Summertime potlucks are so popular in the South. Whether it’s a church covered dish meal or a family get-together, it is always a great time to visit with friends and family and enjoy great food.
When I was a kid, church potlucks were very popular. I had my favorites dishes and would leave plenty of room on my plate for those. I especially loved congealed salads. The church ladies always had these lovely, fluffy and very colorful clouds of deliciousness that I couldn’t get enough of. Most had some type of fruit, lots of Cool Whip and Jello. Yuuummmm.
I am going to share with you two of my favorite go-to potluck dishes that are very easy to make and are very light and refreshing. The first is an Oriental (aka Asian) slaw that can be made many different ways but I’ve never tasted a version I didn’t like. The second is Apple Taffy Salad which pays homage to the congealed salads I loved so much as a child (and still love as an adult!).
Oriental Slaw
Looks good, doesn’t it? It’s very tasty with the mixture of slaw mix, toasted almonds, Ramen noodles and a tangy marinade of sugar, vinegar and the Ramen noodle seasoning package. Simply mix all of the slaw mixture together including green onions. I use kitchen scissors to cut the green onions.
Toast the sliced almonds for 3-6 minutes on a baking sheet at 350 degrees. You want the color to be golden. You will also begin to tell by the awesome smell of the toasting almonds that they’re ready.
Mix the oil, salt, pepper, sugar and Ramen seasoning packet together. I usually use chicken or oriental flavored Ramen for this recipe. Stir together with a whisk.
Place the slaw ingredients in one bowl, pour the dressing over it and toss…done!
Taffy Apple Salad
Here is a photo of the ingredients for this delicious treat. I used honeycrisp apples because I love the sweetness of these apples.
Drain the can of crushed pineapples and then toss the peeled and chopped apples in the syrup. This will help keep the apples from browning.
I really could just each each individual ingredient by the spoonful…Cool whip, apples, pineapples and crushed peanuts.
Combine the apples, pineapples, Cool Whip and peanuts in a large bowl. Once combined, sprinkle the sugar, flour and vinegar mixture over it and then lightly mix.
Garnish with the remaining peanuts. You can serve this immediately or refrigerate until you’re ready to eat it. But, who can wait?
The printable recipes are below.
Thank you for stopping by! Until next time…
This is such an easy recipe that just tastes so good! Add shredded rotisserie chicken to this to make a one-dish meal.
- 1 16 ounce bag coleslaw mix
- 3 green onions, chopped (cut them with scissors)
- 1 Cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1 3 ounce package Ramen Noodles, chicken or oriental flavor broken into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp vinegar I use Rice Wine Vinegar but white is fine
- 1/4 Cup sugar
- 1 tspn salt
- 1/2 tspn black pepper
- 1 package Ramen seasoning packet reserved from package
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Spread almonds in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast in a 350 degree oven for 3-6 minutes until they begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and stir well with a whisk. Pour dressing into the slaw mixture and toss to combine well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The flavor only seems to get better the longer it is in the fridge.
A great Summer side dish that combines salty and sweet with fresh apples and crushed peanuts. Yum!
- 1 8 1/4 ounce can Crushed Pineapples in Heavy Syrup
- 3 1/2 Cups Peeled & Chopped apples
- 1 8 ounce container Cool Whip
- 1 Cup Peanuts, Crushed
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Flour
- 1 Tbsp Vinegar
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Drain pineapple, reserving juice and set aside. Toss peeled & chopped apples in reserved pineapple juice, drain. Combine apples, pineapples, Cool Whip and 2/3C of the peanuts in a medium bowl, set aside. Combine sugar, flour & vinegar. Sprinkle over apple mixture, toss gently. Sprinkle remaining nuts on top for garnish.