The Best Potluck Recipes

I love potlucks! I love being able to try a little taste of new foods and old favorites. I love being able to share some of my favorite dishes with others. But not every dish is appropriate for a potluck. You need to be able to make it ahead of time (sometimes hours, sometimes even the day before), transport it safely, keep it hot or cold, and it needs to be able to sit out for some time without ruining its taste or texture. 

Over my many years of participating in potlucks, I have developed a collection of recipes that work well for potlucks, including not only main dishes but also appetizers, sides, and desserts. Here are my recommendations for the best potluck dishes!

Appetizers

Although you can do appetizers that require a plate and utensils, my preference is for easy finger foods. Also, these are all vegetarian recipes and (except for the Cranberry Brie Bites) dairy-free, which accommodates some dietary restrictions as well as being more forgiving of sitting at room temperature for a few hours.  

Rainbow Pinwheels

4 large tortillas
1 cup hummus
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup purple cabbage, sliced thin or shredded

*Feel free to substitute, omit, or add any other vegetables: zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, cucumber, radish, etc. 

Spread about ¼ cup hummus over each tortilla, leaving room on the edge. Arrange the veggies on the hummus covered tortillas in rainbow order. Roll up each tortilla tightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours. When ready to serve, unwrap and cut crosswise into pinwheels. 

Cranberry Brie Bites

1 (8-oz.) tube crescent roll dough
Flour, for dusting
8 oz. Brie
1/2 c. whole berry or jellied cranberry sauce (seedless raspberry jam is also good)
1/4 c. chopped pecans (plain or candied)
6 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a mini (24-cup) muffin tin with mini muffin cup liners. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough and pinch together seams. Cut into 24 squares. Press squares into prepared cups. Cut Brie into small pieces and place inside dough. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, a few pecans, and one small sprig of rosemary. Bake bites until pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

These bites are fine to be left at room temperature for hours, and I think the flavor is better at room temperature than chilled, so I recommend refrigerating them until you head off for the party, then don't worry about the temperature after that. 

Southwestern Black Bean Dip

1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-3/4 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 chopped cilantro (adjust amount to taste, or substitute fresh parsley)
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
3/4 cup Zesty Italian salad dressing

Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve with tortilla chips. May be made up to one day ahead and kept in a covered container in the refrigerator. This is another non-dairy dressing that tolerates sitting out longer than other options.  

Honey-Mustard Chex Mix

3 cups Chex cereal (Rice, Corn, Wheat, Multigrain, or a combination)
2 cups pretzels (any shape)
2 cups pita chips or bagel chips (break into bite-size pieces if necessary)
2 cups peanuts*
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
3 tablespoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

*You can omit the peanuts and add in 2 cups of any other ingredient. Feel free to mix and match ingredients and include other options: Melba toast, Cheez-Its, cheese puffs, Goldfish crackers, mixed nuts, etc. As long as the final volume is about 9 cups it's fine. 

In a large mixing bowl, toss together cereal, pretzels, chips, and nuts. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in remaining ingredients until dissolved. Pour over the cereal mixture and toss well to coat. Line two large cookie sheets with foil and spread the mixture in an even layer. Bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Allow to cool, breaking up clumps as needed. Store in an airtight container.

Main Dishes

I love slow cooker recipes for potlucks, because they're designed for being kept warm for hours at a time without overcooking or drying out, and they're easy to throw together the night before and cook overnight. You can also make a stovetop or oven recipe and keep it warm in the slow cooker. 

Sausage Lentil Stew (can be made vegetarian/vegan)

3 tbsp butter*
½ onion, sliced thin
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
6 cups chicken broth*
1-1/2 cups carrots, sliced
1-1/2 cups celery, sliced
½ package dried lentils (~1 cup)
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage*
Grated Parmesan-Romano cheese (add to individual servings as desired)

* This recipe can easily be made vegetarian or vegan by substituting olive oil for butter and vegetable broth for chicken broth, and either omitting the Italian sausage and grated cheese or serving it on the side.

Melt the butter in the bottom of a dutch oven or large saucepan. Saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Stir in the thyme, cumin, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the broth. Stir in the carrots, celery, and lentils. If using, remove the casing of the sausage and crumble into the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 50 minutes (covered). The stew can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, then reheated on the stove or in the slow cooker. In either case, transfer to a slow cooker on "keep warm" to transport and serve. 

