Just for fun: worst/best dishes to bring to a block party

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worst: 3 bean “salad” … thanks for dumping a few cans of beans into a bowl without rinsing them properly, Linda

Best: Those awesomely awful Rice Krispie treats with peanut butter and the melted chocolate on top

Let’s duke it out.

Best - Rotel with HOT sausage; Worst - a Jello dish

Dare you to try strawberry jello pretzel salad.

I was a skeptic, too.

So good! The salty pretzel crust is delicious with the cream cheese part. I made this for my kids last year and they loved it. I had it as a kid at all summer parties.

I first saw strawberry jello pretzel salad at an office potluck some 20 years ago. At first I turned up my nose at it, and then I finally tried it. Sooooo good. If someone put a dish of that in front of me right now, I would not send it back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard of this meatball and grape jelly dish. I guess I don't get out much.

It's an old old party recipe. Toss a jar of grape jelly and a bottle of chili sauce in a slow cooker and add meatballs. A lot of people buy frozen meatballs. My adult sons will make this for sports events we watch but we make a less sweet, teriaki or soy sauce flavored sauce. It doesn't taste like grape jelly at all. The jelly works as a sweetener for the chili sauce. Most sauces contain a lot of sugar, bbq sauce, chick fil a sauces for example.

It isn't horrible and it provides a protein where most people bring either salty snacks or sweets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard of this meatball and grape jelly dish. I guess I don't get out much.

Swedish meatballs

Swedish meatballs are very different and are cooked in a creamy sauce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to bring a big frozen stouffers mac and cheese to be sure my kid had something to eat. Usually the first thing gone. I think it qualifies as best and worst at the same time. Now that my kid is in college, my friends know that I can actually cook.

I’m a good snob and this is a solid choice. It is good Mac and cheese and actually made with a
Simple and natural ingredients list. I’d happily eat this vs some weird pot luck “homemade” version than probably involves a block of cream cheese, veleeta, condensed soup, or crushed crackers/chips

It's hilarious that you somehow think the Stouffers version has better ingredients. That's a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite is well done grilled Nathan's hot dogs

I usually just have some chips with that unless I see a really tantalizing potato or pasta salad or deviled eggs, then I try some even with the inherent risks because I figure the worst thing that can happen is I get really sick and lose five pounds in two days, way to kickstart a diet!

Nathan’s are the best!

Did you know you can buy their fries in Giant’s frozen food section??

What does a well done hot dog mean? You know they are fully cooked, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite is well done grilled Nathan's hot dogs

I usually just have some chips with that unless I see a really tantalizing potato or pasta salad or deviled eggs, then I try some even with the inherent risks because I figure the worst thing that can happen is I get really sick and lose five pounds in two days, way to kickstart a diet!

Nathan’s are the best!

Did you know you can buy their fries in Giant’s frozen food section??

What does a well done hot dog mean? You know they are fully cooked, right?

I’m guessing that means nice grill marks and blistering hot dog skin, not just barely heated through. Mmm, now I want a well-done hot dog.

[Anonymous]

In my neighborhood someone always brings tacos from Taco Bell and they are a hit. Also, someone did hot pretzels, they were so good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worst: 3 bean “salad” … thanks for dumping a few cans of beans into a bowl without rinsing them properly, Linda

Best: Those awesomely awful Rice Krispie treats with peanut butter and the melted chocolate on top

Let’s duke it out.

Best - Rotel with HOT sausage; Worst - a Jello dish

Dare you to try strawberry jello pretzel salad.

I was a skeptic, too.

So good! The salty pretzel crust is delicious with the cream cheese part. I made this for my kids last year and they loved it. I had it as a kid at all summer parties.

I first saw strawberry jello pretzel salad at an office potluck some 20 years ago. At first I turned up my nose at it, and then I finally tried it. Sooooo good. If someone put a dish of that in front of me right now, I would not send it back.

