The Roanoke Times news staff had its annual holiday potluck on Tuesday, and while I only returned in time to sample a few of the dregs (I was working – go figure!) I understand that there were some pretty fine contributions to the table this year.

We always hold a vote at the holiday party and have folks choose their favorite dish. The winner receives a gift card. This year, the winner of the contest was metro columnist Dan Casey, who brought smoked, pulled pork barbecue. Dan tells me that he used the recipe of Paul Giordano, who was featured in our Look Who’s Cooking series not long ago. Here is a link to Paul’s profile and recipes. Way to go, Dan.

Other dishes that earned praise were Danielle Dunaway’s baked potato soup, which is made with cream of celery soup and looks wicked easy; Cathy Benson’s broccoli salad with dried cranberries and bacon bits; and Rebecca Holland’s Cranberry-Orange Bundt Cake, which was covered in a blanket of delicious glaze. I think Mark Taylor’s Brunswick stew was quite a hit, as well — I don’t have that recipe so we all wonder what kinds of critters might have been in there. He is the outdoors writer, after all, so I’d be a little disappointed to learn it did not contain any squirrel. Aha! I knew it! And you see, Mark, I wanted the recipe! And I knew it was yours!

I have recipes to share for the soup, salad and cake. Knowing how much my father loves orange-flavored treats, I think this cake will probably show up on our family table. Thanks to my co-workers for passing these along. Have you discovered any wonderful recipes at holiday potlucks this year?

Cranberry-Orange Bundt Cake (recipe is for one large cake or 18 miniature Bundt cakes)

Broccoli salad with Craisins

Baked potato soup

Late addition: Mark Taylor’s Brunswick Stew

And as long as I’m sharing recipes, I might as well pass along a Christmas spice cookie recipe that I received today from the folks at Swiss Colony.