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt (just a dash)

Let it cook on high for like 4 hours or so. Use 2 forks to shred up the chicken (should come apart easily). Season it more if you want to. Leave it in there on low for a couple more hours...I've gone up to 8 and it was super yummy.

brush olive oil onto both sides of a tortilla. Cut it into strips and put it on a foil lined cookie sheet. 350 for like 10 minutes.

As written it makes between 6 and 8 servings (depending on how big your bowl is lol)

Yes, I like this kind of salad also!

Toasting the almonds make them extra tastey.

Sliced strawberries and a few sliced green onions are good in it too. I don't add it all together until I'm ready to serve it.

If you want a home made salad dressing:

1/4 cup canola oil
3 TBSP malt vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
celery seed

Mix salad dressing and refrigerate overnight

Makes: 6-8 servings Italian Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale
1.Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.


2.In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3.Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.


4.Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5.Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6.Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

You can transfer to crock pot after making the soup. I would probably keep it in a big pot you made it in until you get to church, then I would transfer it to the crock pot so you can keep it warm. I just love this dish and every time I bring it to a get together everyone wants the recipe.

Oh by the way this taste exactly like Zuppa Toscana they serve at Olive Garden.

FYI if or when you ever or already have found Mr. Right this is the way directly to his heart rofl . And every other mans hope you enjoy.

Sheppard's Pie

Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutesCook time: 50 minutes
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INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice
METHOD
1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.
3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.
5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.
7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown

It's really just that good....drools

A really yummy snack I like is low fat yogurt of any flavor, and mixing with sliced strawberries, banana, and sliced apples. Could also mix with white or dark chocolate chips, granola or coconut shredding.

Hmmm... Now, my idea is healthy...ish! LOL. I mean it's not reeeallly bad, but it is definitely something different! This is a recipe that my mom used to cook for us all of the time, so much so that I got so sick of it that I vowed to never eat it again, but as I'm typing this, the recipe items are being added to my grocery list for Friday's shopping! LOL. It is reeeally good, and doesnt take long at all to make! Maybe you can even use the recipe for another occasion? Well, hope you like it!


A-1 Chicken Stew

2 Packs of Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts (Or 1 depending on the size)
4 Medium sized white potatoes
1 Bag of Baby Carrots
2 Sticks of Celery (String 'em free of course)
1/2 and Onion
Seasoning Salt
Greek Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
Basil Leaves (just a few for flavor)
A hint of sage (optional)
2 1/2 cups of water
And of Course A-1 Steak sauce!! Yumm!

***No generics. Trust me, I tried to be cheap and used a generic steak sauce....bleeecckkkk! A-1's the best for this one

1. Rinse B/S chicken breasts. Cut them up into 8ths, or basically small pieces so that the stew is plentiful with chicken, but also not bombarded with big annoying pieces of chicken that need to be cut.
2.Season your chicken with Seasoning salt, greek seasoning and garlic pepper. (liberally)
3.Cut up White potatoes into little chunks so that they cook faster
4.Cut up celery (But not before de-stringing the stalks of course)
5.Baby carrots and cut up 1/2 onion (cut in halves if you dont want them whole)
6.Add ingredients to pot, along with your cups of water, and drizzle your steak sauce over ingredients, spreading evenly throughout the pot, and place top.
7. Cook for 10 minutes, then add basil leaves, black pepper and juuuust a little bit of sage (sage again, optional)
8. Cook for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are nice and soft, but not dissolving!
Annnd that's it! Oh! I recommend eating this over a bed of rice so that the A-1 concoction makes a nice little pot liquor for the rice. Sooo good! Mmm! Well Hope you like it!

OOO! This sounds soooo yummy! I wonder, do you think this would be just as good if I decided to replace the ground beef with ground turkey? Kind of on a diet kick and I'd like to substitute red meat for turkey. What do you think?

EG, I never made Shepherd's pie, but whenever I sub gd turkey for gd beef, I make sure to season the turkey before I cook it, and it is less likely to scream, "I'm turkey!", lol! You'll be able to tell the difference, but it will sub better. Also, i saute my meats in grass-fed beef tallow. (a healthy fat.) that makes grd turkey taste almost like grd beef! Hope this helps.

Super delicious homemade mac n cheese. Make sure you don't burn or brown the butter before adding the milk and not to add the cheese when the sauce mixture is too hot, it will really affect the taste. The better the quality macaroni and sharp cheddar cheese the more delicious!

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