This list is designed to help people that want to bring a Filipino dish to a party or potluck. It can be a great way to find new recipes that you might be unfamiliar with but I can guarantee that they are all certified tasty.
The Crowd Pleasers
All of the recipes in this section are crowd pleasers that I have brought to potlucks and gotten so many potlucks!
1. Pancit Bihon
Pancit bihon is just one of many variations of pancit. This one is pretty simple to make! It is just chicken broth with noodles, meat, and veggies! I brought this to Doug’s family party and everyone was fighting to take home the leftovers.
2. Biko
One of my favorite desserts of all time. Biko is a caramelized sticky rice dessert. I once brought this to a get-together full of fitness trainers of whom many were gluten-free. It lasted all of 10 minutes.
3. Ube Cookies
Ube Coconut Cookies are my most popular baked dessert. At one point I was even selling them locally. I’ve had more compliments about this cookie than any other dish I make. Do not worry, they are also very easy to make!
The Traditional Centerpiece
Both recipes in this section are traditional Filipino entrees that are sure to impress! They are straightforward to make and two of my absolute favorites.
4. Pork Adobo
This is it. This is the one. Pork Adobo. The quintessential Filipino dish. It can be cooked in about an hour or so but I highly recommend letting it sit overnight to marinate in its own flavors.
5. Bistek
Bistek is a very simple beef stew that uses lemon to brighten up the flavors. This combined with onions creates a classic Filipino beef stew.
Worth the Effort
Do you really want to impress? Make either of these recipes and you’re guaranteed to be invited again. Be careful though, you may be required to make these every time and they can be time consuming.
6. Lumpia
Deep fried finger food is never skippable in my book. If you’ve never had lumpia then I recommend you fix that. Lumpia is one of the hallmarks of Filipino cuisine and I haven’t met a soul who doesn’t enjoy it. I’ve made lumpia on numerous occasions and it seems my experience is similar to so many others: wrapping lumpia by hand with grandma.
Lumpia is labor intensive. No one would say otherwise. The time ratio of creation to consumption is crazy high BUT the amount of sheer joy that results is undeniable.
It will take time. You may not enjoy the process. People will go absolutely bonkers for it.
7. Pandesal
Pandesal is the bread that families are built upon. It has a short ingredients list but requires just a small amount of skill but most of all, time. You will need to plan ahead for two proofing sessions but I promise, it gets easier every time you make it.