Casey Elsass joined "Good Morning America" on Friday to share some recipes from his new cookbook, "What Can I Bring?"
Check out the full recipes below and shop tools to make the dishes in your own kitchen with ease.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
3 pounds baby creamer potatoes (red, yellow, purple mix preferred)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dill pickles plus 1/4 cup pickle brine
10 pepperoncini plus 2 tablespoons pepperoncini brine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1 bunch chives
1 cup mayonnaise (see Party Tricks)
2 tablespoons grainy mustard or spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh dill fronds, plus more for garnish
Directions
In a Dutch oven, combine potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, about 10 minutes. Set a timer for 8 minutes. Test potatoes with a knife; if not tender, boil 2 minutes more.
Drain (do not rinse). Let sit 5 minutes, then cut in half. Toss warm potatoes with pickle brine, pepperoncini brine, vinegar, celery seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
Finely chop pickles, pepperoncini, and chives. Mix with mayonnaise, mustard, and black pepper. Fold in parsley and dill.
Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with extra herbs, and serve.
Party Tricks
Swap vegan mayo for a 100% plant-based version.
Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate covered, then bring to room temp before serving.
Serves 6
Ingredients
One 14 to 16-ounce box gingersnaps (see Party Trick)
8-ounce block cream cheese, cubed
2 cups sour cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 store-bought pound cakes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see Party Trick)
16-ounce bag frozen berries
1 navel orange
Special equipment
3-quart trifle bowl
Directions
Crush gingersnaps into fine crumbs (bag and rolling pin or food processor).
Beat sour cream and cream cheese together until mostly smooth. Add cream, powdered sugar, and maple syrup; beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Zest and juice orange into bag of frozen berries. Shake well to mix.
In trifle bowl, layer: one-third of cake cubes, one-third of whipped cream, one-third of crumbs, and 1 cup berries. Repeat layers twice. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.
Party Trick
Any cookie works as a swap (Biscoff, Nilla Wafers, graham crackers, gluten-free). Store-bought pound cakes like Sara Lee or Entenmann's are perfect shortcuts.
Makes: 3 1/2 cups, enough for 10 people
Ingredients
1 pound tomatillos
2 medium limes
1 medium white onion, quartered
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 jalapeño, whole or seeded (see Party Tricks)
4 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons kosher salt (see Party Tricks)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
1 ice cube (see Party Tricks)
Salt and vinegar potato chips, for serving
Directions
Peel papery skins off the tomatillos and rinse under cold water. Cut into quarters. Add half to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the tomatillos, but don't blend yet.
Roll the limes with your palm, cut in half, and squeeze into the blender. Add onion, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, salt, coriander (if using), and ice cube. Pulse 4 to 6 times until the salsa is a little chunky but mostly smooth.
Pour into a serving bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 1 day). Serve with salt-and-vinegar chips.
Party Tricks
If you're wild for mild, slice jalapeño into 4 ovals, leaving the seeds behind.
For can't-stop salsa, try 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus 1/2 teaspoon MSG.
To keep the salsa vibrant, drop in an ice cube while blending.
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes
Flaky sea salt
16 ounces Halloumi cheese
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Slice tomatoes into 1/2-inch rounds. Place on a serving plate with juices and sprinkle generously with flaky salt. Let sit.
Slice Halloumi into 1/4-inch pieces. In a nonstick skillet, toast sesame seeds over low heat until fragrant, 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
In the same skillet, heat olive oil and oregano leaves until crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.
Fry Halloumi slices in batches until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes each. Transfer to plate with tomatoes.
Layer tomatoes and Halloumi in an overlapping pattern. Drizzle oregano oil and lemon juice over top, then sprinkle sesame seeds and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Party Trick
If transporting, make just before leaving and cover with plastic wrap. Do not refrigerate -- juices improve with time.
Recipes reprinted with permission from "What Can I Bring?" by Casey Elsass © 2025. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group.
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