#136: Tips for Hosting a Summer Potluck or Cook Out

This week, we're talking about one of our favorite parts of summer, getting together with people over food. In this episode, we're getting into all things potlucks and group gatherings, from the nostalgia of food to the practical side of actually hosting a group meal. 

We talk through what makes a potluck successful, what dishes hold up well (and which ones you might want to reconsider), how to handle dietary needs for your guests, and why a themed potluck might be the best idea you haven't tried yet! We also get into the stressful parts of hosting, and share some advice for making it feel more enjoyable and less overwhelming.

Listen to Linda's interview about party planning and hosting here! 

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potlucks

[00:00:00] I'm Riley and I'm Roni. And this is the plan to eat podcast, where we have conversations about meal planning, food, and wellness. To help you answer the question what's for dinner. 

Roni: Hello. Welcome back to the Plan to Eat Podcast. Riley and I are here today, and we are feeling summery. So we're talking about potlucks and gatherings where you're sharing food with other people. We are talking about how these, like, shared meals build community and connection and can have such good memories.

But also we wanna talk about a little bit more of the practical side, as we always do, and how we can make potlucks easier this summer if you are hosting one

Riley: We always say this at Plant to Eat, there's so many statistics out there on this topic, but eating together, just cultivates so many good things.

Roni: Yeah

Riley: I wasn't prepared to, like, actually quote any [00:01:00] stats, but, like, it cultivates so much community and connection. We know this in when it comes to the family and the dinner table at home.

I mean, kids show less signs of depression when their families eat together at dinner. Like, amazing. Um, so just, like, growing that into this, like, community idea. Maybe it's just a bunch of friends, maybe it's your entire extended family, um, maybe it's a church or a group that you do stuff with. Building community with food just i- is a beautiful thing.

It just brings people together, collaboration. So fun

Roni: Yeah. My husband and I used to host a lot of barbecues when, like, in our 20s, we just, like, every summer we would host multiple barbecues. And I have some of the best memories from those times. Like, it's just the, it's, like, the random, like, sporadic things that happen at some of these events that you're just like, "That was amazing and totally unexpected," and it only happened because we all got together.

Riley: Yes. I, uh, I was gonna say the same thing. I have a lot of childhood memories around community food [00:02:00] events, um, but also in my 20s. Just like, even just, like, randomly getting, everyone gets their own takeout and you meet at a park and eat it together. Um, just some great memories around it. It, like, if, that's that nostalgia thing just, like, growing inside me just thinking about those fun, fun days

Roni: I love it. Yeah, we had a barbecue one time and our, we were really good friends with our next door neighbors. Our next door neighbor, he played the violin and, like I don't, he didn't go to college for playing violin, but he was like that level that like he 

Riley: Okay, really good 

Roni: he probably played even in just like the orchestra or whatever in college, but that's not like what he specifically went to school for.

However, his sister played the viola. Viol- viola, right? That's like the kin to the violin, right?

Riley: I think so, yeah

Roni: Okay. And she went to Julliard, and she happened to be visiting one of the weekends that we had a barbecue, and of course she's a musician, so she brings her instrument with her wherever she goes, and they gave us a private concert [00:03:00] in our backyard.

Riley: Oh, that's fun

Roni: It was so beautiful. Like, they're both these, like, classically trained musicians, and they're brother and sister, so they... And they're very close r- they have a very close relationship, and so it was just like, they just like jive together really well. And I still think about it all the time. Like, I'm like, "That was the best barbecue we ever had."

Riley: Okay, that's really cool. I don't have a story to top that one, . so. I love that.

Roni: In general though, sharing food with people is just, like we said, like there's a lot of nostalgia in it. I think that, like when I think about like getting together, gathering, doesn't necessarily have to be a potluck or a cookout, but just like you come together with your family. And like I, I have a lot of like, you know, Grandma made this.

It was like Grandma's special recipe, or we were at Grandma's house every Christmas and she always made this one special thing, and she made it in a very special way. Nobody else could do it the same. There's just, yeah, a lot of positive feelings that I think come from these shared moments. You know, you don't [00:04:00] necessarily have that if you're just like, "Oh, I was over at Grandma's house for lunch and she made me a sandwich."

It's not the same.

Riley: Yeah. I, I think that thinking back on family gatherings, especially around a holiday, I feel like this is one that always comes up for me. I'm think- I'm here in, I'm having Thanksgiving here, and I'm thinking about, oh, like, 'cause I always tell people when they come to my Thanksgiving, bring a food that like you can't live without.

Roni: Yeah 

Riley: Like, come to Thanksgiving with the recipe that you literally could not imagine having Thanksgiving without. Because it's, it is so different person to person. I have tried some wild things at Thanksgiving, and I don't mean that they were necessarily wild, but like I would never have eaten that at Thanksgiving if somebody hadn't brought it, and I love that.

I love hearing who made it and, you know, like how... It's like so, like you love it, and y- and nobody ever makes it as good as fill in the blank. And, and it can also be really cool with a multicult- multicultural aspect too if you have people from all around the world who are bringing things. Um, [00:05:00] 'cause while they might not celebrate Thanksgiving, they could bring something that really is special to them, and it just reflects food and identity and history and it's very cool.

