Meal adventures are simply potluck

When Liisa Collins moved to the valley from Florida more than four years ago, she figured out one thing pretty quickly: There aren't as many home cooks in Las Vegas as there are in the South.

"Here, I find that people are very excited when I bring out a home-cooked meal," said Collins, of North Las Vegas. "It's a different culture out here. Maybe a busier culture, where the South is more laid-back."

But Collins has been involved in quite a few potlucks - where everyone contributes a dish to be shared - at Canyon Ridge Christian Church, where her husband is on staff. And that, she thinks, is because of the distinctive appeal of this type of event.

"There seems to be a sense of fellowship and community when people eat together," she said. "It's just nice to sit down and share a meal. There's nothing better than a home-cooked meal."

Collins is a field editor for Taste of Home magazine, which is, as it turns out, Potluck Central. Don't believe us? Google "potluck" and there it is: Taste of Home.

"I always characterize it as the world's largest recipe swap," said Catherine Cassidy, editor-in-chief of the Taste of Home brand. "We were the first ones doing it. Before user-generated content, our readers were submitting recipes and basically we were allowing them to share with one another. The times that you share recipes are at potlucks."

Kathy Burkhardt, principal community program specialist at Las Vegas' Lieburn Senior Center, said the center organizes a few potlucks a year. The biggest is at Thanksgiving; the center provides the turkey, and the members - usually 50 to 60 - bring the rest.

"It runs the gamut," she said. "Every imaginable kind of salad, vegetables, desserts. They like them because it allows them to cook something or bring something they wouldn't ordinarily bring."

Carol Pugh participates in potlucks on a much smaller scale. She belongs to a group of single members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Freedom Park Ward, that gathers to study scriptures, and they incorporate potlucks.

While they stopped for the summer, she said, they're gearing up once again; fall seems to be prime potluck season.

Burkhardt said the Lieburn center's Thanksgiving potluck tends to be structured because so many people are involved. They have a sign-up list separated into categories such as appetizers, salads, desserts, drinks and rolls so that they don't get, for example, 30 pumpkin pies.

"If it's an honest-to-gosh potluck, you never know," she said. "Thanksgiving tends to be a good one because there's lots of ways they can go."

Pugh said her group's potlucks are looser.

"Just anybody can bring anything, whatever they can afford," she said. "If they couldn't afford it, they didn't have to bring anything. We always ended up having enough."

And, in the tough economic climate of the past few years, cost is one thing that has made potlucks particularly attractive.

"I think people honestly would rather do a potluck than chip in $15 or $20 for a meal" at a restaurant or catered event, Collins said. "You can make a casserole for way less than that."

But Cassidy said that while economics clearly plays a role in the appeal of the potluck, so does the fact that more people are interested in food.

"Food TV has made the idea of cooking cool," she said. "It's made cooking not just the solitary endeavor of the housewife; it's a social occasion. It's where people come together, you get a bottle of wine, you have friends over and you cook."

Cassidy said Taste of Home received 9,000 entries from across the country for a recent potluck recipe contest, and the variety - in addition to the expected, traditional dishes - was enlightening.

"Lots of Southwestern," she said. "Thai spices. People are using goat cheese and feta cheese. People are experimenting more."

Among all entrees, she said, chicken dishes were most numerous, with ground beef dishes second. But in third place were shrimp dishes, which isn't something you might normally associate with a potluck.

"I think that cooking has taken on a very different complexion, particularly with younger people," Cassidy said. "It's not a chore. There's an element of cooking that's about sharing, about getting people together around the table."

And while that can be done at a restaurant, it's different in a private setting, Cassidy said.

"You control the environment," she said. "When you have the recipes and the right food, everybody's happy."

Well, maybe not everybody. Despite careful planning, Burkhardt said there have been some surprises over the years.

"Yeah," she said. "Gefilte fish has shown up a couple of times."

SAUSAGE AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE

1 package (6 ounces) long grain and wild rice mix

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1 can (10¾ ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green pepper

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup chicken broth

¼ cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

½ teaspoon pepper

Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add the rice and sausage. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees, for 1 hour.

