Sense, Nonsense, and Not-Sense

As an aside, you can braise anything in a slow cooker (sear and do the slow cooking in the crock pot) so that could be a good investment. However, if you choose not to invest in a slow cooker for just a few pot lucks, there are numerous recipes that travel very well AND are sufficiently impressive that don't have to be casseroles (bleh). We can talk about them later today.

There are a few cardinal rules though: 1) Check with your host. The oven may be booked or set to a certain temperature, so don't show up with something that needs a good browning in a blazing oven unless you check to make sure that no one else is using the oven just to warm something up. If she says the oven is going to be packed, bring something that can be reheated on the stovetop. 2) Bring a serving dish and a serving spoon. 3) Pack your garnish (and do bring a garnish) separately and then plate and garnish on the spot. 4) If you do get permission to use the oven or the stovetop for a given amount of time, don't cook to completion at home, cook 90% of the way there, shock in ice water and complete cooking at your host's place. This is especially true for foods that are easily overcooked (chicken breasts, certain cuts of pork, anything with eggs.)