Pulled Pork

3-4 lb. boneless pork shoulder or butt roast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground red pepper
1 yellow onion medium, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper medium, cut into thin strips (optional)
18 oz. barbecue sauce
½ cup brown sugar

*Note: I can often find a good deal on a 5-6 lb pork shoulder at Costco, so I double the remaining ingredients. There is no change in cooking time. 

Trim excess fat and silver skin from pork. Combine salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and red pepper in small bowl; rub over roast. Place onion and bell pepper (if using) in slow cooker; add pork. Combine barbecue sauce and brown sugar; pour over meat. Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours. I like to stir a few times during the cooking process. Transfer roast to cutting board. Trim and discard any remaining fat . Use 2 forks to pull pork apart and return shredded meat to cooker. Keep on keep warm. 

You can provide bulky rolls to serve as sandwiches, but I find that at potlucks, people usually prefer just the meat so they have room for other dishes! 

Sausage, Red Beans, and Rice

12 ounces sausage (sweet Italian, bratwurst, kielbasa, etc.), sliced
1 teaspoon olive or vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped (or 1/2 cup frozen diced onion)
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 (15-oz) can red kidney beans, light or dark, drained but not rinsed
1 cup cooked rice OR 1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned. Drain fat, then add tomatoes and kidney beans. If using uncooked rice, add rice and amount of water in cooking directions and simmer according to directions. If using cooked rice, stir in and simmer. If you prefer a "saucier" dish, you can add the broth before simmering. Add salt and pepper to taste. (The original recipe did not call for seasoning but I felt it needed a little. Feel free to experiment with spices like cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder for a more flavorful dish!) Simmer until sauce thickens, then transfer to a slow cooker set to "keep warm" until ready to serve. 

Orange Chicken

3 lbs chicken breasts
3/4 cup orange marmalade
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce

Trim any excess fat from chicken and place in slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from pot and cut into bite-sized cubes. Drain juices and return chicken to pot. Stir together marmalade, barbecue sauce, and soy sauce and pour over chicken. Cook onto high for 30 additional minutes. Leave on keep warm until ready to serve. 

Bonus Vegetarian Main Dish: Chickpeas and Wild Rice

½ cup uncooked wild rice 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium shallot (or 1/2 yellow onion), finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup craisins
¼ cup toasted pepitas, chopped pecans, or sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

*Note: This recipe is actually the filling for a stuffed acorn squash recipe, but it stands fine on its own. My (non-vegetarian) kids don't like squash, but they love the filling. You could throw in some cubed roasted squash, though. 

Cook the rice according to the package directions and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the mushrooms, kosher salt, and black pepper. Increase heat to medium and cook until the mushrooms are softened and browned, about 5 to 7 additional minutes. Add the chickpeas, cranberries, pepitas/pecans/sunflower seeds, thyme, and cooked rice and stir to heat through, about 2 additional minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Side Dishes

Light salads are great for when people are sampling lots of dishes, and they tend to keep better than cooked vegetables. 

Chickpea Apple Broccoli Salad

1 head broccoli, very finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups diced or julienned sweet apples
1 cup shredded or julienned carrots
⅓ cup diced green onion
⅓ cup craisins
⅓ cup chopped pecans
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
½ tablespoon honey
1 clove of garlic, minced
Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
Extra craisins and pecans (optional), for garnish

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, chickpeas, apples, carrots, green onion, craisins, pecans, and parsley. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. If making ahead, refrigerate both salad and dressing. When ready to serve (or transport), drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional craisins and pecans to garnish individual servings, if desired. (Pecans can be omitted from the salad or served only on the side if allergies are a concern.)

Hearty Pasta Salad

16 oz uncooked pasta (fusilli, farfalle, elbows, etc.)
3 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 pound provolone cheese, cubed
1/4 pound sliced pepperoni, cut in half
1/2 pound salami, cubed
1 sweet bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 (10-ounce) can of sliced black olives, drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle of Italian dressing

Cook pasta as directed on package for "al dente" results. Drain. In a large bowl, combine pasta with all remaining ingredients except dressing and toss. Pour dressing over top and toss until well-coated. 