I love it.

Roni: I love it too.

What's, um, a food from childhood, Riley, that still holds a lot of nostalgia for you, that you crave sometimes?

Riley: Oh, that's... Uh, several things popped into my mind, but I think the one that, I'm thinking of is my great-grandmother made, like, the world's best chicken and dumplings

Roni: Ooh, yeah. Oh, you've told me about this. Maybe on

Riley: Yeah. Well, I've probably mentioned... Yeah, I probably have. Um, and so just, like, remembering that and just, like, the, I don't know, just being a part of ma- making it or maybe not actually being a part of it, but, like, watching the process.

And, nobody will ever make it that it- where it tastes that good, you know? And I think we didn't go to her house all that often, and so her house held quite a lot of uniqueness and just, like, very much outside of my norm. And so, like, when just being there and that recipe and, I [00:06:00] don't know, all those things kind of come together to make it a really interesting memor- a really, a good food memory.

What, what about you? 

Roni: My grandma made homemade sugar cookies at Christmastime, and she would make dozens, like dozens and dozens and dozens. Like, I'm not joking, 12 dozen. She would make so many. They would just be in, like, tins and bags, and she had a closet in the garage, you know, that, like, kept things a little cooler, and there would just be stacks of cookies.

Like, we would go to her house, and there were just stacks of cookies. And, uh, I have the recipe, and I try to, like, recreate them every year at Christmas, and it's just, it's never quite the same 'cause it's not Grandma that made them.

But 

Riley: my theory on this is that it- you're, in your memory, the nostalgia tastes so much better

Roni: It's so true. And it's, I think there's, it's the s- it's the nostalgia of, like, I always wanted more cookies, but there was a limit, right?

Like, my parents were like, "You can't eat 10,000 cookies," even though we wanted to. It was like, you know, you get three cookies a night or [00:07:00] whatever their limit was. And so I think there was almost that aspect of, like, desire, the desire of the cookie that made it extra special, and that now I'm like, well, I made a whole, I made two dozen cookies.

I can eat them whenever I want. I'm an adult.

Riley: I'm an adult. Well, and also probably, like, you never got to eat them except for at Christmas, and now your autonomy says, "I can have them any time I want to."

Roni: I technically could make them right

Riley: yeah, yes. Um, the thing that's getting me about your story is that I have zero patience to make that many cookies

Roni: Dude, I don't know how she c- because that wasn't the only cookie she made. She, I, I swear she probably spent weeks every single day in the kitchen making cookies. 

Riley: And it was her joy, right? It was like her joy to do it.

Roni: She loved, she loved being in the kitchen. She loved both cooking and baking, and she was really good at both of them. But yeah, I mean, I think that's just what w- she would spend her time doing.

She, you know, eight hours a day she was probably in the kitchen making them cookies from [00:08:00] Thanksgiving until Christmas.

Riley: And she would probably love that that's your memory.

Roni: Yeah, I bet. Yeah. The other thing that I crave is my mom's, um, fried chicken

Riley: Mm.

Roni: because we haven't had it in a really long time. My mom hasn't made it in a really long time. But I've always thought that she made really amazing fried chicken. So, and she's just like, "It's so much work." She's like, "Why would I, why would I do this for family get-togethers anymore? It's way too much work."

Riley: And I just made you fried chicken, so now I'm feeling very self-conscious about it because you have this nostalgia.

Roni: the only thing that I know that my mom did, like quote-unquote special, is that she used bacon grease when she makes her fried chicken.

Riley: To fry it?

Roni: Yes, she fries it in bacon grease, which I think is kind of a Southern-ish way to do it. I don't know, but it made really good fried chicken. Honestly,

Riley: that's a lot of bacon grease

Roni: it, well she would, she would like make bacon and save it in the refrigerator, and then when she would have enough is like when she would finally make, uh, fried [00:09:00] chicken.

But honestly, part of the nostalgia is actually eating the cold fried chicken the next day. She would often make fried chicken for something, and it was like, okay, so it was like somebody's birthday. We like always wanted fried chicken on our birthday, duh. And, uh, they'd say, so say it was like, "Okay, we're celebrating your birthday on Friday, having fried chicken," and then like the next day was a Saturday or something, and we would go have a picnic, and we'd eat cold fried chicken out at the picnic.

So, like that's part of the nostalgia, too. I know, yeah. Those are good... That's a good childhood memory. Yeah

Riley: Yeah, it's great. I feel like we're all into, like, warm and holiday and those kinds of recipes, so this is gonna feel like a really strong pivot. But we are coming up on summer. We're coming up on the summer of get- seasons of get-togethers and eating outside, potlucks, group meals, whatever.

What is a dish you associate with summer?

Roni: I mean, I'll be honest, that fried chicken is one of the ones because, yeah, because it was like, yeah, it [00:10:00] was like summertime picnics and stuff that we would take it on. Uh, let me think about something else. Honestly, they're... My mom, well, I still make it this way when I have, like, zucchini and summer squash. I would say, like, zucchini and summer squash, sauteed zucchini, summer squa- summer squash is so summery to me, and that's not real- that's not really a great potluck dish, right? But, my mom started making it with a Ch- Chinese five spice as the spice that she puts on it when she sautes 

Riley: me this before.

