Vegetarian potluck - main dish kind of thing?

[sarahsthreads]

I'm stumped. We're going to a potluck tomorrow night, and I'm supposed to bring something along the lines of a main dish, and it needs to be vegetarian.

Trouble is, there's already a soup and a pasta dish. So right there most of my feed-a-group vegetarian staples are out. I also think my vegetarian chili would not work well because there's already going to be soup.

Any ideas?

Bonus points if my kids might potentially eat it (they're not picky eaters in the way most people think of kids being picky, but they definitely have things they won't even try).

We like all kinds of beans, and cheese, and most veggies (we're not huge fans of mushrooms) and couscous and so on, but I have no idea what to make that would travel well and scale to feed 20-ish people. I would prefer to avoid tofu. And I'm going grocery shopping in the morning, so I'm not limited to ingredients on hand. ;)

Help?

Thanks!
Sarah :)

[nrp]

This is from Cook's Illustrated and it is AWESOME. I'm actually serving it tomorrow night. It really isn't that time consuming, as the roasting of the veggies is just set and forget. The Barilla no-boil noodles are by far the best, IMO. I also usually use about 50% more cheese - but I do that with every lasagna recipe :bag I have done varying combinations of eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms. I have never been a big fan of veggie lasagna in general, but this one rocks.

VEGETABLE LASAGNE WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Serves 6 to 8. Published September 1, 1997.

Smoked mozzarella, Gruyère, or Fontina can be substituted for the mozzarella and Pecorino Romano for the Parmesan. Also, three and one-half cups of your favorite prepared tomato sauce can be substituted for the sauce in this recipe. Because no-boil noodles come twelve to sixteen in a box, we suggest buying two boxes to ensure that you'll have the fifteen required for this lasagne.

INGREDIENTS
Lasagne
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic , minced petite diced tomato
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves
15 no-boil lasagna noodles (dried, 7-by-3 1/2-inch)
3 cups vegetables , cooked and seasoned (see below)
1 pound mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 4 cups)
5 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2/3 cup)
Vegetable cooking spray for foil

Vegetables: Toss with enough olive oil to coat them lightly before roasting or sauté them in a few tablespoons of olive oil.
asparagus spears - trim tough ends, slice in half lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; blanch until crisp-tender, drain well, and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes
broccoli or cauliflower - cut into florets, blanch until crisp-tender, drain, chop into 1/4-inch pieces and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes
eggplant - cut into 1/2-inch dice, roast until tender, about 35 minutes at 400 degrees
fennel - cut bulb into very thin strips; sauté until tender, about 15 minutes, or roast until tender, about 30 minutes at 400 degrees
mushrooms - trim and slice or dice; sauté until golden, about 5 -7 minutes, or roast until tender, about 20 minutes at 400 degrees
onions - peel and cut into thin slices; sauté until soft and golden, 5 -7 minutes, or roast until soft and golden, about 20 minutes at 400 degrees
spinach or Swiss chard - wash, stem and chop; sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes
zucchini - cut into 1/2-inch dice; sauté until tender, about 7 minutes, or roast until tender, about 35 minutes at 400 degrees

Vegetable Seasonings
minced garlic (optional)
minced fresh herbs (optional)
red pepper flakes (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oil and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil or parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into large measuring cup. Add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups.

2. Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over bottom of greased 13-by-9-inch lasagne pan. Lay three noodles crosswise over sauce, making sure they do not touch each other or sides of pan. Spread 3/4 cup prepared vegetables evenly over noodles, 1/2 cup sauce evenly over vegetables, and 3/4 cup mozzarella and 2 generous tablespoons Parmesan evenly over sauce. Repeat layering of noodles, vegetables, sauce, and cheeses three more times. For fifth and final layer, lay final three noodles crosswise over previous layer and top with with remaining 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. (Can be wrapped with plastic and aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, defrost in refrigerator).

3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Cover pan with large sheet foil greased with cooking spray. Bake 25 minutes (30 minutes if chilled); remove foil and continue baking until top turns golden brown in spots, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let lasagne rest 5 minutes. Cut and serve immediately.

[Pepper]

Moroccan vegetable stew and couscous? I've lost my favorite recipe 9sniff, sniff) but something like this would be easy to scale up and re-heat:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Moroccan-Style-Vegetable-Stew-with-Harissa-Yogurt-Sauce-352047

Or enchiladas, filled with sauteed mushrooms, onions, peppers (or chilies) and spinach (or other greens) - a bit more labor intensive but also easy to make for a crowd and reheats well. (Also tasty at room temperature). Along the same lines, this sweet potato and black bean burrito filling is yummy and could be used to make enchiladas:
http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv87.htm

[sarahsthreads]

That sounds super yummy!

