Try your luck with these easy potluck dishes

My turn came up to run the weekly potluck. What should I make?

I peered into the depths of the freezer and heard a few bags of chicken breasts calling my name. They are on the larger size, but I wanted a lot of finished food, so I grabbed four of them. Originally I was going to cut them into portions, but instead went with a pulled chicken dish. Knowing they would need to be cooked, I put them into my slow cooker with a little bit of seasoning and a splash of barbecue sauce. I set it to low and let them cook overnight. The next morning I turned the cooker off and removed the crock, cracked open the lid, and let it sit out until cool enough to touch. Using my hands, I went through the entire pot and shredded the chicken. Upon tasting a piece, I knew it had a ways to go, but no further cooking was needed. I didn't want to overcook it and have that funny scorched taste. I added another 2 cups of barbecue sauce, 3 tablespoons of Sazon Suprema seasoning blend, a teaspoon of the chicken seasoning whose name is not suitable for publication, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, and 2 cups of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I put the crock back into the cooker and turned it onto warm, gave the ingredients a good stir, and let it heat through before serving. Perfect flavor. I could now serve as is, for tacos, a pizza topping, sandwiches, or wherever you might want a sweet savory chicken.

A note about the Sazon Suprema: what's in it? The ingredient label claims salt, paprika, onion, garlic and parsley along with an anti-caking agent. Tasty stuff, but when I bought it I had to order from the company website a case of six 13-ouunce jars.

Mashed potatoes are pretty easy to make. I can whip up a batch without too much fuss. This time I seasoned them with some truffle salt, though regular salt and pepper will work just fine.

Baked broccoli is a favorite of mine. You aren't putting it in a pot of boiling water and cooking the daylights out of it. The final product should have just starting to brown edges, which brings out a new flavor dimension that steaming or boiling just can't match. If preferred, just toss the broccoli in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients and heat through, stirring frequently.

For dessert, I made a blueberry crisp, though I managed to not get a photo of it. A crisp gives the fruit an extra crispy dimension, without cooking it down to a pudding-like mush. While the recipe calls for just blueberries, I made up a double batch, with the other half of the fruit being a berry blend I found in the freezer, which included raspberries, blackberries, and more blueberries.

PULLED CHICKEN

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon seasoning blend
• 1 cup or more barbecue sauce
• 2 teaspoons seasoning blend
• 1 teaspoon celery salt, instead of the poorly named chicken seasoning
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Place chicken in a slow cooker with 1 cup barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon seasoning blend. Add no water. Cook with a low heat overnight, or until cooked through. Turn off heat and allow to cool long enough to be able to shred the chicken with your hands. Stir in remaining ingredients and taste test. Heat through for 30 minutes to help set flavors before serving.

MASHED POTATOES

• 6 large potatoes, peeled and cut up
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 stick butter
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Bring the potatoes and garlic in water to cover to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat; drain. Place in a mixing bowl and beat until the potatoes are smooth. Add half of the cream and remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth. Add more cream to achieve desired consistency. Adjust seasonings.

BAKED BROCCOLI

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, gently toss all the ingredients until the broccoli is coated. Place in a rimmed baking dish and place in the oven. Bake until the edges are crispy and the stems are crisp tender, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings if desired.

BLUEBERRY CRISP

• 6 cups (3 pints) blueberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt. Place into an 8x8 inch baking dish. In a food processor, place in the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Process briefly to mix well. Add butter and process until well blended. Remove from processor and crumble over the blueberry mixture evenly. Place into oven and bake until bubbling in center and brown on top, 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.