40+ Fun Potluck Recipes (2024)

Published: Dec 26, 2022 | Modified: Dec 26, 2022 by Hina Gujral

We all need easy and comforting potluck recipes in our lives. I am listing 40+ favourite potluck recipes that always win tons of compliments.

What is a ‘Potluck’?

A potluck is a social gathering where each guest or family brings one dish to the table. Later, the potluck members share all the dishes for a meal.

It is an excellent way of eating good food together without burdening the hostess. And probably one of the fun ways to feed a large crowd with a delicious variety of food.

Before jumping to the potluck recipes, let’s look at some essential points to keep in mind when planning the perfect potluck dish:

Potluck Themes: Does your potluck have a theme? If so, adhere to it and think of potluck recipes that align with that theme. For example, if the theme is Chinese Takeaway Meals, don’t carry an Italian main course.

Don’t be Stingy: When we used to have office potlucks, some colleagues were notorious for not bringing enough portion sizes or signing up for low-quality food that no one wanted to touch. Don’t be that person.

What is a good dish to take to a potluck?

Potluck Recipes should be easy to pack and eat (even at room temperature), safe to carry around, and should be able to sustain the travel time.

Ask yourself these questions before picking a dish for the potluck:

Will my dish taste good if served after a couple of hours?
Will I have access to a microwave or a refrigerator? (storage depending on whether your dish needs to be served hot or cold). E.g. carrying a homemade ice cream to a potluck and ending up serving a milkshake.
Is this a dish that requires additional cutlery to be eaten with? Is additional cutlery available at the venue? (if it isn’t, are you prepared to carry/purchase it?)
Will my dish survive a few minutes/hours of travel time?

What should you not take to a potluck?

You should never take to a potluck the dishes that:

have a peculiar smell
contains a bizarre variety of meat or seafood
too spicy for everyone’s palate, especially kids
have too much synthetic flavour, colour, and preservatives

Overall, potlucks are a time to come together and share good food. So try to put your best effort into making a dish that tastes good and shows off your cooking skills.

Here are 40+ fun potluck recipes that are always a crowd favourite.

Appetizers/Dips/Snacks For Potluck

Creamy Pasta Salad with pineapple flavour.

Chicken Pasta Salad with a Herb Dressing. You can carry the dressing separately.

Mexican Style Mixed Beans Salad is easy to make and budget-friendly.

Gluten Free Lentil Salad is a great healthy salad for a potluck.

Indian Style Spicy Lobia (Black Eyed Peas) Chaat or salad.

Vegetarian Mediterranean Chickpeas Salad

Main-Course Potluck Recipes

Creamy Vegetable Bake is one of the best main course for potluck.

Serve Asian Style Chicken Meatballs with with fried rice or noodles.

Shepherd’s Pie is one of the best vegetable casseroles for a potluck.

When it comes to potluck, you can never go wrong with a classic Tomato Sauce Pasta.

Side Dish Recipes for Potluck

Roasted Potatois the easiest and the most delicious way to eat crisp potato bites.

This Easy Rosemary Garlic Focaccia is perfect savory bake for the potluck.

Indian Style Coconut Rice compliments all the main-course dishes.

Spicy Indian Style Masala Potato Fry.

Refreshing Green Boondi Raita is a cooling and refreshing side dish for a potluck.

Dessert Recipes For Potluck

Lemon Pound Cake is the perfect teatime bake with the flavor and aroma of fresh lemons.

This Eggless Chocolate Cake is fudgy, super moist, and easy to prepare from start to finish.

A Classic Chocolate Brownie is always a huge hit among adults and teens when it comes to potluck.

These Mocha Muffins are perfect for brunch or teatime potluck.

A Vanilla Sponge Cake is always in demand when it comes to potluck. Easy to bake and carry around.

Baked Shahi Tukra is a popular Indian bread pudding made with bread, milk, and sugar.

This Carrot Halwa recipe is a family heirloom that requires only 10 minutes in an instant pot or pressure cooker.

Gulab Jamun is a popular Indian sweet. They are easy to pack, reheat, and serve.

You can make Phirni a day in advance and serve it cold or at room temperature.

Eggless Tutti Frutti Cake is a delightful dessert for potluck.

This is a mithai-style semolina cake inspired by the Ottoman delicacy Basbousa

Coconut Ladoo is a tasty and easy Indian sweet.

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