I might do this even though there's another pasta dish... I wonder if one pan would be enough since it's a potluck and there will be lots of other food, of if I'd have to double it?

Sarah :)

[sarahsthreads]

That also sounds very tasty! The hostess is making soup, though, so I feel weird bringing stew. But I do love Moroccan dishes, I'm bookmarking this one for sure!

Sarah :)

[nrp]

That sounds super yummy!

I might do this even though there's another pasta dish... I wonder if one pan would be enough since it's a potluck and there will be lots of other food, of if I'd have to double it?

Sarah :)

I usually double it, to have one to serve and one to freeze - but the regular recipe is a comfortably full 9x13 dish. I think for a potluck I would cut it into 10 or 12 servings for sure - people are going to be eating a bunch of different things, so you don't need entree-size pieces. But, if you need to feed 20, I'd probably double it. Once you have all the stuff out, it's not really much more trouble to do two. Oh - and I think this would be fine even if there is another pasta dish - lasagna is a class of its own, IMO!

[annex]

Another vote for bean burritos. This is a good recipe (not too spicy, imo, for kid palettes). Could be premade and re-warmed quickly in a microwave. Or just make the bean filling to be reheated, keep the rest of the ingredients separate, and set it up as a make-your-own deal for the picky eaters.
:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/01/super-bean-burritos.html

Super Bean Burritos

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.

Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired — or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don’t come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen:
Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

[jent]

I don't have time to type the recipe, but I've made a Mexican-style casserole called "Chilaquile" from one of the Moosewood cookbooks. Basically, you put a layer of crushed tortilla chips on the bottom, then a layer of vegetarian chili, then a layer of shredded cheese, then a second layer of chips, a layer of salsa, then cheese on top, then bake until bubbly.

Or you could do an enchilada casserole using a bean filling-- similar to above, but using tortillas as the layers instead of chips, and enchilada sauce instead of salsa.

[sarahsthreads]

OK, I started to read this first thing this morning and then I had to stop and eat breakfast because all the recipes sounded so yummy! :)

I'm definitely bookmarking all of these for the future - especially because DD2 is having a Dora birthday party in a couple of weeks and wants "quesa-deeeee-yas", so I think some of these would nicely complement that.

I think for tonight I'll make the lasagna. DH may expire from joy when he discovers the roasted eggplant in there.

Thanks for all the recipes and ideas, I can't believe what a rut I'd gotten into with my vegetarian cooking skills - we've been friends with this couple before we all had kids, and I used to know how to cook things other than pasta, lentil soup and vegetarian chili when they came over. ;)

Sarah :)

[soontobe]

unless cheese is out what about a home made pizza with veggies?

[zoestargrove]

I've made that CI lasagne. It's delicious.

As long as you aren't cooking for vegans, I would make a quiche. The vegetarian combinations are endless. I just made one with swisschard, spinach, onions, gruyere cheese and tomatoes.

[Twoboos]

Pioneer Woman has an excellent Mexican Lasagna. It calls for ground beef (or is it turkey?) but I have made it before with black beans instead.

I think the recipe makes 20 servings, so great for potluck or large group.

I made it last year and everyone loved it. I took a short cut to make the dirty rice - instead of chopping tomatoes/onions/etc., I got a container of fresh salsa and mixed that in w/the rice. Definitely a time saver!!

It's a Cooking With Pastor Ryan recipe, I can never find it and always forget about his own section!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/cooking-with-pastor-ryan-delicious-mexican-lasagna/

[sarahsthreads]

I made the lasagna, and it was a huge hit! I made a few changes though (I'll admit I have a problem following recipes and knitting patterns without personalizing them.)

Mostly, I had a somewhat bigger pan so I sort of made it half again as big (but with one fewer layer because it was also a shallower pan). Also the recipe seemed to be missing an integral lasagna ingredient...ricotta. So, I added that in there. I wound up using roasted eggplant and zucchini, and sauteed spinach and onions. I would definitely make it again!

Thanks again for all the ideas, I can't wait to try some of the other recipes in this thread!

Sarah :)

[nrp]

Glad it was a success! I've never been a big ricotta fan, so I like it without, but it's a really adaptable recipe to suit your taste.

I'm going to try some of the other recipes in this thread, too - I'm trying to work in more meatless entrees.