Potluck

For my small group potluck, I made the sausage with broccoli over rice.    The fully-cooked smoked sausage was easier for prep (didn't have to grill it first) and it actually looked better for "presentation" since it had more color.  Using only the broccoli crowns, and just cubing the stalks to include with the rice is good.  But, the best change I made was to add the tomato-based sauce.  I still cooked the rice separately - and actually, basic rice with nothing else, would be okay, since there is so much to that would go over it.   It turned out that the brown rice was better than the white rice also.  I again pan fried the broccoli separately as well as the sausage.  For the sauce, I mixed cubed tomatoes with tomato paste and a lot of herbs (onion, garlic, cilantro, basil, parsley, and cumin; along with salt and pepper) - diluting with water as needed.  Then I put the broccoli and sausage back in and simmered.  It turned out to be quite tasty; and the presentation was really good also.  It even still tastes good after it has cooled off.  This is definitely a keeper, for a potluck dish option.

For the next potluck, I came across a Chorizo Cornbread recipe that looks like it would be good:
Ingredients:
1lb chorizo
2 boxes jiffy cornbread mix
3 eggs
milk
1 c. shredded cheese
1/2 c. green onions, chopped
Cook the chorizo in a pan over medium heat, making sure to use a wooden spoon and break the meat up into as tiny pieces as possible.  While you’re doing this, start working on the cornbread.  Prepare according to package directions, but add an extra egg (this helps keep the whole thing together).  Mix cornbread mixture until barely moistened, and then stir in remaining ingredients gently.  I like to put these into little bitty muffin tins to make them all the more bite-sized.  Fill muffin tins 3.4 full, and then cook 10-20 minutes, depending on pan size.

Some alternatives in this recipe would be to use ground beef instead of chorizo; and instead of the extra egg, can mix in whole kernel corn and creamed corn.  Then layer the corn bread mixed with the two types of corn, the cooked meat with onions, the cheese, the rest of the corn bread mixture and top with cheese again; and bake as a mexican cornbread casserole.

4-May Update:
The Mexican Cornbread for yesterday's potluck turned out quite well.    I just browned the ground beef with onions and taco seasoning.   Then mixed the cornbread (2 boxes) according to directions and added one can of creamed corn and one can of whole kernel corn.   Then layered half the cornbread mixture with the meat and then topped with the the other half; and baked according to directions.  At the end, sprinkled shredded cheese on top.  It was very moist and the whole kernel corn makes it seem more "homemade".   The only thing that might use some changing, is that the meat, when baked becomes darker and harder.  Not sure if seasoning with salsa or taco sauce during browning would help, since it may cause the cornbread to change colors.
NOTE:  Be sure to grease the baking pan so that the cornbread won't stick to the pan (butter works well with the cornbread)