Potluck -----The mystery guest.

Now you have heard of the term pot luck. I was wondering how it originated. Is it lucky you have a pot, or is the pot lucky to have you? I have heard the term a melting pot, which means you cooked in your pot too long. Is that right? The pot calling the kettle black, which sounds like the kettle, has some issues. Or so poor and you don't have a pot to p--- in, (I hoped they wash out their pots). You heard of smoking pot in the sixties, or does that mean you cooked in your pot too long? Potluck is used for many occasions. You can have potlucks for cookies, desserts, main courses, salads, soups, breakfasts, luncheons, dinners and people (huh, I think that has something to do with singles dating) another area we won't go. I have been to ethnic potlucks, like Mexican, Italian, Chinese and Russian, (that is my side of the family). I have been to several potlucks, in our church, school, family, friends and enemies. (You don't want to eat very much at those). I have seen fancy, mediocre and plain potluck dinners. The only problem when you go to any potluck, if you are at the end of the line, you get what is left over in the pot, usually not very much, unless you like cold vegetable salads, rice with something questionable stirred into it, or a gravy looking something that might have something growing in it, or a huge pot of stew or was that someones wash??? This is where I get the term the mystery guest. All of the desserts are usually gone (especially if the kids go first) and you get to see what is left over, usually a raisin or a cherry there and may a dab of whipped cream here and oh yes, some crumbs from a crumb cake that I MADE!!! We all have our family secret potluck recipes, the ones that were handed down from generations of potluck attendees in our families. I know I have several, usually something to do with hamburger, pasta, spaghetti sauce or some kind of cheese. Something QEFG which if you read my other entries means quick, easy, fast and good. My wife has a really good blueberry/jello salad and something shredded with carrot, potatoes and hamburger with gravy, sound different but it is very good. Well, you all know where this is leading, Potluck recipes! They are so pot-licking good; you have to try them to believe.

I have borrowed these from one of my favorite blogs. http://churchpotluck.blogspot.com/)

Crowd Pleasing Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs Ground Chuck

1 large Spanish Onion, chopped

4 Garlic cloves, minced

4 dried Pasidlla Chilies, seeded and chopped fine

3/4 cup Chili Powder

1 Tbl Oregano28 oz can Whole Tomatoes, chopped (juice reserved)

1 tsp Tabasco

3 cps Water

6 oz Tomato Paste

48 0z jar Pinto Beans (drained)

Directions:

Brown ground beef, drain, reserve. saute onions, garlic, chilies till onions are almost clear. Add chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, saute 2 min. Add chopped tomato, saute 2 min. Add juice, Tabasco, water, tomato paste, and beans. Simmer 1 hour

Crock-Pot Spaghetti

Brown together:

2 lbs ground beef

1 small onion, chopped or minced

2 tsp oregano1 tsp salt

2 small or 1 large clove garlic

2 tsp chili powderDrain fat and put the meat in the crock-pot.

Add:

(2) 15 oz cans tomato sauce

1 can (about six cups) tomato juice

2-4 tbls brown sugar

Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. Turn to high for last half-hour of cooking and add 16 oz spaghetti noodles, broken in half.

Easy Chicken and Rice

9x13 pyrex or corningware baking dish

Ingredients:

6 thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1½ cups of long grain rice (NON-INSTANT) if you use the instant it will get mushy.

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can french onion soup

1 can watersalt/pepper/garlic powder to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 390F/198.9CSpray the baking dish with a non-stick spray.

Sprinkle rice evenly along the bottom of the dishLay the chicken breasts down side-by-side in the dish on top of the rice. Take the cream of mushroom, french onion soup and water and blend them together. Pour the soup mixture on top of the chicken, lifting the chicken slightly so that all the rice underneath is covered with the soup mixture. Cover with foil and put in oven for 1 hourTake foil off and bake for another 20 minutesTake out and ENJOY!Yield: 6 servings