This was my grandmother's go-to for parties. It was so good. Or maybe it just reminds me of her but I will never pass on strawberry jello pretzel salad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one grossed out by block party food, and it's sitting outside in the sun for hours with tons of people touching it? I just open a drink and sip from that while chatting for an hour, then leave. I don't eat.

Same! I won't eat anything made by people with dogs or cats in their house.

Your loss. The cat is never in our kitchen.

But their hair is. It's everywhere. No thanks!

It’s really not. I’m sort you have weird phobias or have been to dirty pet homes. Ours is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bring meatballs in grape jelly. The pan is always cleaned out.

Meatballs in grape jelly is my worst. So so disgusting.

Best would be a really good summer salad with produce from their own garden or a farmers market. Tomato, basil, mozzarella. Tomatoes, avocado, red onion. That sort of thing.

Let me guess, you just drink water at block parties (out of your own water bottle, of course).

NP. What's wrong with drinking water at a block party? Our neighborhood block party happens on my end of the street, and I usually bring my own water bottle. I don't drink alcohol or soda. Is that OK?

Omideargod.

Nothing, Love. Hydrate away. Here’s a deviled egg and some pasta salad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one grossed out by block party food, and it's sitting outside in the sun for hours with tons of people touching it? I just open a drink and sip from that while chatting for an hour, then leave. I don't eat.

you are not the only one. any kind of potluck is so gross. ideally a block party should be catered.

No, no, no. The point of not catering is to try and stop the food snobs like you from coming and draining every ounce of joy from the gathering. We are hoping that you wine snobs will just skip the event. Catering means that we have to put up with you which completely defeats the purpose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best: A great pasta salad with Italian dressing, fresh basil, maybe some mozzarella, fresh tomatoes.

Vulgar

Thank you. For over a decade now I have been waging my pasta salad=vulgar crusade on this site. For a long time it felt like I was ploughing a lonely furrow, but now it seems it is starting to get some traction.

DP. For many years I have watched you wage this war and disagreed with you, but I like the way you express yourself. I will continue to root for you, albeit with a plate of pasta salad in my hand.

Noted foodie Francis Lam hates pasta salad. PP is not alone.

https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2018/06/29/spectacular-summer-side-dishes-from-bon-appetit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best: A great pasta salad with Italian dressing, fresh basil, maybe some mozzarella, fresh tomatoes.

Vulgar

Thank you. For over a decade now I have been waging my pasta salad=vulgar crusade on this site. For a long time it felt like I was ploughing a lonely furrow, but now it seems it is starting to get some traction.

DP. For many years I have watched you wage this war and disagreed with you, but I like the way you express yourself. I will continue to root for you, albeit with a plate of pasta salad in my hand.

Noted foodie Francis Lam hates pasta salad. PP is not alone.

https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2018/06/29/spectacular-summer-side-dishes-from-bon-appetit

“ Francis Lam: I should love pasta salad, because I love pasta and I love salad. But, pasta salad in my mind – like I don't know when it hurt me the first time, but I've never forgotten it and I've never forgiven it.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best: A great pasta salad with Italian dressing, fresh basil, maybe some mozzarella, fresh tomatoes.

Vulgar

Thank you. For over a decade now I have been waging my pasta salad=vulgar crusade on this site. For a long time it felt like I was ploughing a lonely furrow, but now it seems it is starting to get some traction.

DP. For many years I have watched you wage this war and disagreed with you, but I like the way you express yourself. I will continue to root for you, albeit with a plate of pasta salad in my hand.

Noted foodie Francis Lam hates pasta salad. PP is not alone.

https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2018/06/29/spectacular-summer-side-dishes-from-bon-appetit

Those two dishes in the episode sound good!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one grossed out by block party food, and it's sitting outside in the sun for hours with tons of people touching it? I just open a drink and sip from that while chatting for an hour, then leave. I don't eat.

Same! I won't eat anything made by people with dogs or cats in their house.

Your loss. The cat is never in our kitchen.

But their hair is. It's everywhere. No thanks!

Not anymore than your own.