For that family picnic or potluck

You may occasionally need a recipe for an entree', side dish or dessert to help serve a group of people. With outdoor dining weather and picnic season here, there may be family gatherings or graduation parties requiring you to carry in a dish.

Today, I am sharing recipes serving larger quantities or can easily be doubled to help you whenever that situation arises.

If you are so lucky to be gathering with friends, I hope you have a wonderful event and enjoy some great food while together.

Old-Fashioned Ambrosia Salad

Servings: 8

• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks
• 1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges
• 1 cup maraschino cherries
• 1 cup green grapes, halved
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 3 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Whipped Cream
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Place pineapple chunks and oranges in a strainer and set aside, approximately 45 minutes to drain. Drain cherries, rinse in cold water and set aside with other fruit to drain.

Using a stand or hand mixer, whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks are formed. Fold in half of sour cream until mixed then add remaining being careful not to deflate whipped cream. Add coconut and marshmallow to mixture and stir gently.

Add in fruit and nuts, stirring to incorporate.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Out-Of-This-World Baked Spaghetti

Servings: 12

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small to medium onion, chopped
• 1 (24 ounce) jar good quality marinara sauce
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 egg
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-size skillet, cook ground beef and onion until done. Drain off fat. Pour marinara sauce over meat and mix well.

In a large pot, cook spaghetti according to package directions. When done, drain. Add cream cheese and mix well, coating all spaghetti.

Mix together, in a medium-size bowl, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and egg.

To build baked spaghetti, place approximately 1/2 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole dish. Place half of spaghetti on top of meat mixture smoothing to the edges of casserole dish. Layer on cottage cheese mixture, covering all of spaghetti. Layer remaining spaghetti over cheese. Spoon remaining meat mixture over all layers. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle on 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and bake for additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to set 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Sunday Dinner Brisket

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 cups sliced onions (about 4 medium)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 fresh beef brisket (4 to 5 pounds), not corned beef
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until softened. Sprinkle with garlic and brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until onions are golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer to an oval 6-quart slow cooker.

If necessary to fit skillet, cut brisket in half. Sprinkle brisket with flour and shake off excess. In skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Brown both sides of brisket; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker over onions.

Add vinegar to skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and paprika until blended. Pour over brisket. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 8-10 hours.

Remove brisket; keep warm. Transfer cooking juices to a saucepan; skim fat and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Return to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Cut brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with sauce.

Note: This is a fresh beef brisket, not corned beef.

White Seafood Lasagna

Yield: 12 servings.

• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound uncooked shrimp (31 to 40 per pound), peeled and deveined
• 1 pound bay scallops
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pound fresh crabmeat

Cheese Sauce:

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Dash ground nutmeg

Ricotta Mixture:

• 1 carton (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Topping:

• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add shrimp and scallops in batches; cook 2-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are firm and opaque. Remove from pan.

Add garlic to same pan; cook 1 minute. Add wine and lemon juice, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add crab; heat through. Stir in shrimp and scallops.

For cheese sauce, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in remaining cheese sauce ingredients. In a large bowl, combine ricotta mixture ingredients; stir in 1 cup cheese sauce.

Spread 1/2 cup cheese sauce into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, half of the seafood mixture and 2/3 cup cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, 40-50 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.

Herb Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Servings: 8

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves smashed
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2-3 sprigs fresh oregano
• 2 pork tenderloins -- about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each

Mix first 6 ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place pork tenderloin and herb sprigs in a zip top bag. Pour marinade over meat. Seal bag and place in refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

30 minutes prior to grilling, remove tenderloin from fridge and place on counter to gently warm up.

Heat grill to medium high heat. Place tenderloin on grill. Cook for 5 minutes on first side until grill marks appear. Turn tenderloins and cook for 5 minutes. Continue turning so that each side of the tenderloins are grilled. Cook tenderloins a total of about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.

Remove from heat, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with juices.

Creamy Chicken Casserole

Servings: 8

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 12 ounces egg noodles, about 3/4 of regular bag
• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, 4 to 5 slices
• 2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring 1 to 2 minutes until mixture is golden.

Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

While sauce is cooling, cook noodles according to the package directions; drain and return them to the pot.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe bowl.

Add the milk mixture, chicken and thyme to the noodles and toss to combine.

Transfer to a 9-x-13-inch or some other 3-quart baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and drizzle with the melted butter.

Bake until the bread crumbs are golden and casserole is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Low Country Boil

• 5 pounds small new potatoes
• 4 pounds sweet onions, halved or quartered, leaving root end intact
• 4 packages of smoked kielbasa, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 12 ears of corn, broken into halves or thirds
• 6-8 lemons, halved
• 5-6 pounds shrimp
• 3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning

Fill large pot about 3/4 full of water, place on an outdoor cooker and bring to a boil.

Turn to a med-high heat. Add Old Bay Seasoning and mix into water.

Gently place potatoes into pot, cook 10 minutes. Add corn, sausage and onions, cook for 5 minutes. Squeeze lemons and add to pot along with shrimp, cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Drain liquid and dump boil onto a table covered in newspaper.

Have a little melted butter and horseradish sauce on hand; serve with your favorite drink and dig in having plenty of napkins on hand.

Cranberry Pecan Slaw

Servings: 8

• 2 (11 ounce) bagged coleslaw mix
• 1 large Gala or Honeycrisp apple, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped pecan
• 4 green onions, sliced

For the Dressing:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup sour cream (yogurt can be substituted)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Add slaw mix, apple, cranberries, pecans and onions to a large bowl. Toss to mix all ingredients. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk together until smooth. Pour 3/4 of dressing over slaw and toss until mixed well. Add remaining dressing if desired. Additional dressing can be saved in a sealed container to add to slaw at a later time or before serving.

Serve immediately. Slaw can be stored, covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Toss slightly and add saved dressing if needed.

Crockpot Creamed Corn

Servings: 8

• 1 bag (16 ounce) frozen yellow corn
• 1 bag (16 ounce) frozen white corn
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cubed
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk or half & half
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Place corn in crock pot. Add milk, water, salt and pepper. Mix together. Add butter and cream cheese cubes to top of corn. Cover with lid and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. When done, stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Southern Style Country Green Beans

Servings: 8

• 6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 pounds green beans, washed, trimmed and snapped into about 2-inch lengths
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Cook bacon pieces in a heavy bottom pan until done. Remove bacon from pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside.

Add green beans to pan and cook on medium high heat. Toss beans in bacon drippings to coat. Continue to cook until beans turn bright green.

Carefully pour in stock and add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Add bacon pieces back to pot with beans.

Turn burner to low, cover beans with lid, slightly off center and cook for about 1 hour until beans are tender, stirring every 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Orange-Glazed Pork Loin

This is one of the best pork recipes you'll ever try. When prepared for company, they always want the recipe before they leave. This flavorful rub and a glaze with orange juice are also outstanding on pork chops.

Yields: 16 servings.

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 to 3 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 boneless pork loin roast (5 pounds)

For the glaze:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first five ingredients; rub over roast. Place fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine orange juice, brown sugar and mustard. In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until smooth. Add to orange juice mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup glaze for serving; brush half of remaining glaze over roast.

Bake until a thermometer reads 145 degrees, 20-40 minutes longer, brushing occasionally with remaining glaze. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Reheat reserved glaze; serve with roast.

Four-Cheese Spinach Lasagna

This rich, cheesy lasagna is sure to become a family favorite. It's packed with fresh-tasting vegetables like spinach, carrots, red peppers and broccoli. Don't be afraid to serve the colorful casserole to guests, since it's always a huge success.

Makes 12 servings

• 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
• 1-1/2 cups julienne carrots
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1-1/2 cups 4% cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

In a large skillet, saute vegetables and garlic in oil until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat; set aside.

