I just would like to know, if you pick up one of those burgers you get on a plate, without using a knife and fork to cut into it, then how do you get it in your mouth as they're so HUGE!!

Thanks for the great link, kireland. :)

Missypie - I know I'm following you off topic, but I sooo agree. Potlucks these days suck!! So many people translate 'potluck' into 'I'll just take what is easiest for me'. I am sooo disappointed when I see a potluck table laden with veggies & dip platters, salads and desserts that are store bought. Most of the time people don't even go to the trouble of taking them out of their packaging and putting them on a serving plate - they just pop the top off! Even people who make homemade things try to make the simplest dish possible - I know someone who buys frozen meatballs and pours a bottle of bbq sauce over them and then crows about how it only took her 10 seconds to put her dish together. Since when is putting in the least amount of effort the point of potluck!!

kireland... then there are those like me who agonize over what to make. I LOVE potlucks but my coworkers COMPLAIN when we have one.
I will go to great lengths to take something special and it is generally not appreciated. Thank goodness Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas allow me to do old school potluck with people who actually look and taste what people bring. There are always recipes being written on scraps of paper and napkins!

Y'all are attending the wrong churches. :-)

I'm surprised nobody mentioned pot roast with onion, carrots in with the roast and mashed potatoes on the side.
Mmmm, I get nothing but compliments on this.

I mentioned the pot roast :) One of my favorite things.

We have potlucks at work and fortunately we have a fair number of people who bring good stuff. There are others who go pick up whatever, but generally we have a pretty good spread.

As for church potlucks - does anyone know of a church that I can join just for the potlucks?

J, you don't have to join - just show up for the potlucks. We're having one at the end of the month if you want to hop on a plane :-)

At work, we've always had a "Thanksgiving luncheon" the week before Thanksgiving. The firm always had the turkey, dressing, ham and rolls catered in, and then everyone brought something. It was fabulous and really something everyone looked forward to. But the last two years, they've been having EVERYTHING catered in...it's always so disappointing! Wouldn't we all prefer Joan's homemade carrot souffle to a steam tray of sliced carrots?!!!

I think "not joining" may be one thing that's wrong with church potlucks. My church has a Fourth of July dinner on the closest Sunday every year, and at the morning service the pastor always invites everyone to eat whether they brought anything or not. The last couple of years, we have just about run out of food. It's my opinion we have people show up just to eat!

We, too, have begun to have lots of bought stuff. One year there was even a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the dessert table, and there are now multiple containers of bought slaw and potato salad, as well as boxed cookies and cupcakes.

Now, the place to go is back to my little home church in the country. The food there is still yummy.