Roni: and it, because it, the spi- it has, like, cardamom or cinnamon or something.

It, like, has, like, a warmer, uh, palate to it, and I think it's so, so, so good. My husband doesn't like zucchini and summer squash, so, like, when I make it, I make it that way 'cause I'm the only one who eats it. So my mom and I are always like, when zucchini's in season, like, we're just gonna get together and, like, make some zucchini, 'cause my stepdad also doesn't really like it either.

So we're like, "We just need to make this for you and I 'cause we both like it the same[00:11:00]

Riley: Little two person potluck

Roni: Yeah. But I would say a more of a potluck-style dish would be frog eye salad

Riley: Okay, this is what people bring to my Thanksgiving

Roni: Yeah. It's al- I mean, it's also, yeah, like a Thanksgiving/Christmas thing, but it's, I, I think it's a very, like, Midwest summer potluck kind of a deal

Riley: Okay. Tell people who are listening what in the world that is

Roni: I'm gonna have to look up a recipe.

Riley: Okay, it has marshmallows in it

Roni: yeah.

Riley: and pasta

Roni: It's the, yeah, it's the ac- O- okay. I always say it wrong. I always say azizi de pepe, and it's acini de pepe. So if you've been listening and you're like, "Roni, get it right," I think I got it right this time yeah, so it's a acini de pepe to pepe pasta. It is canned, like usually canned fruit, like the man- the canned mandarin oranges and canned pineapple, marshmallows, and then like whipped topping to like mix it all together.

So it's like

Riley: but it's also green too. Isn't there pistachios in it? Isn't there like a

Roni: Um,

Riley: [00:12:00] pistachio pudding or 

Roni: maybe some people put, I mean, everybody puts like kind of different things in it. So like some people will put, I think the one that you're thinking of is not maybe frog eye salad

Riley: Okay, maybe I am mixing it up, but I just reali- I just thought,

Roni: Because I think the one you're thinking of has, has Jell-O in it. It's green Jell-O, but I don't know what that's called

Riley: Okay, well, I, I just, I feel, I feel like frog eye salad is like the goulash of the south Did anybody understand what I just said? 'Cause I was laughing so hard, I don't know. The goulash of side dishes. Like, well, we just had these things, so we just put them together. I know people in my husband's family, they love it.

It is just, like, the dream, the side dish of their dreams.

Roni: It's a, it's a, it's a nostalgic food for me because, yeah, it was at, like, all of our family gatherings, whether summertime or not.

Riley: Well, and I'd never had it until I joined my husband's family,

Roni: Yeah, I do think it is, uh, to me it does, it feels like a summery... Like, we shouldn't be eating it [00:13:00] at Christmastime. It feels way more like a summer

Riley: cold. It's like a cold...

Yeah.

Roni: Yeah. Okay, okay, what do you associate with summer, Riley?

Riley: Well, I also associate a cold dish with summer, but that is homemade ice cream

Roni: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah

Riley: And it's not really a dish. Like, I mean, you know.

Roni: Takes a lot of work. I mean, not, not a lot of work, a lot of time

Riley: Yeah. Growing up at the church that I went to, I'm pretty sure this memory is real. That's so weird. And that's a weird thing to say, I know, but, like, I feel like we had, like, a, like, a homemade ice cream, like, like a Sunday kind of night.

I don't even know what you would have called it. It was, like, after church and people had just all brought their varieties of flavors of homemade ice cream.

Roni: Like a ice cream social?

Riley: yeah, maybe it'd be that sounds right. like I said, this memory's very, like, deep tracked. I don't know, it's very, uh, faint. and that is...

That was, like, a fun way to do a potlu- a different, like, a spin on a potluck, you know? And so [00:14:00] everybody had all their favorite homemade recipes and my family traditionally did, like, l- just vanilla, which was everyone's favorite, and/or Milky Way, which tasted a lot like a, d- like, kinda like a Frosty, but, like, with melt- it had, like, literally melted Milky Ways in it.

Um, anyways, but everybody brought their own flavors, and I just like a fun... Like, it's kinda nostalgia and it's also just, like, I just associate, associate homemade ice cream with the summer. It's the

Roni: Totally. My husband's bosses every fall, I think like September-ish, they do a pie party. And, and so they invite all of their friends and family and coworkers, and everybody's supposed to bring a pie. And so it's, it's such a good idea for a potluck because e- everybody brings d- everybody has different ideas of what pie is.

Pizza, people bring pizza, right? Like, it's a pizza pie. And so it's like people will bring shepherd's pie and all sorts of different savory pies that you're like, "I never would [00:15:00] have thought about this as a, as a pie or a thing." And then obviously there's lots of sweet versions, but it's so fun. I think it's such a good idea

Riley: I love the idea of a themed

Roni: Yes. Yes, I like

Riley: give everybody... It's very simple, right? It simplifies it. I've been invited to, like, charcuterie parties where you, like, everyone brings a different type of charcuterie. And I'm talking, like, for people who are just thinking meat and cheese, go way bigger than that.

