From as far back as I can remember there have been special church occasions when dinner on the church grounds was the order for the day. Far too many times I watched as person after person walked in with store purchased fried chicken. Whether the reason for this was lack of time, lack of planning, or lack of ideas I was never quite certain. I was certain however, that this was not isolated to my church alone.
It may seem odd but I have traveled all over the country and lived in many different areas of the culture. One thing that seems constant no matter where I live is that someone inevitably brings fried chicken from a local restaurant or deli as his or her potluck offering. There is nothing wrong with this of course, but there are so many great recipes available for Sunday dinner cooking that it seems odd that so many would resort to this tired old tradition rather than spicing things up with a spicy taco casserole or sweetening the deal with some delightfully delicious and simple to make dessert.
Sunday dinners obviously aren’t the only time when cooking a casserole or making a dessert is a good decision for the day. They are, however, the most common from my childhood, which is why I often refer to them. There are also ‘pitch ins’ at work that require a contribution and these are an excellent opportunity to make coworkers envy your culinary talents. Even for those who are health conscious however, there are many wonderful types of salads that can be prepared for occasions such as this that will provide you with a guilt free entrée at the event for which you are preparing your offering.
You do not have to choose calorie or fat filled dishes for your Sunday dinner cooking. In fact, when you are doing the cooking you should cook the things you enjoy eating. Most of us are much more likely to put our best efforts into preparing the foods we enjoy rather than those that feel as though they are a chore for us to make. The same holds true when cooking for potlucks and such. Just be careful that you do not prepare the exact same dish every time or people will think that it is the only dish you can prepare.
I recommend checking out casserole recipes online and in your favorite magazines. Even magazines that offer healthier eating options often have a casserole, large salad, or even a healthy dessert you can prepare for these events. My personal solution has always been to collect recipes over time that I would like to try out and use the potluck audience as my recipe guinea pigs. This way if my family or I do not like it, we won’t be stuck with leftovers for a week and if we do like it, we can put it into our rotation of recipes for use at home.
Sunday dinner cooking doesn’t have to be nearly as stressful as many of us make it out to be. Many wonderful crock-pot recipes can actually be prepared while you sleep. Just load your slow cooker with the proper ingredients and turn it on before turning in. You should awaken to the wonderful aroma of whatever delightful dish you have prepared and still manage to get ready for church in record time. This tried and true technique is a great way to make Sunday dinner cooking quick and easy.
Even if you are one of the many who have very limited culinary talents it is quite possible to wow your friends, relatives, and fellow church members with the correct ‘simple to make’ recipe. Desserts are by far the best way to go in this effort and can also be made the night before (in many cases) and stored in the refrigerator. Desserts are almost always a good bet and very few people ever complain about them regardless. The Kraft foods website offers some fabulously easy to make and delicious desserts if you are in need. The next time it is your turn to join in on the potluck preparation don’t resort to fried chicken. Dish up something that will truly turn heads instead.
I live in a small Georgia town that you most likely have never heard of and I LOVE it! My house is more than full as I am a single mother of four & caregiver to my aging mother and uncle. Lover of all things Outlander. Goes to the beat of her own drum woman.
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I try to make both Saturday and Sunday special meal days simply because I have so much more time than I do on a typical weekday. Roast chicken is a favorite choice – your photo is mouthwatering!
When I was younger we use to attend church on Sundays, then afterwards there would be a huge Sunday dinner at my grandma’s house with all the family, tons of homemade polish dishes. It was so amazing.
I agree that when we are making something we like we put more energy and enthusiasm into it. There is just something that I like about Sunday dinner. I think of it as a way to slowdown and regroup before the new week starts. I love making a nice Sunday dinner. Regardless of how much time it takes or doesn’t take. It’s time we spend together as a family.
Some great points! Healthy doesn’t have to be time consuming and difficult! I actually went to a dinner recently where someone just bought chicken from the local store and I was like…ugh! 😉
My Grandma is famous for making some type of casserole on Sunday’s!
We try to make our potluck dinners at home. I try to pick something from our church cookbook, which has several items that can be made the night before and cooked that morning. Which makes life a lot easier when you and the kids need to get ready for Church that morning as well.
Sunday dinners are our favorite dinner night of the week where everyone is required to attend dinner no matter what anyone is doing. With life being so busy, it is a great time to discuss what happened the previous week and what is going on the coming week. In addition, I get to try out new recipes on my family.
Sunday dinners are not as common for us anymore. unfortunately, sports even runs out the Sundays. It’s sinful really. So often we do night Sundays, unlike what Sundays were for us right after church. I find with a lot of pot lucks that a lot of people get stressed by even trying to THINK of something to take. I am a baker so I never buy prebought treats but dishes…that is something I stress about. Mostly because am tired of making the same thing. I am home now,not due to choice but illness…so often I cant get the cooking done I used to so enjoy. So our home meals are not the same as they might have been before always, but if we have to take a dish I always cook or make something. What I have also seen is that with this generation being products of working mothers…there is not a lot of TEACHING cooking going on. Even my mom (who was a single mom by divorce for the last four of nine kids) was so exhausted when she went back to school and then to work…she could barely muster the energy to cook. We learned to start things for dinner then. Now she is 82 and cooks up a storm and bakes the best pies ever. But i do think it is a fading art. People dont put so much time into it like they used to because people are so busy with kids events, hobbies, taking care of their homes, etc. But you are right, there are so many recipes easy to find now and crock pot cooking is really making a comeback with great dishes that are not just stews and soups!
Sunday is the big togetherness meal in our house too. Most weeks I make a chicken, but also sometimes I make ham or even homemade pizzas. The best thing is turning off all of the devices and being together.
I love creating dishes for everyone to enjoy. It’s worth the effort in my mind.
The crock pot has become my go-to for Sunday. I love enjoying the day with my family & not worrying about what will be for dinner. so easy and yummy!