Tis the Season for Quick, Make-and-Take, Potluck-Friendly Foods

Yes, dear readers. It's that time of year where it seems all of our spare time is filled with holiday parties, family gatherings and seasonal socials. We get the chance to see friends and family and eat delicious food; but we also have to cook said food, and that can be tiresome, expensive and downright inconvenient and ruin the fun with our guests. So I want to share two recipes I just tried that were delicious crowd pleasers that were easy on my time, money, dishes and skills.

Tonight, we had Jordan's parents over for dinner. And afterwards,we shared dessert and they met my parents. Since the idea of introducing our families (less than two months before our wedding) is stressful enough amid holiday hurriedness, I chose two new recipes that would feed a crowd and not cause a panic attack in front of my future in-laws.

For dinner, we had tossed salad and store-bought (but home-heated!) garlic knots and I made a ravioli lasagna. This dinner took less than ten minutes of prep/set-up and the oven did all the cooking for me. It looked tasty, and tasted just as good. This would be a great make-and-take meal, especially if you have an insulated carrier (otherwise, just toss it in the oven for a few minutes to reheat); it tastes as delicious as lasagna with about a third of the effort! If you had the resources of time and/or money, you could also easily jazz it up - you could add Italian sausage, fresh herbs, sauteed mushrooms or wildly flavorful raviolis or sauces.

Ingredients: Note: I had to double the recipe to make sure we'd be able to feed six, but here's the original formula.

1 bag frozen ravioli (any flavor - I used Great Value brand five cheese)
1 jar pasta sauce (I used 1 jar Newman's Own marinara, 1 jar organic portabello mushroom, see note)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13x2" pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 3/4C sauce in the bottom and spread evenly. Layer half of the ravioli on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat.

Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes to get cheese melty and bubbly (I added more cheese here, too). Remove from the oven and let set for 10 minutes.

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For dessert, I tried a strawberry cheesecake with a pretzel crust from Iron Chef Michael Symon on The Chew. Michael shared this family recipe that was his 96-year-old grandfather's signature holiday dish and I figured if a whole family has enjoyed it for a generation, it had to be good. This recipe was also quite easy but tasted like I'd slaved over a stove for hours. The filling is creamy and smooth with the signature tangyness of cream cheese and sour cream but is well-balanced with sugar and the saltiness of the pretzel crust. This recipe is easy for travel - no reheating required - and is perfect for making ahead (I made mine a day early). And, like the lasagna, this recipe would allow for great customization. You could use any topping instead of strawberry or could leave it plain.

Ingredients:

For crust:
1 1/2 c pretzels (ground)
1/2 c graham crackers (ground)
1/4 c sugar
8 Tbs unsalted butter (melted)
pinch salt

For filing:
24 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 c sour cream
1 c sugar
5 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
10 oz. strawberry preserves

Method:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the pretzels, graham crackers, 1/4 sugar and butter.Add a pinch of salt and press it into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9x13x2" glass baking dish. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream the cream cheese on medium, scraping the sides often. Next, add the sour and mix until combined. Next, add the sugar and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for one hour or until the center is no longer jiggly.

Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes while prepping the jam. In a small sauce pot melt the strawberry (or any flavor) jam over low heat. When melted, you can strain it if you don't want seeds or blend it if you want it smoother. Pour onto the cheesecake and smooth into an even later. Let the cheesecake cool for 30 minutes to an hour then slice while still warm. Refrigerate to chill completely.

The good news is, cooking this meal was completely stress-free, and best yet, our families got along great!