Peanut butter and jelly charcuterie board, a s'mores charcuterie board, a chocolate tasting board. Like, you know, just, like, go way bigger than meat and cheeses. so I love the idea of a themed potluck. It also gives everybody something to do and think outside the box on,

Roni: Totally

Riley: and you don't end up with 12 bags of chips, unless it's a chip eating party.

Roni: Yes. Unless your theme is stuff in a bag.

Riley: Yeah, stuff in a bag. That's funny

Roni: Yeah, I think it's a really fun idea. If they didn't have it, I would steal it already,

Riley: great. Although you could do [00:16:00] it on, um,

like 

Roni: day. Yeah, I 

Riley: yeah

Roni: okay, let's talk about what makes a successful potluck or group meal, Riley

Riley: Mm. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about what would make a dinner party or a potluck successful is a variety of foods.

Roni: Yeah

Riley: So ha- and, and, and this is like why I think I really g- gravitate towards this like theme idea because then if everybody brings the same kind of thing, it's okay. But what y- what I don't wanna do at a potluck is there be 12 bags of chips, right?

I really want a lot of variety. So having maybe some way to communicate, hey, here's what I'm bringing, here's what I'm bringing. A sign-up sheet if it's a even larger group, you know, something a text thread can't support. Um, and just getting everybody kinda like, okay, your theme, your... Not your theme, but like your item is in the vegetable category, and yours is protein.

And, or I've got... I, I'm gonna have protein. Everybody bring sides. S- bring a side you'll eat.

Roni: Right

Riley: That kind of idea. So just my first thought with a successful [00:17:00] potluck is a well-rounded table of food

Roni: Right. Yeah, yeah. But communication is important. I think in general, I've always found success when we've said like, "Hey, we're gonna have the main dish and it's gonna be X, Y, or Z.

Riley: Yeah

Roni: You bring side dish." Right? Like if you're coming bring a side dish or a dessert. And I've honestly never experienced that like everybody brought dessert or everybody brought potato salad or something, you know?

Uh, I have, uh, I've actually had a lot of success, and maybe that's not normal, but had a lot of success with people bringing just like a, an assortment of things

Riley: Yeah. We just recently went to one and it w- that was the idea. It's like, "Hey, we'll have burgers. Bring whatever you wanna eat with that." And it was amazing. Like, the side dishes were very, very, very varied,

and it was nice. 

Roni: Maybe at this point everybody's been to enough potlucks where you're just like, you know, like, I don't wanna be the person who, who only brought the chips and, or some- you know,

Riley: Yeah.

Roni: I don't wanna be the, the third person to walk in the door with [00:18:00] chips

Riley: Yeah. Although, if you are that person and that is where you are and you need to take the chips,

Roni: That's

Riley: take the chips. We want you there anyway. Okay.

Roni: Your presence is present 

Riley: is the present. Yeah. Yes. Um, another thing about bringing food to a potluck is you want it to hold up.

Roni: Yeah

Riley: Need it to travel well, not get soggy, and can sit out and not get funky.

Roni: Yeah. Uh-huh.

Riley: Yeah, that's a high priority.

Roni: Especially summertime, talking about the summertime potluck situation

Riley: Is this sitting outside? Can it survive? How long? Qui- all those are good questions to ask

Roni: Yes. Yeah, I would say some no-gos for me are mayonnaise-heavy dishes. Now, I know potato salad is very common at potlucks, very common summertime dish. but I still think it's iffy. I think it's still an iffy choice

Riley: Well,

Roni: because

Riley: mind immediately goes to The Office and the episode where [00:19:00] Michael has his potato salad in his car for like 20 hours, and then he takes it and it's... No, no.

Roni: No, don't 

Riley: need to do that.

Roni: Yeah. Yeah, so I think in general, like if you can make a side dish that doesn't have mayonnaise, that's probably the better bet to go just because particularly if you don't know the person's setup yet, you know. Like, some people do have room to be able to like set up a table inside and that's where all the food is, but if you're not sure if that's gonna be the case, I would stick to something that you know is not gonna get icky.

And not to downgrade the ice cream social idea, but if you're bringing dessert, maybe don't bring ice cream sandwiches

Riley: Yeah. Yeah, the, the thing about the, like, the thing about the homemade ice cream is that it can sit inside of its own ice,

Roni: Yeah

Riley: you know? So that is the benefit to that, but you're totally right, like an ice cream sandwich situation is not gonna be great.

Roni: Unless you, like, text the person ahead of time and you're like, "I'm bringing ice cream. Do you have room in your fridge [00:20:00] or freezer?" I mean, for, 

Riley: for sure. Yeah. And the same thing kind of goes for, like, mayonnaise-heavy dishes also is, like, if you can take a cooler where it can stay until serving time, these are options. It just, it also kind of complicates things. Complicates for you taking it, complicates for the host, all of those, those kind of things.

Roni: Yeah, I would also say any dish that, like, requires, like, a last-minute assembly to actually, like, get everything together. At least personally, I would rather have my dish 100% done and I present it to the host or put it on the table or whatever, and then I'm hands-off, you know? I don't wanna have to be, like, fiddling with it and, like, adding extra crunchies on top or whatever.