Serves 6-8.

- Recipe from Liisa Collins and Taste of Home

ARTICHOKE CHICKEN LASAGNA

2/3 cup butter (divided use)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt (divided use)

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 cups milk

1¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips and halved

2 cans (14 ounces each) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered

1 teaspoon dried thyme

9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, melt 1/3 cup butter. Stir in the flour, ½ teaspoon salt, nutmeg and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

In a large skillet, cook chicken in remaining butter until no longer pink. Stir in the artichokes, thyme and remaining salt; heat through.

In a greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish, layer about 1/3 cup white sauce, three noodles, ½ cup sauce, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and about 3 cups chicken mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees, for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes .

Serves 12.

- Recipe from Taste of Home magazine

RICOTTA AND SAGE FRIED MEATBALLS

1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted, lightly crushed

1¼ teaspoons dried sage

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces ground pork

24 fresh sage leaves

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg, beaten to blend

2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Marinara sauce, warmed (optional)

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Stir ricotta and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix in garlic and next five ingredients. Add pork; gently fold until just combined.

Scoop out scant tablespoonfuls of pork mixture. With dampened hands, roll portions into 1-inch balls; place on sheet. Wrap 1 sage leaf around each ball; press gently to adhere.

Place flour, egg and panko in three medium bowls. Working with 1 meatball at a time, dredge in flour, rolling between your hands to remove excess flour. Dip in egg; allow excess to drip back into bowl. Roll meatball in panko, pressing gently to coat. Return to sheet.

Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of a large, heavy pot. Pour in oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat over medium heat until thermometer registers 350 degrees. Line another baking sheet with parchment; set a wire rack inside.

Working in batches, fry meatballs, turning often, until golden and crisp, about 1 minute (they will finish cooking in the oven). Transfer to wire rack; let cool. (Meatballs can be fried 1 month ahead. Store airtight in freezer.)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Bake meatballs in batches on wire rack in baking sheet until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve, or keep warm in oven for as long as 45 minutes.

Serve warm marina for dipping.

Makes 12.

- Recipe from Bon Appetit

SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI WITH PASTA

1½ pounds sweet Italian pork sausages, casing removed

1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (10¾ ounces) condensed cream of broccoli soup (regular or 98 percent fat-free)

½ cup milk

1 bag (about 16 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4½ cups corkscrew-shaped pasta (rotini), cooked and drained

Crushed red pepper

Cook the sausage in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir the soup, milk, broccoli and ¼ cup cheese in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through and the broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Serve with the red pepper, if desired.

Serves 6.

- Recipe from Campbell's

TEXAS SHEET CAKE

Cake:

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter

½ cup (1¾ ounces) lightly packed premium unsweetened natural cocoa

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup water

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 cups (14 ounces) sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 eggs

½ cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter

¼ cup (1 ounce) lightly packed premium unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-processed

1/3 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups (12 ounces) sifted confectioners' sugar

½ cup (2 1/8 ounces) toasted chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts)

Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make the cake, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa. Add the oil and water and bring to a rolling boil for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, then whisk the ingredients by hand to ensure they are well mixed. Pour the warm cocoa mixture into the sifted ingredients and whisk until just combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. With a rubber spatula, stir the buttermilk mixture into the batter. Pour the batter into the greased pan and place in the center of the oven. Bake until the top is firm and a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with moist crumbs, 32 to 35 minutes.

While the cake is in the oven, make the frosting: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa and bring the mixture to a rolling boil; boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in the milk and vanilla. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time while whisking continuously. Immediately after the cake comes out of the oven, pour the frosting over the hot cake and sprinkle with the nuts. Try not to jiggle the cake before it sets or you'll leave waves in the frosting. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Well wrapped and stored at room temperature, this cake keeps for as long as five days.

Serves: a crowd

- Recipe from Epicurious

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@review journal.com or 702-383-0474.