What Can I Bring? Cookbook »

Anne Byrn is known to millions of fans through her Cake Mix Doctor and Dinner Doctor cookbooks, which she's promoted in over 200 television appearances on Good Morning America, Roker on the Road, QVC, and local stations. Her books are also favorite subjects for lifestyle editors in newspapers across the country. Anne lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and three children.

Potlucks and picnics, dinner parties and church socials, fundraisers, toasts to the teacher, reunions, cookouts—it's the busy age of shared meals, which means with every invitation comes the question: " What can I bring?" Anne Byrn, an inspired cook, problem solver, and bestselling author of The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook and other books with over 2.6 million copies in print, knows exactly how to answer the question. Cutting through menu block—a condition familiar to everyone who cooks—here are over 200 delicious suggestions for crowd-pleasing food that’s designed to travel.

There are finger foods, canapes, and "trios"—Trio of Marinated Goat Cheese, Asian Summer Rolls with a Trio of Sauces, Trio of Pastry-Wrapped Camemberts. 25 surprising salads: White Corn Salad with Fresh Thyme, Asparagus and Grilled Peppers with Asian Soy Dressing. Main dishes for a party, from Southern-Style Pulled Pork to Creamy White Bean and Spinach Lasagne. Desserts (of course, 25 of them), and a full chapter of loaves and other gifts from the kitchen, including Chocolate Sour Cherry Bread and Sun-Cooked Peach Preserves. Each recipe comes with Tote Notes (how best to transport the dish), Big Batch (how to multiply the dish), and When You Arrive (how to put the finishing touches on the dish). Plus there are "Grab & Gos"—super-quick recipes—for each section, etiquette tips for working in someone else's kitchen, and a "Notes" area for each recipe, to jot down tips and log in when you made the dish and for what occasion, so you don't repeat yourself.

Some things to keep in mind when putting together a meal prepared by more than one cook: choosing the right dish, supplies to have on hand or bring with you, tips on traveling with food, and a few thoughts on kitchen etiquette.

Appetizers and Soups
Page 1

So many to choose from...and so easy to make. Whether you bring the Olive Cheese Puffs or the Caramelized Onion Spread, the Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps or Little Crisp Crab Cakes, the Summertime Gazpacho or Tuscan White Bean Soup, you'll be getting the party off to a great start.

The Best Salads
Page 89

Both main dish salads and side salads are welcome at any picnic or potluck. With the right containers, it's easy to tote The Best Caesar Salad, Theresa's Romaine and Apricot Salad, a Fresh Green Bean Salad with Crumbled Feta Vinaigrette, and a Sliced Tomato Salad with Basil and Buttermilk Dressing. For mains, pack up a Chicken and Basmati Rice Salad or a Chilled Shrimp Rémoulade or one of my other favorite choices.

Crowd-Pleasing Main Dishes
Page 169

Main dishes to tote and main dishes to make when you're the host. Easy-to-carry mains include Susan's Chicken Potpie, January Lamb Stew, and a savory Mushroom and Gruyère Cheesecake. Dishes best made when there's no travel involved include Lemony Cuban Chicken Legs, Braised Pork Loin with Prunes and Almonds, and Grilled Dry-Rub Flank Steaks.

Sensational Sides
Page 251

Sides like to steal the spotlight and these are sure to, no matter what the entrée is. Curried Corn and Bell Peppers, Green Beans with a Spicy Tomato Sauce, Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crunch, and Sweet and Savory Baked Apricots are just some of the winners in this chapter.

Dazzling Desserts
Page 335

Who doesn't like to be in charge of the grand finale? Whether you decide to tote a rich German Chocolate Cake, a Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze, a plate of Butter Pecan Sugar Cookies, or a Deep Dish Cherry Cobbler—the choice seems endless—everyone will be clambering for your share of the meal.

It's a Gift
Page 441

When you want to bring a little something to the host who's doing it all, think beyond the bottle of wine. Zucchini Walnut Bread, Sour Cream Cinnamon Streusel Loaves, a ceramic jar filled with Homemade Pesto, or Refrigerator Peach Preserves all make delicious and thoughtful gifts.