When it comes to potlucks, it’s hard to beat a church supper, particularly if you’re in the South or Midwest. Casseroles, fried foods of all kinds, fruity whipped salads, and entire tables devoted to desserts—everyone brings their A game, and everyone goes home full and happy.
It’s been years since I’ve attended a proper church supper, and it becomes harder and harder to remember the suppers of my youth with each passing year. But I’ll never forget Bubba MacArthur and his bag of cheeseburgers.
Every time my grandparents’ church held a potluck, Bubba—who was my favorite Sunday school teacher for unrelated reasons—would show up with a bag of McDonald’s cheeseburgers and plunk them on the table without a word. Even with all the other food, they would be gone within the hour. Some people ate a cheeseburger with rest of their meal, and some people took one home for later, but everyone was charmed. It’s an iconic move, and a good one to add to your potluck/party bag of tricks.
Just imagine: You’re at a party and you’ve been drinking all night while nibbling on crudités and hummus, and in walks a legend with a bag of cheeseburgers. How much love would you feel for that individual? I personally would feel a lot of love for them, and that love would only grow as the evening progressed and the booze continued to flow.
No one is ever mad at a bag of cheeseburgers, and most are delighted. Cheeseburgers contain plenty of protein, fat, and carbs, perfect for soaking up those party libations. (If your fellow party-goers are likely to be mad at the beef part of the burger, you can always bring a bag of Impossible Whoppers.)
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You don’t have to get McDonald’s, but I’ve found that simple fast food burgers play the best. McDonald’s cheeseburgers also re-heat very well—just pop ‘em in the microwave for 40 seconds—and can be taken to-go and enjoyed by your guests after the party, in the comfort of their own homes. (If a cheeseburger isn’t a good party favor, I don’t know what is.)
