Help - need idea for "family heritage" potluck

[JElaineB]

DS's class along with a couple of others is having an international potlick dinner on Wednesday night and we are supposed to bring an appetizer, main dish, side dish or dessert ot share specific to his culture or heritage, enough for 6-8 people. DS's ancestry is Italian, French, Irish and German. It needs to be something that I can make the night before and serve cold or at room temp, or something I can make in the crockpot. I offered to make Boston Baked Beans since I am from Boston but that didn't fly with DS. I am a pretty good cook but I can't think of anything else appropriate, so any ideas are welcomed!

[Pepper]

Irish lamb stew? German sausages braised with saurkraut (with the sausages sliced up for easier serving)? you could make them a day or two ahead, warm at home & then transfer to the crock pot for serving at school.

[rin]

German potato salad (the kind with bacon, dill, and vinegar)
Homemade soft pretzels with salt & mustard on the side
Baked spaetzle with cheese (you could make this the night before, then warm it in the crockpot)
Rote Gruetze (red berry pudding served with a vanilla cream sauce)

All German, of course, but I'm not having many great ideas for other cuisines.

[DietCokeLover]

Italian: tortellini
French: eclairs
Irish: soda bread
German: ??

[kijip]

What did you or DH eat growing up that seems crockpot doable? Something a grandparent or great grandparent cooked for your family? I would try and go with something like that.

Or you can do potato soup or stew. Big Irish history tie in.

Bouillabaisse or Ratatouille?

[JElaineB]

Thanks for all the ideas! They were great and I saw many of them represented at the potluck. I ended up making Italian knot cookies (anginetti), lemon-flavored, at the suggestion of my mother. She said her mother used to make them, so it truly was a "heritage" dish. I appreciate all the suggestions.