4 Easy Holiday Dishes You Can Do For Your Christmas Party’s Potluck

Christmas is upon us once more, and ’tis the season for good company, great laughs and amazing food.

The holidays also mean that feasts will be upon us for the rest of the month — whether it’s at an office Christmas party, a reunion among your old classmates, and of course, the quintessential Noche Buena every Christmas Eve.

Potlucks aren’t just an economical way to get together; it’s also a symbol of sharing your blessings with those who matter to you. Who says that potluck parties have to entail buying last-minute takeout at the nearest restaurant? Without a doubt, homemade potluck dishes send an even better message across — plus, nothing beats the taste of using fresh, quality ingredients made with passion.

Worried about not having enough time to pull these off? No worries, as we have got you covered with these simple yet elegant holiday dishes that will leave your friends raving, all with a fraction of the time.

4. Pesto Salad

pesto-salad-contadina

Start off everyone with pesto salad — a real crowd pleaser. Potatoes, olives and green beans in a creamy pesto sauce is inspired from its Mediterranean origins, while our addition of carrots give the salad some color and contrast in texture.

INGREDIENTS

15 oz. mayonnaise

1 Contadina Pesto (190g)

8 oz. marble potato (boiled, cut into half)

1 lb. green beans (blanched)

1/2 cup black olives, pitted (sliced)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine mayonnnaise and Contadina Pesto.

2. Add cooked marble potatoes, green beans, and black olives. Mix then chill for 1 hour.

3. Mushroom Cream Pasta

mushroom-cream-linguine-contadina

Al dente linguine is married in a luscious cream sauce, while the the shiitake mushrooms give some depth in flavor.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 cup shiitake mushroom, fresh (sliced)

2 tsp. garlic (minced)

1/2 cup white wine

2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. thyme

2 cup whipping cream

1 bunch asparagus (cut into 2-inch lengths, blanched)

500g Contadina Linguine or Spaghetti (cooked)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a sauce pot, brown shiitake mushrooms by batch.
Add garlic.

2. Pour white wine and simmer until reduced.

3. Add chicken stock and let simmer. Season with salt and white pepper. Put thyme.

4. Turn off the heat, add cream and asparagus. Toss over cooked spaghetti.

2. Chicken Parmigiana Spaghetti

chicken-parmigiana-contadina

You can never go wrong with chicken parmigiana, and this simple yet classic dish is given a punch with the Contadina Formaggio sauce.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour

500g. chicken, thigh fillet

2 cup oil

1 bottle Contadina Formaggio Pasta Sauce (420g)

1/2 tsp. sugar, white

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup water

1 pack Contadina Spaghetti (500g)

basil or parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Dredge chicken in flour. Deep-fry. Set aside.

2. In a pot, pour the pasta sauce then season with salt, pepper and sugar then add water.

3. Toss in Contadina Spaghetti. Top with cooked chicken and garnish with basil.

1. Italian Meatballs

italian-meatballs-contadina

Every potluck needs an entrée that’s rich and filling. Go down the rustic route with these old-fashioned Italian meatballs, simmered in tomato sauce, it will conjure feelings of nostalgia and warmth.

INGREDIENTS

250g. pork, ground

250g. beef, ground

1pc. egg (beaten)

1/2 cup onion, white (chopped)

1 tsp. oregano, dried

1 tsp. ground fennel

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup mozzarella cheese (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)

1 bottle Contadina Napoletana Pasta Sauce (420g)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine first 9 ingredients. Mix until evenly distributed.

2. Portion out 1 tablespoon, flatten and fill each piece with 1 piece of mozzarella.

3. In a pot, pour Contadina Napoletana, put each meatball and simmer until cooked.

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Thanks to Contadina, whipping up classy yet fuss-free dishes just takes, as Nigella Lawson says, “maximum flavor, minimum effort”. Watch how these recipes are made in the video below:

Which dish will you be bringing to your potluck? Tag a friend who needs this and show off your recipes using the hashtag #flavorsofcontadina!