Creative Ideas for Mexican Potluck Parties

Everything about the Mexican culture emphasizes the family and traditions. Every holiday, birthday, anniversary, wedding and sports event is an excuse to gather family and share the number one Mexican family tradition – the potluck. Every family member has his or her favorite dish to make and that one dish they look forward to eating. Mexican potlucks are not just an array of casseroles and crock pot dishes although certainly plenty of those types of dishes are available. Amidst the array of one-pot meals is also a variety of condiments and accompaniments that one should expect at any get together such as pico de gallo and fresh corn tortillas.

Generally Mexican potluck dinners have children running about, playing games and family members catching up on the latest news. The formality of the sit down dinner is replaced with a festive atmosphere that is why some of the most creative pot luck dishes allow family members to eat them without sitting down.

There is of course, the more recently popular skewered bacon-wrapped and skewered prawn stuffed with a jalapeno strip, of cheese but here are some other recipe ideas for skewered dishes:

Chicken Skewers With Satay Sauce

1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ t cilantro
2 t sugar substitute
½ t salt
2 t mild curry powder
1 T vegetable oil plus extra to fry
1 t ground turmeric
1 C coconut milk
1 lb skinless chicken breasts
4 T reduced calorie peanut butter
2 T sweet chili sauce
2 T tamarind paste
2 T light soy sauce
2 t lime juice
2 t sugar substitute
Parsley for garnish

For marinade, add onion, garlic, cilantro, sugar substitute and salt to food processor and pulse briefly. Add curry powder, oil, turmeric, and coconut mild and pulse until combined. Empty this mixture into a large bowl. Cut chicken into thin strips. Add to marinade and chill two hours or overnight in refrigerator. Soak 16 wooden skewers in cold water for half and hour. Add peanut butter, sweet chili sauce, tamarind paste, soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, and lime juice in a bowl and mix well with electric mixer. Add 2 to 3 Tbsp boiling water , still mixing, to desired consistency and set aside. Take meat from marinade and thread on skewers. Add a little bit of oil to a frying pan and heat on high. Fry chicken skewers until just cooked through (probably needs to be done in two or three batches) and transfer to serving plate. Lightly brush the skewers with satay sauce or serve the sauce along side and garnishing the serving dish with flat leaf parsley. 16 skewers or 8 servings with 213 calories per serving.

Grilled Vegetables with Pineapple.

Just skewer your choice of soup vegetables i.e., cherry tomatoes, pepper, onions, even rolled cabbage leaves or Brussels sprouts, along with pineapple peppers and mushrooms. Brush lightly with a little low sodium soy sauce and olive oil* and throw it on the backyard grill. Lightly brush with teriyaki sauce.