Bring a Fabulous Dish

Pick one (or both) of these terrific offerings, and serve it at your next potluck.

Whether you plan to reunite with school buddies, coworkers, or family, you can bet everyone is looking forward to the food. We found a couple of great reunion dishes that will have the group clamoring for second and third helpings.

Start with Spicy Southwestern Deviled Eggs. Minced pickled jalapeño peppers provide the heat, and cumin lends Southwest flavor. We updated Macaroni-Ham Salad with a touch of Cajun seasoning, diced tomato, and a variety of bell peppers. Plus, it can be made a day ahead.

If you're in charge of bringing the beverages, see our serving suggestion for iced tea on page 186, or stir up a batch of Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade on page 188. For dessert, you can't go wrong with refreshing Lemon Squares (page 149).

Any of these recipes are great alongside the usual reunion fare of fried chicken or burgers and hot dogs. So take your pick, and you'll be ready with fabulous food that will keep 'em coming back for more. -CHARLA DRAPER

Spicy Southwestern Deviled Eggs

MAKES 2 DOZEN

PREP:15 MIN., CHILL: 1 HR.

The fresher the eggs, the more difficult they can be to peel. For ease of peeling, buy and refrigerate your eggs 7 to 10 days before using.

1 dozen large eggs, hard-cooked and peeled

6 Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 to 4 Tbsp. pickled sliced jalapeno peppers, minced

1 Tbsp. mustard

½ tsp. cumin

1/8 stsp. salt

Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

1. Cut eggs in half lengthwise, and carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks; stir in mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients. Spoon or pipe egg yolk mixture into egg halves. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Garnish, if desired.

EDIE BULLARD

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Macaroni-Ham Salad

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., CHILL: 2 HRS.

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 cup chopped cooked ham

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 tomato, seeded and diced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 small yellow bell pepper, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

1¼ cups mayonnaise

1 ½ tsp. Cajun seasoning

2 tsp. lemon juice

Salt to taste

1. Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

2. Combine macaroni and next 9 ingredients until blended. Add salt. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. KEVA COLSTON

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

For More Info

Celebrity chef's reunion menu: southernliving.com/june2007

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jun 2007
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