Potluck ideas: what to bring
Dishes that travel well, feed a crowd and do not need last-minute cooking, sorted by the same categories you use on a sign up sheet.
Pick a dish that survives the trip
The best potluck dishes are the ones that taste fine at room temperature, hold their shape in a car and can be served with one spoon. A baked pasta, a grain salad or a tray of brownies fits that. Anything that needs to be fried, flipped or assembled on arrival does not.
Bring the dish in its serving container with the serving utensil inside, and put your name on the bottom with tape. Dishes get mixed up in a kitchen with thirty of them.
Mains
A main is the dish people build the plate around. One main for every five or six guests is plenty.
- Baked ziti or lasagna
- Slow cooker pulled pork with buns
- Chicken enchilada casserole
- Meatballs in sauce
- A big pot of chili
- Vegetable curry with rice
- Stuffed peppers
- Sliced ham or roast chicken
Sides
Sides fill the plate and are the easiest category for beginners. Ask for different starches so the table is not all potato.
- Mac and cheese
- Roasted potatoes
- Green bean casserole
- Cornbread stuffing
- Rice pilaf
- Baked beans
- Roasted carrots with honey
- Garlic mashed potatoes
Salads
A salad gives the table something cold and fresh. A grain or pasta salad survives a long afternoon better than leaves do.
- Pasta salad with vegetables
- Greek salad
- Coleslaw
- Potato salad
- Quinoa and chickpea salad
- Fruit salad
- Caesar salad kit with croutons
Appetizers
Finger food covers the hour before the meal, when half the group has arrived and the other half is parking.
- Hummus with vegetables and pita
- Cheese and crackers
- Deviled eggs
- Spinach dip in a bread bowl
- Pigs in blankets
- Bruschetta
- Salsa and chips
Desserts
Dessert slots go first. Ask for a mix, such as one cake, one fruit dish and something in bar form that cuts into small pieces.
- Brownies
- Apple crisp
- Fruit tart
- Cupcakes
- Pumpkin pie
- Banana pudding
- Lemon bars
- Cookie platter
Drinks
Hosts often forget drinks. A potluck with only one beverage is common, so give them a line of their own.
- Sparkling water and juice
- Lemonade or iced tea
- Apple cider
- Sodas
- Coffee and tea with creamer
- A bottle of wine
- Ice (a bag or two)
Bread
Bread is cheap, filling and easy to share. It is also the item that is most often missing on the day.
- Dinner rolls
- Garlic bread
- Cornbread
- Focaccia
- Biscuits
- Sliced baguette
Paper goods and utensils
The most useful contribution for someone who does not cook. Without these the host buys them on the way home from work.
- Plates and napkins
- Cups
- Forks, knives and spoons
- Serving spoons and tongs
- Foil and takeaway containers
- Trash bags and wipes
Dietary notes make a potluck kinder
vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, contains nuts: these are the six notes a guest can add to a dish on the sheet. The point is not to check the recipe. It is that the person with a nut allergy can see, before the meal, which dishes to skip.
If you are the host, add one line for a vegetarian main and one for a gluten-free dessert. People who need them are used to asking, and they notice when you ask first.
Questions
How much food should each guest bring?
Enough for the number of people in your own party plus about half as many again, or for about six to eight servings. If the list gives a quantity such as “Pie x3”, bring one of those.
What are the easiest potluck dishes?
Brownies, pasta salad, a bag of rolls with butter, fruit salad and a tray of cheese and crackers need little cooking and travel well.
What should I bring if I cannot cook?
Drinks, ice, plates, cups, napkins or a bag of rolls. They are usually the lines on a sign up sheet that fill last.
How do I stop everyone bringing dessert?
Put a number on each category. A sign up sheet with “Desserts x3” and “Mains x3” stops filling up with sweets once the dessert slots are gone.