Feel free to swap out any ingredients to suit your own taste - add broccoli florets and/or shredded carrots, skip the olives or the meats, use a different kind of cheese. 

I like to make this salad the night before, put it in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid, and give it a shake now and then so the ingredients absorb the dressing. Bring an ice pack to set the bowl on to keep it cold, but the vinegar- and oil-based dressing doesn't need to be kept as cold as a mayo-based dressing. 

Harvard Beets

1 pound fresh beets
2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar (optional, to prevent bleeding)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
⅓ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup vinegar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon butter

Trim any leaves to about 2 inches from each beet. Wash any loose dirt from the beets under running water. Place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add lemon juice or vinegar, if desired. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Drain and let cool, then slip off skins, trimming any bits that don't come off easily. Slice or cube.

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt together in a medium sized saucepan. Add the 1/4 cup vinegar and water and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Boil for additional 1 minute. Stir in the butter. Add the sliced beets and heat through. To serve warm, transfer to a slow cooker set to "keep warm." To serve cold (my preference), simply refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to serve. 

Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb. elbow macaroni (or rotini or cavatappi, if you want to be fancy) 
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz. American deli cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into slices
3 cups half and half
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, still well, and cook on LOW, stirring every 30 minutes. At 90 minutes, check for doneness and continue cooking if needed. If sauce is too thick, stir in a few tablespoons of milk. Set to "keep warm" until ready to serve. This recipe may also be made up to a few days in advance and refrigerated. Transfer to slow cooker set to "keep warm" for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Desserts

Bars and cakes that can be cut into small servings, or cookies made in smaller than usual sizes, are ideal for potluck sampling. I avoid pastries that are overly crumbly or sticky, and aim for mainly finger foods.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

For the cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tsp water
1 tsp almond extract

In a medium bowl, beat butter for about 30 seconds, then scrape down sides of bowl. Add the sugar and the almond extract, beating for about 30 seconds or just until combined. On low speed, beat in the flour a little at a time, scraping the sides as necessary until dough is formed. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour in the bottom of the bowl. Do not overwork dough or allow to get too warm. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Using your fingertip or knuckle, press an indentation into the center of each ball. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. (If chilling for longer than 1 hour, cover with plastic wrap.) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cookies 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. (Return remaining cookies to refrigerator until ready to bake the next batch.) Spoon about ¼ teaspoon jam into each indentation. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are very light brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Continue baking batches until all cookies are baked. 

For glaze, in a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon water and almond extract. Add enough of the remaining water to make a drizzling consistency. When cookies are completely cooled, drizzle with icing using a fork. Allow glaze to set completely before storing. 

Chocolate Truffles

2/3 cup heavy cream
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (or semisweet chocolate chips)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder (dark or regular)

Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla extract and stir until completely smooth. Place the whole pan into the refrigerator and chill until firm enough to roll into balls. Rinse your hands with cold water and dry them. Working quickly, roll the ganache into a ball. If it gets too warm, put it back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up. Rinse and dry your hands if needed to keep them cool. Chill the balls, a few at a time, as you go. Roll the chilled balls in a shallow dish of cocoa powder to coat, then return to the fridge. When ready to serve, use a chilled plate with an ice pack underneath to keep the truffles cold and firm. 

Brookie Bars

For the Brownie Layer:

3/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the Cookie Layer:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/4 cup flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

For the Brownie Layer: Stir sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the melted butter. Stir in the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder by hand. Pour the batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan, spreading with a spatula if needed.

For the Cookie Layer: Beat the sugars, butter, and vanilla together until creamy with a mixer.  Add in the egg. Stir in the baking powder, salt and flour. Do not over mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of the dough on top of the brownie batter. Spread with a spatula (will not completely cover brownie layer). 

Bake for 25-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cookie dough on top is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into small squares. 

Classic Toll House Cookies

2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional (I usually omit due to possible allergies)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together baking soda and salt into the flour (I do this right in the measuring cup). In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Fold in in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. (You can make them smaller, but reduce the baking time.) Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.

Happy eating!