Riley: And the, the thought that just crossed my mind on what makes it successful is something where everyone doesn't touch it

Roni: Oh

Riley: So I'm thinking you bring it, you bring your own tongs so you can assume the responsibility of the serving or

Roni: That is a good idea, actually, thinking about the utensil that you need and not assuming the host has it[00:21:00]

Riley: Well, not assuming the host has it. Uh, that, it's a hesitation that a lot of people have about potlucks, right,

Roni: Right

Riley: is the germs. I'm thinking of, of, of, I'm thinking of ones where you could even take, like, your own little, like, tiny Crock-Pot where it kinda, like, stays heated so it kinda s- keeps the food safe 'cause it's hot.

Um, but then also considering, like, bring a serving spoon. No one's gonna stick their hand in a hot Crock-Pot. Like, let's take a serving utensil, um, pre-portioning things. Things like that are really helpful, um, especially for the people who are germ hesitant.

Roni: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Good point. Very good point. Okay, so we talked about some things maybe you shouldn't take or second-guess taking. I think some things that hold up well at a, at a party and can be relatively safe, you know, potentially outside are things like a pasta or a quinoa salad, um, or even coleslaw if you...

Uh, you know, [00:22:00] there's a lot of coleslaws that don't use mayonnaise as their base. Um, dips, bean dips, bean salads, hummus, uh, tends to hold up really well. And then, you know, the more, the, the baked goods rather than the ice cream. So like cookies, brownies, a fruit cobbler or fruit pizza or something maybe

Riley: Mm-hmm. And another thought with those is just to continue kind of where I was at before, but just making sure they're either pre-cut, um, or pre-portioned. Something along those lines. Cookies are awesome in that regard. Or, like, if it's a fruit pizza, just, like, pre-slicing it. Again, 'cause you don't wanna assume that there's something where you're going to cut it or...

And also I'm thinking, like, if little kids go up to that table and they're like, "There's an entire pan of Rice Krispie treats. I'm gonna cut an entire quarter of the pan," as a parent, I'm thinking, "I do not want my kid doing that."

Roni: Yeah

Riley: Um, so just having it where they can grab one. Okay, they [00:23:00] might grab more than that, but at least they're pre-portioned, you know?

Roni: Yeah, I think that's really a wise insight.

Riley: Uh, things that I've seen work really well at parties are taco bars, pulled pork sandwiches. Obviously burgers and hot dogs are a big winner in the potluck world. Flatbreads, things along those lines. Even build your own sandwich bars I've seen work really well

Roni: Yeah, I kinda think the, the bar, quote unquote bar situation where you can have things be customizable is really good for a lot of reasons. Um, I mean, what we, what we wanna talk, talk about next is, like, having different dietary needs for the people at your event. And, you know, having a buildable situation is really great for that because then they don't feel excluded from the main dish

Riley: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and dietary labels are really helpful for people who, and I've felt this way before, I know other people feel this way, you feel high-maintenance for having a need and going to something like [00:24:00] this, and but if you are bringing your own food, it's a lot... If you're bringing food to participate, it's a lot more helpful.

Um, but you can also feel like is there going to be anything besides the veggie tray? You know, is there going to be anything besides the brownies or whatever? Um, and so talking to your guests ahead of time, communicating needs or communicating, hey, label it so everybody knows what's going on. Doesn't have to be that the food you bring serves everyone, 'cause everyone has different needs.

But that is why a customizable bar is really helpful for those individuals who have different needs, because it can a- it can feel, like, hard to go to a party like that because you don't wanna feel high-maintenance, and you also don't know if you need to eat beforehand.

Roni: Yeah. Well, yeah, and if you are communicating with everybody ahead of time, you could let everyone in your text thread or your Facebook group know, you know, "I'm making pulled pork sliders as the main. You know, bring whatever sides you want. I'll [00:25:00] have both regular and gluten-free buns," or something, right?

Like, communicate what the, the things are that you're gonna have that will accommodate others, so that way they understand, like, "Okay, check, check. I know I'm covered there. I don't have to be like, 'Ooh, should I bring my own buns because I'm gluten-free?'"

Riley: Yeah. This is another reason why I tell people to bring something that they will eat.

Roni: Yeah

Riley: and I, and this is not just related to dietary needs, 'cause I'm actually thinking about people who are, have super picky family members. Like, if, if, if I'm serving something and your family doesn't... If I'm having a taco bar and y'all hate tacos, okay, I need you to bring something that everyone will eat.

Or if, you know, if I'm having pulled pork sliders, but all my side dishes are vegetables, but nobody vegs- eats vegetables, like, bring something that your family will consume. Um, again, communication is really important, but dietary needs can also go way beyond, like, dairy and gluten and soy. It can also [00:26:00] encompass people who just don't eat a wide variety of foods, or maybe you're not serving foods that they usually consume.

Roni: Yeah. So true

Which this is why meal planning makes it way easier to be a host at a potluck because you get to decide what part of the meal you're making, and then you're able to rely on others and ask them to participate in bringing food. But it's all clear, right? Because you've already decided what you're making.

You can ask other people to bring specific, specific things or non-specific things. And, you know, if you're making the main dish, you get to decide, "Am I making a large portion of this, or should I make a smaller portion?" 'Cause maybe somebody else is also gonna bring ribs or something.

