A Theory of Potluck, expanded

I realized that the last entry may be misleading; as much as I love church cookbooks, I rarely consult any cookbooks when it comes to thinking of a specific meal or specific occasion, especially potlucks.  As I mentioned, my most important consultation is what I might happen to have in the fridge and the cupboard at any moment.  In the past fifteen years I have paged through so many cookbooks and cooking magazines (and, yes, watched so many hours of food television) that these days I am more likely to simply work with my impressions of dishes that simmer in the back of my head.  Even when I do have a recipe to work with directly, I am an inveterate tinkerer in the kitchen, inevitably altering the recipe and even my given plan on most nights.

So, one of my other dishes for potluck this weekend was also an invention--and variation--of sorts.

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Tamale Casserole

1 lb. ground turkey, browned
1/2 onion, diced and sauteed
1-2 bell peppers (any color), diced and sauteed slightly with the onion and turkey
1 15-oz. can of tomato sauce
1 15-oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 Tb. taco seasoning (to taste, depending on the brand you use)

Cook together and spread in the bottom of a 9x12 casserole.  Top with 1/2 of a recipe of Basic Polenta, cooked, chilled, and sliced on top of the meat mixture.  Top with 6 oz. cheese (montery jack is good; cheddar is usually what I have on hand).  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

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Variations

Had there been corn on hand, I would have included it (but there wasn't); had I been making it at home, I would have included some of our roasted Hatch green chile; sometimes I switch out black beans for pintos (or both, if there's more of a crowd); the recipe also adjusts well to a purely vegetarian offering, depending on the other veggies included (zucchini or summer squash works well with the peppers); and so you get the point.

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This works well as a potluck dish also because it keeps well for leftovers, and since there's never any prediction about whether or not you might be taking home an empty dish or a largely full one, this is not an insignificant consideration.