Entertaining can be so much easier when guests bring a dish to share. But do you occasionally get stumped over what to bring? No worries. We asked around and came up with a few recipes that will likely become your potluck standbys for those occasions when you’re asked to bring a dish to pass.
Pumpkin Orange Poppy Seed Cake // From Carol Jackson, corporate manager at Jerry’s Foods
“A great potluck dessert. Easy to carry. Subtle pumpkin flavor. Nice texture for cutting. I like using orange juice concentrate because it gives a more robust orange flavor. People like it because it is not your standard Bundt cake.”
Ingredients:
- 1 package (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix
- 1 can (15 oz.) canned pumpkin
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate, thawed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Beat on low-speed: cake mix, pumpkin, eggs and orange juice concentrate until moistened. Continue beating on medium speed for two minutes. Blend in poppy seeds. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with glaze (blend powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth). Serve with whipped topping or ice cream, if desired. Serves 18-24.
Teriyaki Wings // From Shelly Loberg, director of Explore Edina
“These teriyaki wings are always a huge hit at family gatherings and are often requested by my two brothers. The sauce caramelizes while the wings are baking and by the time they’re done the meat is falling off the bone. They are a little messy, but completely worth it. Also any leftovers are tasty for days.”
Directions:
Thaw and rinse 3-5 lb. bag of frozen wings. Lay the wings on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes to bake off the fat. Drain the fat and place wings back on the baking sheet.
Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, combine the following ingredients over medium/high heat, stirring frequently until mixture is thick and bubbly.
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp. chopped yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Brush sauce generously on baked wings and return them to the oven at 325 degrees. Bake an additional 45 minutes, frequently brushing on sauce until it caramelizes on the wings. Use all the sauce. The wings can be served immediately or kept warm in a crockpot for a large group.
Knoephla Soup // From Angela Johnson, editor of Edina Magazine
“My mother-in-law has been making this soup for decades. Apparently, it has German/Russian origins, although she is Norwegian. I’d never heard of knoephla and can rarely find it so I’ve begun to substitute gnocchi dumplings. Kids love this dish, and what’s not to love? It’s creamy and rich, a perfect comfort family food direct from Grandma’s recipe box.”
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. bag of frozen knoephla dumplings (or packaged gnocchi from the pasta aisle)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup butter
- 4 Tbsp. chicken soup base
- 4 potatoes diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- parsley flakes
- salt & pepper
Directions:
Thaw frozen dumplings on a non-stick baking sheet.
In a large soup pot, sauté onion, carrots and celery in butter. Add 4 quarts of water and the soup base. Bring to a boil. Add dumplings. Once dumplings are soft, add potatoes and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream, a sprinkle of parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
