For over forty years the dinner bell has rung at our Hollywood Beach community for monthly summer potlucks. As dinner is prepared some lounge on the deck of our community Clubhouse, gazing at sailboats passing on the nearby Elk River. Others set up tables and assemble the potluck buffet. Neighbors gather until the bell is rung and then everyone surges inside, vying for a bite of their favorite potluck dishes like corn pudding or crab salad. The noise level builds as serving dishes are emptied and eventually, having eaten their fill, folks spill back out onto the deck to savor sunset over the River.
Gatherings like these potlucks like these offer no-fuss dining while enjoying others’ dishes. But all perfect potluck dishes fit certain rules. They must travel well, be heated in advance or served at room temperature, feed a crowd and easy to prepare. Whether they are classics like potato or pasta salad, or inventive side dishes they all offer a little something—whether it's an interesting ingredient or a smart prep technique—that sets them apart.
Which is why a layered salad is such a potluck stalwart. These can be among the most interesting-looking and widely appealing dishes on the table. Somehow, when everyday ingredients like lettuce, beets, potatoes, carrots, eggs, peas or chicken chunks are spread in layers in a glass bowl, they become a whole much greater than the sum of the parts.
I like to think of these as a free-form expression of garden delights, presenting layers of colors and textures so that the salad is as enticing to view its ingredients are tasty to eat. For my layered salad the ingredient list below is really just a starting point. Creativity and the availability of ingredients are the only limit to what might be included. And, to top off this salad experience, I am offering a well-loved topping from the past – Green Goddess dressing. Its bright lemony, herbal and creamy flavors complement any salad composition.
Layered Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients:
- 2 Heads Iceberg Lettuce, rinsed and cut
- 5 Hard Boiled Eggs, quartered
- 8 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
- ½ Red Onion, sliced
- 8 oz Goat Cheese, Feta,Cheddar or other flavorful cheese
- 1 10-oz bag of frozen peas, thawed or garden-fresh peas blanched
- Salt & pepper to taste
Green Goddess Dressing:
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Tsp Chopped Garlic
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
- ¼ Cup Basil Leaves, chopped
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Hopefully Hollywood Beach potlucks will continue for another forty years, but in the meanwhile please enjoy this collection of potluck recipes courtesy of Sunday Supper friends:
Appetizers
- Calamari salad with fennel and avocado by Caroline’s Cooking
- Coronation Chicken Deviled Eggs by Food Lust People Love
- Creamy Ranch Tortilla Pinwheels with Roasted Red Peppers by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
- Roasted Corn Salsa by Casa de Crews
- Walnut Grapes by Eat, Drink and be Tracy
- Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese Recipe by April Golightly
Sides and Salads
- Amish Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad by My World Simplified
- Antipasto Pasta Salad by A Mind “Full” Mom
- Arugula Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken by Hardly A Goddess
- Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Salad by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Chopped Caprese Salad by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
- Crunchy Coleslaw by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Cumin Scented Quinoa with Black Bean and Corn Salsa by The Hungry Goddess
- Easy Summer Chickpea Salad by She Loves Biscotti
- Elotes by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Frog Eye Salad by Turnips 2 Tangerines
- Gluten Free Grilled Corn Salad by Gluten Free Crumbley
- Layered Salad with Green Goddess Dressing by Delaware Girl Eats
- No Mayo Potato Salad by Simple and Savory
- Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad by My Life Cookbook
- Spaghetti Salad with Italian Dressing by Kitchen Gidget
- Summer Grain Salad by Pook’s Pantry
- Summer Tortellini Salad by Palatable Pastime
- Tarragon Marinated Veggies by Beauty and the Beets
The Main
- Steve’s Fried Chicken by Monica’s Table
Desserts
- Blueberry Ginger Parfaits by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Blueberry Slab Pie by The Chef Next Door
- Caramel Icebox Cake by Cookin’ Mimi
- Caramel Syrup “Doughnut” Cake by What Smells So Good?
- Cherry Crumb Bars by The Redhead Baker
- Chocolate Eclair Cake by Tramplingrose
- Coconut Lime Ice Cream by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Cookie Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Double Chocolate Blondies by Family Around The Table
- Frozen Champagne Salad by Moore or Less Cooking
- How to make a Pineapple Summer Cake by Asian In America
- Lemon Icebox Bars by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Mini Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisps with Coconut by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- No-Bake Summer Berry Cream Cheese Tarts by Magnolia Days
- Peach Dumplings by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- Peanut Butter Bars by Confessions of a Cooking Diva
- S’mores Blondies by Alida’s Kitchen
- Strawberry Pretzel Pie by My Imperfect Kitchen
- Summertime S’Mores by The Freshman Cook
- Triple Peanut Butter Cookies by Cooking With Carlee
- White Sheet Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Whole Wheat Blueberry Galette by The Bitter Side of Sweet
Plus Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake and Best Potluck Dishes from Sunday Supper Movement 
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