Stumped when you're asked to bring a dish? Here's your answer

The easiest and best gatherings are when everyone pitches in. It's sanity-saving for the host, not to mention energy- and money-saving. And arguably more fun and interesting. But what do you make when asked to bring a plate?

Bestselling author and beloved country cook Sophie Hansen offers seasonally delicious answers to that perennial question, drawing inspiration from some of her favourite country cooks, friends, family and bring-a-plate traditions.

We all love a one-tray wonder, especially when it takes just a few pantry staples and turns them into a deeply flavoured dish of contrasting textures and moreish flavours. I make this regularly and year-round, tweaking according to the season and whatever I have in the fridge. This is a pretty basic version, so you can really make it your own. Leave out the chorizo, or serve the pilaf as a side dish (or bed) for slow-cooked lamb, pan-fried fish or barbecued chicken

Ingredients

Method

1. Place the rice in a bowl, fill it with cold water and leave it to soak.

2. Heat the butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan and add the onion. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, for 30 minutes or until dark brown and deeply caramelised. Remove three-quarters of the onion and set aside.

3. Increase the heat under your pan to medium-high, add the chorizo, spices, salt, pepper and lemon zest and juice and stir for a couple of minutes. Drain and rinse the rice under cold water, then add it to the pan. Stir and cook for a couple more minutes until every grain is slick and coated with the spiced oil.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C.

5. Transfer half of the mixture to an ovenproof dish, then top with half of the potatoes in a layer. Add the remaining rice mixture, then the remaining potato slices. Pour in enough stock to cover everything by about 1cm. Top up with water if you think you need a little more. Cover tightly with foil, then bake in the oven for one hour or until the rice and potatoes are tender and cooked through. Check after 45 minutes and add more water if it is looking at all dry.

6. Remove the foil and add the reserved onion and grated parmesan.

7. Increase the heat to 220C and cook for a final 20 minutes, or until golden.

8. Serve hot from the oven or at room temperature with sour cream to dollop on top.

Serves 6-8.

Travel advice

While this is good at room temperature, it's even better hot. So time things so it comes out of the oven right before heading off then cover tightly with foil, followed by a couple of tea towels. If your cooler is big enough, place some heat packs (or even a hot water bottle) on the bottom, line with newspaper, then pop your wrapped dish on top. That should keep plenty of heat in, for a while at least.

This is a classic recipe - nothing fancy, but super tasty and everyone adores it. These quantities make loads of sausage rolls, but you'll want them (they freeze well). Thank you to Laura Corcoran's mother-in-law Anne for sharing her famous sausage rolls with us.

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C and line two large baking trays with baking paper. Take the pastry out of the freezer to start thawing.

2. Put the bread in a mixing bowl and cover with warm water, then leave to soak for a couple of minutes. Once the bread has become soggy, use your hands to squeeze the water out and tear the soggy bread into small pieces.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine the bread, sausage meat, onion and herbs. Season with salt and pepper then get in there with your hands and give it a good mix.

4. Take a sheet of puff pastry and cut it in half. Place a log of sausage meat along each long edge, then carefully roll the sausage meat up in the pastry to create two long rolls. Cut each into six smaller rolls.

5. Repeat with the remaining pastry and sausage mix, then place the sausage rolls onto the trays and prick with a fork. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180C and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through and browned on top. Make sure you turn the trays around halfway through to ensure the sausage rolls bake evenly.

6. Serve with good old-fashioned tomato sauce or a chutney of choice.

Makes 60.

Travel advice

My preference is to have these hot from the oven, so I cook them at the last minute and then transport them in an insulated bowl (a thick-walled bowl like a casserole dish wrapped in a tea towel will work at a pinch). Wrap a couple of heat packs in paper towel and place the rolls on top, then lid on and off you go. They're also good cold.

I love this flavour combination so much; the pickles, sliced quite thickly and baked with the rest, are such a flavour bomb with the buttery corn and creamy cheese. We have made these into small galettes here, but you could use a tart shell or muffin tins - whatever is easiest!

Ingredients

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat and add the corn kernels. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until they are just beginning to catch and caramelise. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 200C.

3. Roll out your chilled pastry on a lightly floured benchtop and cut into four to six rounds - I used a side plate with a 15cm diameter. Transfer to a couple of trays lined with baking paper.

4. Add the dill to the ricotta filling and mix to combine. Place about two tablespoons of this in the middle of each pastry round. Top with a little goat's cheese, about two tablespoons of the cooked corn kernels and a few pickle slices.

5. Gently pinch the edges of your pastry together to form a crimped seal. Whisk the egg yolks and cream together and brush this mixture over the crimped edges.

6. Pop in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are puffed and golden.

Serves 4-6.

Travel advice

Allow the tarts to cool, then pile them into a container and wrap loosely with a tea towel. If you're going far, keep them chilled and let them come to room temperature before serving.

Ingredients

Method

1. Tip the flour onto your benchtop, add the salt and make a well in the centre. Into this, place the chilled butter. Using the heel of your hand, smoosh the butter into the flour, working it together until the mixture is coarse and sandy with pea-sized pieces of butter. Now add the water, a little at a time, still using the heel of your hand to bring everything together into a cohesive disc of pastry. A few streaks and seams of butter are totally fine here. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Depending on your tin/tray size and depth, you might have some left-over pastry. Just roll it out and make yourself a mini tart.

Makes approx. 380g pastry, or enough for 1 large tart or 8 small tarts.

Ingredients

Method

1. Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined.

Makes 400g.

You can never ever go wrong with a good melting moment. They really do seem to delight everyone, especially with such a pretty pink filling. I like to cook mine a little longer than most recipes suggest so they don't go soggy or too soft. Either way, if you haven't made these before, or for a while, please give them a go. They're such a lovely thing to bring to a picnic, or anywhere. Once the filling is firm and set, they are pretty shelf-stable for a couple of days at least.

Ingredients

Filling:

Method

1. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream for a few minutes until pale and fluffy. Or you can use a large bowl and an electric mixer. Add the zest and vanilla and beat again. Fold in the custard powder, flour and salt. Turn the dough out onto your benchtop and divide in two, then form each half into a sausage shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 170C and line two baking trays with baking paper.

3. Slice each sausage of dough into discs around 1cm thick, and roll these into small balls. Place these on the baking trays, leaving a few centimetres between each to allow for spreading. Gently press down with the tines of a fork to flatten a little.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

5. Meanwhile, clean the mixing bowl ready to make the filling. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer, or using a bowl and an electric mixer, and beat for a few minutes until pale and creamy. Add the jam and the one tablespoon of orange juice and mix again until you have a thick paste. Add more orange juice if needed, a little at a time, until you have the right consistency.

6. Sandwich two biscuits together with a little of the filling and place in the fridge for the buttercream filling to set, then store in an airtight container for up to two days.

Makes about 24.

Travel advice

If you're making these biscuits more than three days in advance, store them, unfilled, in an airtight container and then sandwich them together on the day you plan to share them.