Hello everyone

Just wanted to ask for some advice on something that's been bugging me a bit. Every week my (small) church has a potluck, and nothing on the table has a label. Since I'm vegan, this means I don't eat anything. I bring my own food and stash it in the back-room fridge during the service, but not being able to partake in the communal meal really bothers me. Does this kind of thing happen to anybody else?

I'd like to bring a few nice vegan dishes that the omni worshipers would enjoy. They need to be made out of really inexpensive ingrediants. Any ideas?

vegan lasagne
bean, rice, and corn enchiladas
chili made w/boca crumbles
couscous can be made numerous ways: curried, with chickpeas, sweet like a dessert, etc.. i like to take couscous and add sauteed garlic and onion, diced stewed (canned) tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer the whole thing up.. it's yummmmy..

I always ask different people about their food, telling them it looks good and asking what's in it until I find something.

The few times I've brought something for church members to eat, it's been split pea soup, lentils, or other just really good bean-based savory soups. :)

Morna, the others here have given you some good ideas... I do similar things at our church's potlucks.

I'll bring a BIIIIG green salad with cubes of smoked tofu and garbanzos and lots of colorful veggies - it's always devoured quickly... or a big pot of lentil soup (and sometimes a stack of paper bowls too if the potluck people don't think to provide those...) My soups always get finished up before many of the other more "standard" potluck items...

Usually I bring some vegan rolls and EB too, just so I "know" I'll have a complete meal.

If you make something that doesn't look too "weird" and looks colorful, and tasty and smells good (well, and TASTES good too of course) , chances are, people will eat it whether it's vegan or not...

Great suggestions so far. I'll add pasta (like baked ziti with marinara sauce) or a big pasta or rice salad. Or maybe a nice hummous (or other vegan dip) with crackers, cut-up veggies or pita triangles? I've brought homemade veggie sandwiches before (lettuce, tomato, onion slices, shredded carrots, cucumber slices, etc, drizzled with vinaigrette dressing on long French baguettes), cut into smaller pieces and arranged on a platter. To make sure people know what they're taking, I always stick a little sign on the sandwich platter that says "veggie sandwiches". Even with the warning, I've rarely had leftovers!

I'd say bring a vegan pasta dish as most people enjoy pasta. You can bring a vegan lasagna or ziti. You can even bring spaghetti with an "unmeat" sauce.
Good luck!

how involved are you with the church? do you know many people who run the potluck event? because maybe you could try and get everyone to start labeling their dishes. many people now are picky about their foods, either because they have allergies or are on diets or whatver, so it might go over well with a lot of people. whenever i am at a buffet-type event, i always wish there were labels on the dishes, too.

I hear you!

I like to bring homemade pizza to potlucks. Everyone likes pizza and it's an easy food for a buffet because you can use your hands to eat it. Also, no one thinks it's "weird" not to have meat on the pizza. I make it on a cookie sheet so I can cut the pieces into small squares.

Regarding labels, you could start a trend. Label the food you bring and perhaps others will start doing it too.

Potlucks stress me out sometimes! It can be uncomfortable not eating with others bring to share, and I get frustrated finding recipes that meat-eaters wont's scoff at.

i grew up attending seventh-day adventist services and friday night services at hillels. the potlucks were either vegetarian or kosher dairy. i know i've offered my .02, however, i remember from growing up that baked pasta dishes were always a hit. baked ziti, stuffed shells (with tofu ricotta, of course!); there were always a lot of roasted vegetable salads, couscous salads (my mom's curried couscous was always GONE), finger sandwiches: cucumber and avocado, tofutti cream cheese and jam, peanut butter and jam; vegetable/corn fritters (there's a good recipe for corn fritters in the vegan with a vengeance cookbook), samosas, baked potato wedge fries, mashed potato bakes... yum!

:cry: Why did my family have to attend a Baptist church?!?! Those SDA and kosher potluck dishes sound SOOOO much better than the boring beans-n-weiners, jello molds and macaroni salad I remember having every time!

i grew up attending seventh-day adventist services...

Me too, me too. And they DID (still do) have awesome vegetarian potlucks.

OMG, i know!!... the first time i had quinoa it was at a church potluck....

and the first time i had pineapple pizza too /yum!