Recipe Box: Lovable Leftovers, Painless Potlucks

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The holidays are so wonderfully stressful. The house needs to be cleaned and decorated, presents purchased and wrapped, extra church services attended, light displays toured, parties visited and attention paid to having you and the children “pressed and dressed,” as Mary Poppins once sang.

No wonder holiday potluck parties have become popular. It’s easier to share the work when getting together with friends or family.

Food preparation for potlucks should become one of the easier check-off items on your holiday list.

My short list of hot dish recipes for the season fit firm criteria: They are fast and easy, unfailingly delicious and popular, and use ingredients that I typically have on hand or will likely have leftover.

Since I’m always baking a ham or roasting a turkey or chicken around the holidays, the Savory Ham and Mushroom Lasagna makes either a great dish for potluck or just a satisfying after-holiday meal. You can substitute the leftover fowl if that was your holiday fare.

If the potluck main dish is covered by someone else, you can always bring an enormous pie. I keep a frozen blend of cherries and berries in the freezer for a delicious pie filling. Just add a little sugar and a never-fail pie crust; you don’t even need to defrost the fruit.

Once the food is out of the way, you really can enjoy the wonder of the season – the frozen beauty of Lake Superior, the warmth of friends gathering, laughter-filled houses and loved ones to visit.

The joys of the season are for the sharing – just like a holiday potluck.

Savory Ham and Mushroom Lasagna

  • 3 c. fresh portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 8 oz.)
  • 1-1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (or you can use a 10-oz. box, which is slightly less)
  • 1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 3 c. cooked ham, chopped
  • 1 (15-oz.) jar Alfredo sauce
  • 1 c. half-and-half
  • 1 (8-oz.) pkg. shredded cheese (I like Italian blend)
  • 12 no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large skillet, cook mushrooms, spinach and onion in hot oil and butter over medium heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with garlic and onion powder.

Stir in ham, Alfredo sauce and half-and-half. Spread 1-1/2 cups of the ham mixture in the bottom of a 3-quart (9x13-inch) rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Top with four noodles, overlapping as needed. Repeat layering twice. Spread remaining ham mixture evenly over top layer of noodles.

Cover with foil and bake at 350° for about 45 minutes or until noodles are tender when pierced with a fork.

Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese, then return dish to the oven uncovered for 5 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cherry Berry Big Pie

No-fail crust:

  • 4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1-3/4 c. shortening (chilled!)
  • 1/2 c. cold water
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1 Tbsp. vinegar

Filling:

  • 8 c. fresh or frozen berries or cherry-berry fruit blend (do not thaw if using frozen)
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

and:

  • Half-and-half for brushing
  • Sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, combine water, egg and vinegar. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened.

Form into a roll. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a floured surface, roll two-thirds of the dough into an 18x14-inch rectangle. Carefully place onto the bottom and up the sides of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Combine berries or cherry-berry blend, sugar and flour, and then pour into the crust.

Use the remaining dough to cover, cutting slits for steam to escape (or make lattice strips over the filling for a fancy presentation).

Brush the crust with half-and-half and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350°. Bake about 1 hour longer or until bubbly. Cool completely before serving.

Easy Wild Rice Hot Dish

  • 1 (6-oz.) pkg. long grain and wild rice mix
  • 1/2 c. onion, chopped
  • 1/2 c. celery, chopped
  • 1/2 c. carrots, shredded
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 (10-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1/3 c. dry white wine or chicken broth
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
  • (or 1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed)
  • 2 c. cooked chicken or turkey, shredded
  • 1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Serves about 4.

Prepare rice mix according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onion, celery and carrots in hot butter and olive oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in soup, sour cream, wine and basil. Stir in cooked rice and chicken.

Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered in a 350° oven about 35 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Juli Kellner hosts “WDSE Cooks” on WDSE/WIRT PBS 8 & 31.