Riley: Yeah, and it just, it applies to so many circumstances. it, it certainly applies to potlucks. It, it certainly applies to holidays, even just your regular old week.

Roni: So true

Riley: Considering that people graze at potlucks and they don't always, like, just, like, make a plate [00:27:00] and they're done, like having... You know, making sure you have maybe small plates for, like, the snack time portion, um, or having appetizers so that there is something to munch on.

I, I just know it's so hard sometimes when you are having a large group of people and you make guacamole that's gonna go on the taco, but everyone eats it beforehand. So

considering aspects of, of just how people operate, you know? Like, okay, everyone come at 4:00, dinner's at 5:45. Okay, well, what are we gonna do in that meantime?

We're just, we're just hanging, you know? We're chit-chatting. Okay, we need a bowl of guacamole for the pre and the dinner.

Roni: Yeah

Riley: Um, just kind of having those little aspects planned can make hosting a potluck a lot easier

Roni: Absolutely. Yeah, and I think like ser- I mean, serving sizes, I think it can stress people out a little bit when it comes to potlucks, particularly if you're not doing like a RSVP style event, and you just invited a bunch of people, and you don't know how many people are gonna show up. Uh, I know that a lot of, you know, a lot of times people will text and be like, "So how many people are you expecting?

Like, should I [00:28:00] make a side dish that serves 18 people, or should I make a side dish that serves 50 people?" So obviously, like you can use your best judgment with that, but like in general, r- like you said, Riley, like people are grazing on things, and a lot of times when people are serving themselves, they're taking like little bits of each thing.

They're maybe not taking a full serving size

Riley: True, yeah

Roni: of like each side dish, right? Like, if they're seeing all these different things and they wanna try different things, like I think actually a, a normal, quote-unquote, normal serving size of some dishes can go a lot farther than you think because of the way that people eat at these kinds of shared events

Riley: Absolutely, which is why it is okay to, like, cut things smaller. Uh, you know, 'cause even thinking about parti- part- you know, putting yourself in the situation of like, okay, we're outside, are we gonna have forks? I don't know. How do people, how are people gonna eat this? What's the vehicle that they're eating this with, um, is important to consider.

Are we having forks? Do we need forks for dinner and appetizers, et cetera? But cutting things smaller is also totally fine, [00:29:00] 'cause it does allow for that bite-size approach. And having foods similarly, having foods that stretch, like chips and dips, um, sliced fruit, veggie trays, things that just last kind of for a long time.

Roni: Yeah. That way you don't feel like you've run out of food

Riley: yeah. Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Yep.

Roni: So then, of course, once you've created your meal plan for your event, you know, the, the best thing that you wanna have is a, an actual organized shopping list with amounts. So we highly recommend you do this planning in Plan to Eat so that you can have your shopping list made for you, and you buy the right amount for the serving sizes that you selected for your items.

Riley: Exactly. You don't wanna have a b- you know, I, we're, we're grilling burgers and you only have five, and you got 10 people. You definitely... I mean, that's a really lame example, but, um, you definitely wanna make sure that you have the correct amounts for the amount of people you're serving. Because even if... I feel like if you're the, if you're the host, you wanna make sure that your food is the anchor.

You know, like, okay, okay, I'm the host, I'm having burgers. You definitely want that [00:30:00] to be the thing that feeds everyone, and let everything else be an extra, so you're not relying... I mean, you can rely on the fact that there will be gap fillers. Um, but I just feel like as a host, I'm thinking from my own experience, I just wanna make sure that the thing I'm presenting feeds everyone.

Everything else is just a benefit and wonderful, and there's maybe leftovers. Awesome. But just, like, having the right amounts for the people you're serving for, especially with that main dish, is really helpful.

Roni: Yeah. Yeah, like, make sure everybody has a hamburger.

Riley: Yeah. Yeah. My husband went to a work event and it was like a Chipotle kind of style thing, and by the time the last people were going through, the only thing left to put on a taco was vegetables. And, like, that's just like the, not the situation you wanna be in, you know? You wanna make sure that everyone gets a little bit

Roni: For sure. Riley, what do you feel like is the most stressful part of hosting?

Riley: Delegating

Roni: Oh, okay

Riley: I, I would prefer to not host a potluck and just invite people.

Roni: mmm

Riley: Like, because I h- and it's not [00:31:00] because that's really my preference, 'cause I would love for people to bring stuff, but I think I just have a hard time delegating, especially if I'm like saying, "Hey, come over to my house for this thing.

and also bring something." Like, it sometimes can feel like a big ask. Um, and I know it shouldn't, it's just kinda like the way that my, I work, my brain works sometimes. Um, or sometimes if I'm, I'm inviting people to a dinner... Like, I'm thinking about when I invited you guys over for dinner the other day.

It's like I already ha- had it all. I really didn't need you to bring anything. And, you know, like the barrier to entry for you coming was so much easier because I was just like, "No, just come. I've, I've already done it. Like, no big deal." But I think just like delegating and like being willing to say like, "No, let's, let's have a potluck.

Everyone can bring something." Everyone probably likes that. And then just enjoying that and like enjoying the way that that lowers stress.

