With the winter months approaching, potluck season is upon us. While stress free for some, for those of us who have questionable cooking skills and are on a budget it can be a bit daunting. However, after four years of practice, this is my foolproof list of easy and cheap dishes that require minimal effort, yet receive maximum compliments.
An easy yet impressive side-dish to bring along is homemade sausage rolls. There are really only a few steps to them; de-skinning the sausage meat, spreading it across the puff pastry, rolling and cutting them up, and putting them in the oven — volia! If you are feeling fancy, chopping up extra onions, adding extra seasoning, and sprinkling sesame seeds on top will get you a few more approving looks. You can also easily swap in some faux sausage meat to make it veggie friendly.
A crowd-pleaser dessert that does not take too long to make is the classic apple crumble. With its gooey, cinnamon-spiced apples and buttery topping, this dessert is the ultimate comfort food in winter. Unlike more elaborate puddings, there is very little that can actually go wrong, even if you aren’t the best cook. It takes around an hour from start to finish, and do not forget a quick reheat of it at your host’s house!
My biggest cheat code to potlucks, that impresses people every time, is bringing a roast chicken. You do not need to think about doubling or tripling the recipe, simply buy a large roast chicken, oil it up, and stick it in the oven. A note of caution: it will take around two hours to cook, so factor this into your evening.
Honey-roasted carrots are the perfect budget friendly yet tasty side dish. The carrots will set you back roughly 50p and honey from Lidl is only £2, meaning that even if you are on a tight budget, this dish is still doable. Simply chop your carrots uniformly, drizzle olive oil and then honey over them, sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper, and then let the oven do the rest.
It cannot be a university potluck without one pasta dish, and this one is perfect if you have forgotten to prepare something. I call this the fridge-raid pasta salad, where you can add practically anything to it. Leeks in your fridge going bad? Chuck them in. Leftover peppers? Add that too! The only staples are pasta, some form of tomato, and an onion. If you happen to have feta in your fridge, it could be Greek-style with cherry tomatoes, dill, and olives. Tuna is an easy add too if you want some extra protein. This is a versatile, adaptable dish that requires little thought after a long day at university.
Image provided by Aniela Cabut for The Student
