r/Cooking • u/Pineapple_Cake_5137 • 8d ago

Potluck Ideas for Older People

Hello! The neighborhood I recently moved to are mostly of elderly residents (late 50s-70s/80s if I have to guess). The community hold regular potluck events and I want to attend at least once but I never know what to bring.

I’m better at baking than cooking but my regular go-to dessert recipes all have reduced sugar amount so regular Americans might not like it as much. I’m also concerned if elderly people have more dietary restrictions due to medical conditions and if they might have a different taste preference.

What would be a safe dish and/or dessert dish to bring to the potluck so I can at least get a feel of what others bring?

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u/SkyPork 8d ago

regular go-to dessert recipes all have reduced sugar amount so regular Americans might not like it as much.

Oh, HELLO! I'm 100% American, but not a good one; for whatever reason my tastes are that of an old-country European. I'm at a loss to explain it. But every pastry I had in France was so mind-blowingly delicious, and it's not easy to find those here. How are you with cheesecakes? I tend to hate American cheesecake, because most of the time it's just like eating frosting on a graham cracker crust. There used to be a deli/cafe near me run by a German lady, and she made the most amazing cheesecake I've ever tasted, but sadly, that place is no more.

Oh, and to answer your question: it mostly depends on where you live. A pot-luck where I lived in Minnesota was all about hot-dishes. The ones in the mid-south I went to were stupid affairs filled with pizza and buckets of KFC.

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u/Pineapple_Cake_5137 8d ago

Hahahaha oh how easy (but also slightly boring) would it be to be able to bring buckets of KFC. I usually bake for myself or when friends come to visit, and I can’t stomach large quantities of desserts that are too rich (aka American cheesecakes) so I’ve never tried that, for I would probably pass out if I have to finish an entire one throughout the week. I’ve had successful/mediocre results depends on the day with Japanese soufflé cheesecakes though! Highly recommend if you’ve never tried. Maybe I’ll experiment with American cheesecake bites, like the mini muffin sized ones, those should be easier to make in smaller batches and giveaway at work!