Your Signature Potluck Dish - Creamy Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad is a staple at summer picnics. It has such great potential to be a healthy option but it often drowning in gloppy dressing. This lightened version allows broccoli to be the star. The dressing maintains that beloved creamy texture with a few playful surprises.

This is embarrassing to admit so please tell me I'm not the only one who does this - I excitedly accept an invitation to a party or potluck a few weeks away, make a note of the upcoming event on my calendar, and then file it away for later. The week of the potluck arrives and I have no dish planned, but, I don't fret because there are still a few days to think of something. The day of the potluck arrives and I spend the entire day void of good ideas and wishing I had planned my dish in advance.

If you can relate to my method (or lack thereof) I have a suggestion for both of us. Choose a signature dish. Once you have chosen a signature dish you will be less likely to find yourself paying for a bag of chips and a tub of salsa thirty minutes before a party (at least grab one of the refrigerated options!).

Suggestions for choosing a signature dish:

1. Start with ingredients you are likely to have on hand at any given time.
2. Pick fresh ingredients with year round availability.
3. Look for a dish that will be great if made a day in advance or just a few minutes prior to serving.
4. Imagine your dish fitting easily with a variety of entrées (grilled meat, fish, casseroles, etc).
5. Consider appealing to a wide range of dietary needs and preferences.
6. Most importantly - make your signature dish something that you enjoy, that fits your health goals, and could satisfy your hunger if the other food options do not meet the first two criteria.

A few weeks ago I found myself hours from a potluck dinner with no solid plan for what to make. Adding to my stress was the guest list - all the other diners were food blog writers. Ack! I knew the meal would be casual but I wanted to bring something I was proud to share with the talented group.

This salad came together less than an hour before I scrambled out the door. When I showed up to dinner with my bowl of Creamy Broccoli Salad I was very happy with my contribution. It fit right in with the hostess's main dish and complemented the other appetizers and side dishes. It fits the criteria quite nicely and I may have found my signature dish.

Here are some of the other goodies we enjoyed:

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Phyllo Appetizer - by Shut Up & Cook (cheesy briny goodness in a crisp papery envelope)

Persian Cucumber Bites with Lox & Dill Cream Cheese - by Everyday Maven (crunchy, salty, creamy, and gorgeous!)