Roni: Mm-hmm. I would say for me the hardest part is, like, timing of

Riley: Oh, yeah

Roni: I'm the type of person who, like, I wanna start much earlier in the day, and I always have to, like, talk myself out of it, but then sometimes that means I start too late.

Riley: Sure, yeah. It's [00:32:00] a hard, it's a hard balance to strike

Roni: It's like I'm like, "Okay, well, I'll wait to start until people start... I'll wait to, like, start cooking this thing until people start arriving." But then when people are arriving, you're chatting, and you wanna hang out, and all those things, and it's like, "Oh, shoot, I need to start cooking an hour ago."

Riley: I think we talked about this on the last episode in regards to, like, I like to eat hot food, and so I will, like, not clean up until after 'cause I wanna eat the food while it's hot, the way it was intended to be consumed. And I think that it's kinda almost like I will also wait to cook something because I want it to be hot when we eat, and then we eat later because the food w- Because I was trying to, like...

'Cause I didn't know exact timing, and then we eat later than I planned because I wanted it to be hot, so I didn't start it early enough. So I agree with you. T- timing can be tricky

Roni: Yeah, which is where the, like, appetizers and the chips and everything, like, really come in handy because, because people are fine. Honestly, I know that hosting, hosting can be stressful. Like, [00:33:00] I definitely get stressed out about hosting. If you, if y'all haven't listened to our podcast with Linda, um, she writes for our blog.

I, I don't have the number of the podcast off my head right now, but I'll put it in the show notes. she gave us her, like, seven tips for be- like, non-stressful hosting, so definitely listen, listen to that if you feel like you're a stressed-out host, uh, 'cause it can be really stressful. But just remember, like, everybody's fine. Like, really everybody is totally fine, particularly if you have some, like, little snacky things for people to enjoy. They're gonna be fine

Riley: My, my husband always reminds me of this exact thing, and he's like, "Literally everyone we invite to anything, they are our friends or our family." And they... Your value and worth is not tied up in this hosting, and it's okay.

Like, there's no reason to be stressed. They like you and you like them. Like,

Roni: Exactly.

Riley: it's a good reminder.

Roni: It is a good reminder. I would say that if it feels like a stressful thing to be a host, like, [00:34:00] try to break things down into smaller steps, right? Like, do your planning ahead of time, make sure you go shopping and have all the things. You know, maybe you can set aside some time before people get there to prep stuff so that way when it does actually come time to cooking, you're not doing everything all at once, right?

If you're making your hamburgers from scratch, you could have all of the hamburgers, like, patty-itized and ready to go on the grill so that you're not doing the, all of that in the moment, so.

Riley: Yes. The planner in me, like I wanna make sure... I am a planner, and I think all of those steps are incredibly crucial. The only thing I wanna add to it is also be yourself. You know? Like, I think sometimes I try to, I'm, I'm thinking about, like, I've, I've attempted to host Thanksgivings in the past that were, like, fancy.

Roni: Oh, sure

Riley: And like, yeah, that sounds really fun, but I think that that's not really my, my hosting style.

Roni: Yeah

Riley: My hosting style is a, like, low-key, laid back, I want everyone to feel comfortable, and that's, you [00:35:00] know, like... And I'm not saying that fancy means you're not comfortable. I just think that it's my hosting st- I, what I'm trying to say is lean into your own hosting style and just, like, try to, like, do all the things.

Plan, shop, prep, assign dishes, you know, like, delegate, et cetera. But also just, like, be yourself, and just, like, host a party that you wanna host. Like, host the party you wanna go to.

Roni: Yeah

Riley: Um, and if that means that it's, it's a pie party or a pizza party or an ice cream party or a, I don't know, everyone wears costumes or silly hats, like, what...

Pick a thing. Like, but just enjoy it, and, like, make sure you're hosting and planning in a way that, like, that you like. And, and be okay with that. Like, don't try to not, don't try to not be you.

Roni: I love that. That's such good advice. You know, which makes me think back to why the pie party is so genius, which is because your pie, all the pies are already cooked. There's no, like, cooking in between the people being there, like, right? Like, the pie is cooked, the kitchen is [00:36:00] cleaned. Like, the hosts just get to spend their time entertaining

Riley: Eh, yeah. Plates, forks, seats. That's like all that that's provided.

Roni: yeah, and I mean, like, you could ask people to bring their own serving,

Riley: Yeah.

Roni: pie serving thingies. What do you call 

Riley: Utensil? 

Roni: Huh?

Riley: serving spoon? A serving utensil?

Roni: like I'm thinking like, you know, it's like a specific kinda 

Riley: A pie server? 

Roni: It's probably called a pie server. Or, you know, I mean, like you could just buy like 10 of them at Walmart.

They're probably not that expensive if you buy the cheap kind, you know? 

The pie party's so genius. I wish I would've thought of it

Riley: Yeah. Well, let's come up with another one and host one this summer.

Roni: Okay. Oh,

Riley: this was fun. This got me really excited for summer, and I really now wanna host a party,

Roni: I know, me too. I mean, I'm probably going to. You'll be invited, don't worry.

Riley: Thank you. If I have one, you'll also be invited, don't 

Roni: Okay, good

Riley: Well, before we go, let's talk about meal plans. We left our [00:37:00] listeners on the hook la- or off the hook last week. What am I trying to say? We left them hanging. That's what I'm trying to say. We left them hanging last week and we didn't share our meal plans.

