Going to a potluck a dinner or party is always a tough situation. You never know what to bring. If everyone is bringing the equivalent of a fruit platter, why should I bring a complicated chocolate cake? The key is to find balance between something store bought and spending your whole afternoon making a masterpiece.
What I've found to work is bringing a dip. Layered dips work great because there is little to no prep work, and it has a homemade taste.
There is a great cookbook I received from a friend called The Healthy College Cookbook, which has more than 300 easy recipes. The portion sizes are small enough if you and your roommate want to cook and not deal with leftovers, but it also has appetizers for larger numbers.
My favorite dip from the book so far is the south of the border chip dip. I've made it on both Plainsman staff retreats and it worked perfectly. It's a middle ground. It's not store bought, it comes together fast and it's yummy.
Ingredients:
1 can (16 ounce) fat free refried beans
1 cup of low fat sour cream
1 teaspoon of taco seasoning
1 cup of salsa
1 cup of shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup of fresh Cilantro leaves, optional
Directions:
1. Layer the beans across the bottom of a casserole dish.
2. Mix together the sour cream and taco season and spread across evenly.
3. Pour the salsa evenly across.
4. Sprinkle the cheese across
5. Top with tomatoes and cilantro, if using.
Note: I've never uses the cilantro leaves and the dip still tastes great. Also, it's up to you if you want to use the healthy alternatives. I usually use fat free beans but regular sour cream and cheese.
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