Mango Madness

Friday night, we had an impromptu (okay, planned a week in advance, which counts as impromptu in my world) game night & potluck supper. It was a small crowd, but some delicious food and much hilarity during several rounds of Scattergories. Since I have a tendency to be rushing about like a crazy person minutes before guests arrive, trying to get food finished, so that I answer the door all sweaty and flushed and breathless, I decided it would be wise to do something in the slow cooker. Riffing on a Gooseberry Patch recipe, I popped a pork roast in the pot, poured a jar of Newman’s Own Medium salsa and a 4 oz. can of chopped green chiles over the top, and let it cook for 8 hours on low. Shredded, it made lovely little soft tacos. I thought we had sour cream, but we didn’t, so one of the guests offered a quick improvisation, handing me the goat cheese that went on his spinach & strawberry salad. It turned out to be a great accompaniment. We did have scads of tomatoes, but everyone wanted their tacos pretty plain.

Since I wasn’t sure if everyone would be up for spicy, and since Boot was in town, I made my chicken pot pie, too. It was always his favorite as a kid, his chosen dinner for more than one birthday, so I wanted to make it while he was back from college. I learned it from my friend, Teresa, who lives near Nashville. It’s incredibly simple:

Teresa’s Chicken Pot Pie

1 double-crusted pie shell (I never make my own)

1 can cream of chicken soup (reduced fat is perfectly fine)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (as above)

1 can Veg-All, well-drained (I expect you can use another brand of mixed veggies, but I never have)

About a pound of cooked chicken, cut in bite-size pieces (I am often lazy and just get a couple packages of the pre-cooked kind)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the bottom crust in a 9” pie plate. Mix the soups, veggies, and chicken together. Put in pie shell. Top with the other crust, seal, vent, and crimp. Bake until golden brown on top, about 45 minutes. Serves 6-8.

I also made my favorite Tuscan kale salad and picked up a cherry pie from the grocery. I think the biggest hit of the party, though, was Steve and Jeff’s Mango Madness cocktail. They first discovered it on a trip to Aruba and have tinkered with possibilities until they’ve come up with a swoony concoction of Daily’s Mango Mix, Captain Morgan Mango Rum, and Bacardi Coconut Rum, all blended with ice. Mmm!