So share your meal plan for the week real quick

Roni: Okay. Let's see. Just so everybody knows, we're towards the end of this week, so I'm gonna talk about recipes that we've all already had.

Riley: Yes

Roni: Uh, so earlier this week we had a shawarma spiced beef and couscous, like a bowl situation. Shout out to my sister-in-law Carly who recommended this recipe to me.

Riley: Shout out to bowls 'cause they just,

Roni: Shout out to 

Riley: just so good. 

Roni: and the... I thought, yeah, so good. S- and then we had, um, cream- creamy spinach and sausage pasta, which is a shout out to Riley for recommending that recipe. Um, we had garlic butter crispy chicken with creamy beans. Uh, super good. This one was from, I think it's from Pinch of Yum, and I think I saw it on Instagram. It was really yummy

Riley: Okay, you did see it on Instagram because you sent me the recipe and it looked so great, I saved it to my account, and then the [00:38:00] next day I saw her reel

Roni: Oh, yeah.

Riley: with her making it

Roni: I think she ha- I think she said it was, like, her, one of her number one recipes.

Riley: And her favorite too. She just loves it 

Roni: It's, it was very good. And you make the fri- you make the, like, crispy fried chicken in the air fryer, so it's, like, not very much mess, 

and h- more hands-off and much faster. So really liked that. And then last night we had fancy sandwich night. Love a fancy sandwich. So we just had... It was, they were ham and cheese sandwiches, but, like, they're fancy 'cause they're warm. And I also made a sun-dried tomato aioli to put on the 

Riley: Yeah. That's fancy

Roni: the... That was awesome. Okay, if you guys have sun-dried tomatoes, like, leftover somewhere in your refrigerator, make a sun-dried tomato aioli.

It was so tasty. My husband just... There was some left over, and he just was, like, eating it out of the bowl. I was like, "You realize that's just, like, mayonnaise, right?"

Riley: Sauce guy. Big sauce guy.

Roni: Yeah, he's a sauce guy. [00:39:00] Uh, I s- and I also tried to do a, like, a Parmesan crust on the outside of the bread. I was not very successful with it. My husband tried to do it on his sandwich. Like, he was like, "Let me try to do it," 'cause I totally messed up the first one. He did a better job at it. 

Riley: He's like, "Step out of the way." 

Roni: that was supposed to be part of the fancy sandwich, and I kinda did a bad job at it.

I mostly just, like, burned a bunch of Parmesan on the pan.

Riley: sorry. Sounds great. Sounds 

Roni: But they were still delicious. Yeah. Okay, what about you, Riley?

Riley: okay, so y'all have heard me mention this one on the epis- on the podcast before because I had to move it down in my meal plan.

Roni: this year you've moved three weeks up one?

Riley: No.

Roni: Oh.

Riley: This was just one. We were supposed to have burgers with this chipotle sauce. Didn't have the burgers, so that got moved to this week. It was supposed to be last week, moved to this week. Um, we also had spaghetti, um, which my family doesn't really like spaghetti, so, and I really like it, so [00:40:00] I have to sneak it in there every once in a while.

And I loved it, and I enjoyed it.

Roni: Good

Riley: Um, and then I made this Boursin orzo bake with chicken sausage, which was very, very, very easy. Let me see who that one, who ma- who that recipe came from. Um-

Roni: Boursin is like the brand of cheese,

Riley: Oh, yes. Yes, Boursin is the brand of cheese. It's that soft, creamy, spreadable cheese. You can get it at most... In, like, most delis, most deli areas.

It would be like a charcuterie, kinda like you'd find it in that kind of space. Oh, I'd put this on a charcuterie board, spread on a cracker kind of thing. Um, this is from Jar of Lemons, and a friend of mine posted it that she made it, and which is where I saw it. So then I stole the recipe, not stole it, but d- you know, imported it from her,

and I almost could have made it one-handed. Like, that's how easy it was. Um, it's so few ingredients. You just, you... And it's actually a one-pan meal, which is sometimes rare to find. Um, everything gets [00:41:00] cooked in one pan. Everything gets added to one pan. You needed a cutting board otherwise. It was very simple.

Roni: Nice

Riley: And then we're having fajitas, and then, um, my husband is gonna make... He has this, like... I can't remember what he calls it, but it's like this... Essentially it's like a homemade Alfredo that he serves on French bread with chicken. You, like, take French bread, you put tomatoes, spinach, basil, chicken, and then this is cream sauce.

Roni: Ooh

Riley: It... Our favorite Italian restaurant used to serve this, and then they closed, and they'd been in business for, like, 50 years. It was so sad. And so he basically has created his own, and so he's gonna make that for me sometime this week. So yeah.

Roni: Uh, just so everybody knows, Boursin, the type of cheese it i- is, it is called Gournay. Not gourmet, Gournay.

Riley: Woo. And on that note, thank you for listening to the Plant to Eat podcast. If you share this with your friends or leave us a review, that would mean so much to [00:42:00] us. Um, and we hope you'll come back and listen to our next episode

Roni: See you then