With the colder months prohibiting social gatherings like picnics, barbecues and impromptu neighborhood gatherings, one can feel disconnected from the neighborhood community. An entertaining idea to eliminate this problem is to create a weekly or monthly tradition of hosting a potluck dinner. To minimize the work in hosting an event like this, limit the menu to soups and stews and follow the guidelines below for hosting your own Simple Soup Supper.
Concept
This event is an ongoing neighborhood, casual potluck dinner. The dinner is composed of soups and stews, which the guests will prepare at home and bring fully cooked to the event. The hostess will provide plates, flatware, glasses, beverages, bread and dessert.
Invitation
This type of event does best with a personal invitation such as a phone call or face to face invite.
Buffet Set Up
Use a kitchen counter or table that has access to an electrical outlet. It may be necessary to use an extension cord to span the distance between the outlet and the buffet area. A power strip on the buffet surface will allow multiple crock pots to keep the soups heated throughout the event. Use the guidelines for Effective Buffet Set Up to decorate the food layout and disguise the cord with fabric or the tablecloth. Dedicate one ladle per crock pot or request that each guest bring a ladle with their potluck offering. Create and post small signs to identify each stew and to indicate whether it is vegetarian.
Food and Beverage
In addition to the selection of soups and stews, offer slices of crusty French bread and herbed butter to accompany the hot dishes. Dessert should offer two alternatives. One should be a lighter option such as a fruit salad with a sprinkled of fresh mint leaves. The other dessert option can be a more sinful dessert, such as decadent brownies, cheesecake with cherry topping, or coconut icebox cake.
For the beverage center, offer your choice of a non-alcoholic bar that includes soft drinks, iced tea, water, and coffee or add in some alcoholic options such as wine or beer.
Continuity of the Potluck Event
Due to the simplicity of this event, it lends itself to creating an ongoing tradition. Before the conclusion of the Simple Soup Supper, get a commitment from one of the guests to host the following month’s neighborhood potluck soup dinner. By confirming the next date, it is also a great way to confirm the guest list and the assigned potluck soup dishes. Start sampling soup and stew recipes now for the next month’s event!
Janice Benoit - I'm Janice Benoit and I live in suburban Chicago. I have worked in most facets of the hospitality industry -- from hotel front desk to ...