In a small heavy saucepan, whisk flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; stir in spinach. Set 1 cup aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, mozzarella and Swiss cheese. Spread 1/2 cup of spinach mixture in a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Layer with four noodles, half of the cheese mixture, half of the vegetables and 3/4 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, reserved spinach mixture and remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Four-Ingredient Raspberry Cheesecake Fluff

• 1 container (32 ounces) low-fat vanilla yogurt, not Greek yogurt
• 2 (3.4 ounces) packages cheesecake pudding mix dry, divided
• 1 package (12 ounces) frozen raspberries
• 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping thawed

Set out the frozen raspberries to thaw as you prep the other part of the salad. Make sure the frozen whipped topping is completely thawed.

In a large bowl, briskly whisk together the vanilla yogurt, 1 full package of the cheesecake pudding mix, and 1/2 of the other full package of cheesecake pudding mix.

Whisk very thoroughly until completely combined and no bumps remain. Stir in the frozen raspberries until well combined. The raspberries will break down a bit and begin to thaw more. Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping until completely combined.

Either serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

The longer it sits, the more pink the salad will be. Best enjoyed within 1-2 days.

Notes: You won't use all of the second mix. Save to add to another salad.

Banana Pudding Trifle

Servings: 12

• 1 1/2 boxes vanilla wafers
• 6-7 ripe bananas, sliced
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (5 ounce) box French vanilla pudding
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons confectioners sugar

In a 9-inch or 5-quart glass bowl cover bottom with 2 layers of vanilla wafers. Next, layer half of bananas over wafers.

Place heavy cream and powered sugar in a large bowl. Using a stick blender, pulse on and off, whipping cream and sugar together until stiff peaks are formed. Place in refrigerator until needed.

In a medium size bowl, blend together milk, vanilla extract and vanilla pudding packet using a hand mixer. Add in cream cheese and condensed milk and blend until smooth. Fold in 1 cup of whipped cream to mixture. Layer half of mixture over bananas. Add half of whipped cream over vanilla pudding mixture.

Repeat all steps ending with whipped cream on top. Add crushed vanilla cookies to top of dish. Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for minimum of one hour, or until ready to serve.

Peaches and Cream Icebox Cake

Servings: 12

• 1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 (15 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups whipping cream
• 24-26 graham crackers (about 3 1/2 packages)
• 3 cups fresh peaches, peeled and diced (about 4 medium size peaches)
• 1/2 cup graham crackers, crushed

Peel and dice peaches, set aside.

Using a stand or hand mixer, whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add in condensed milk and whip until thoroughly mixed. Add in whipping cream in a slow stream and whip until stiff peaks form.

In a 9x13-inch pan, spread a thin layer of whipped cream mixture. Layer on 6 crackers and additional small crackers to fill out pan. Carefully spread a layer of whipped cream mixture over crackers. Sprinkle on diced peaches. Repeat these steps 3 times, ending with whipped mixture. Cover and place in refrigerator for minimum of 3 hours or overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle on crushed graham crackers.

Fruit Salad For A Crowd

Servings: 20

• 3 cups red seedless grapes
• 3 cups green seedless grapes
• 2 cups cubed pineapple
• 2 cups cubed cantaloupe
• 3 cups quartered strawberries, washed with caps removed
• 2 pints blueberries
• 1 and 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste, as desired

Wash grapes and blueberries. Set aside to drain.

Place all fruit in a large tin foil baking pan and set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together orange juice, honey and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Pour dressing over fruit and gently toss with large spoon. Cover fruit with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator or cooler until ready to serve.

Vanilla Sheet Cake with Chocolate Fudge Icing

Servings: 20

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Chocolate Fudge Icing:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups powered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

For Vanilla Cake, in a medium saucepan, add butter and water and bring to a boil.

In a large bowl add flour and sugar and whisk together. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla, baking soda and salt and stir together. Carefully pour hot butter/water into mixture. Stir with a wood spoon until smooth.

Pour into a buttered (or cooking spray) 15- x 10- x 1-inch baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes.

For Icing: In a small saucepan, add butter, cocoa, salt and milk and bring to a boil.

In a medium size bowl, add 3 1/2 cups of powered sugar, reserving 1/2 cup if needed.

Pour hot cocoa mixture over powered sugar and mix thoroughly until smooth. Add more sugar if too thin. Pour icing over cake and smooth to edges of pan. Let cake cool for another 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

And until next time, happy cooking.