This last weekend, my food focus revolved around events. I was asked to bring a dish to share at two separate potlucks. In theory, I really like the idea of a group of people bringing something they like to eat to share with their friends and family. In practice, navigating a potluck can be like taking a swim in eel-infested waters. I am always a bit concerned about food handling, cross-contamination, and time-temperature concerns. I suppose this is the challenge of all of the training I have received about food-borne illness and safe food handling. It takes the fun away from eating Aunt Betty’s deviled egg potato salad.
Rather than focus on the red flags that pop up anytime I am invited to join in the age-old ritual of sharing food for a group, I would rather put my energy into figuring out ways to enjoy my favorite tastes without worrying about how long the mayo-based dish has been sitting at room temperature or how many people’s fingers have been in the crudite. Take artichoke spinach dip, for example. While I am down for a bread bowl filled with creamy, chunky dip, surrounded by cubes of sourdough when hosting a small gathering in my house, I avoid the dish like the plague when at a backyard barbeque or while rooting for Taylor Swift’s boyfriend in the big game.
Fortunately, there are others who think like me when it comes to dishes to share in places where no one is really in charge of monitoring the core internal temperature of the potluck spread.
First, some general information about things to do when hosting or preparing food for a potluck.
Wash your hands - Use warm running water and liquid soap. Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds, and scrub the backs of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers, and under your fingernails. Rinse well and dry your hands with a paper towel.
Clean your prep area - Wash and sanitize any surfaces that come into contact with food. Use a sanitizing solution made from 1 teaspoon of bleach in a quart of warm water. Clean thoroughly between preparing different types of food.
Separate - Cross-contamination is the quickest way to spread bacteria. Keep raw meat away from ready-to-eat foods. Wash and sanitize cutting boards after you have used them.
Cook - Make sure that you cook your food thoroughly. Measure temperatures with a clean, calibrated food thermometer. Don’t cook food partially to finish later. Keep the time between cooking and serving your food to a minimum.
Chill - Refrigerate perishable foods in shallow containers. Keep your refrigerator at 40° or below.
Serve - Try to serve your dish with some type of temperature control. Put hot foods in a crock pot or a chafing dish over sterno. Serve cold foods in a bowl set on top of ice.
Leftovers - These are generally a bad idea from a potluck.
Kelli’s Potluck Friendly Artichoke Spinach Rolls
Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ c mayonnaise
12 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 pack frozen spinach, defrosted and drained/squeezed of all juice
8 oz shredded white cheddar cheese
2 oz grated parmesan cheese
Onion powder
Salt
Black pepper
Red chili flakes
2 cans Pillsbury croissant dough or croissant sheets
- Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease with butter or pan spray. - Combine together cream cheese and mayonnaise with beaters until well-mixed. Add in drained artichoke hearts & spinach, cheddar cheese, and parmesan and mix well. Season to taste with onion powder, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.
- Unroll croissant dough or sheets onto a parchment-lined or flour-dusted work surface. If using segmented croissant dough, pinch together all of the seams to create one large sheet. Spread half of the cheese and artichoke mix over each sheet of dough.
- Starting with the long side of the dough towards you, gently roll it into a long loaf. Slice into 1” buns and place on prepared sheet pans.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, switching shelves and rotating halfway through.
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