40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (2024)

Take a crowd-pleasing vegetable, dessert, salad, appetizer or stuffing to your holiday potluck dinner with any of our recipes.

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Candied Yams

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (1)

A use-what-you-have cook, Gerard Klass's mom always put SunnyD in her yams. So, the chef and co-owner of Soul Bowl in Minneapolis does, too--along with plenty of butter, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.

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Lemony Green Beans

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (2)

Garlic, shallots and lemon brighten crisp-tender beans. Save time by parboiling the green beans a day early.

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03of 40

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (3)

This easy-to-make layered cheesy potato dish pairs well with pork chops or ham.

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Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese "Mallows"

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (4)

Laced with garlic and rosemary and topped with pecans and goat cheese, this easy casserole gives a savory wink to the traditional sweet-on-sweet Turkey Day staple.

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Parsley-Herb Rice with Cranberries

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (5)

This colorful rice makes the perfect side dish for any meal. Stir in fresh basil and parsley just before serving.

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Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (6)

With a maple-scented, butter-smooth filling and nutty graham cracker crust, this cheesecake leans toward more adult palates. Top it with drifts of whipped cream and a crown of walnut brittle.

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Mashed Sweet Potato with Melted Leeks

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (7)

Luxuriously silky leeks-slow-cooked in butter and seasoned with lemon juice and thyme-ripple through sweet potatoes. Feel free to substitute ordinary potatoes if you prefer.

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Cherry Crumble Pie Bars

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (8)

Zesty lemon peel adds zing to this fruit bar cookie; almond extract and brown sugar give it extra sweetness.

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Apple, Bacon and Onion Stuffing Muffins

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (9)

These easy-to-transport muffins are a fun, creative twist on traditional Thanksgiving stuffing.

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10of 40

Can-Don't Green Bean Casserole

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (10)

Is our all-natural, totally homemade version of the iconic Thanksgiving side more work than the one made with canned stuff? Well, yes. But wow, is it good.

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Boozy Jellied Cranberries

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (11)

Flavored with port wine, orange juice, cloves and cinnamon, our real-fruit mold packs holiday spice and a jiggly punch of throwback glamour. (And don't worry; the alcohol cooks off, so it's actually family-friendly.)

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Cranberry Chutney

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (12)

Cranberries and apple simmer with red onion, ginger and mustard seeds for a spiced variation on traditional sauce. Try it on a sandwich with leftover turkey.

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Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Pecans

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (13)

Toasted pecans and melty marshmallows top whipped sweet potatoes in this classic special-occasion side dish.

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Sunny Broccoli Salad

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (14)

A Cleveland reader makes this potluck salad the day ahead and refrigerates the dressing and vegetables separately. When it's time to serve it, she tosses everything together. Bacon, sunflower kernels and raisins make a crunchy and flavorful side dish.

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Orange-Sage Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (15)

Orange juice concentrate brings out the sweet flavor while crumbled bacon adds a warm smokiness to this sweet potato side dish made in the slow cooker. Try it with roasted pork loin or turkey breast.

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Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (16)

A whipped-cream-based spiced filling creates a lighter-tasting version of traditional pumpkin pie; the gingersnap crust adds more kick than classic crusts. "This is a fantastic recipe," writes one of our website reviewers. "You get the wonderful pumpkin in a light chiffon pie! A holiday must!"

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Lemon-Nut Rice Stuffing

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (17)

Mix crumbled bacon, nuts and fresh veggies with long grain rice for this stuffing, which can be chilled up to 24 hours before baking.

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18of 40

Caramel Heavenlies

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (18)

Graham crackers form the base for this bar cookie with layers of marshmallows, brown sugar, almonds and coconut. "I've made these cookies each Christmas since 1984," says Georgine Simmonds of Genesee, Michigan. "They're one of my family's favorites."

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Maple-Butternut Puree

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (19)

Roasting brings out squash's natural sugars. Blending with maple syrup, butter and nutmeg makes it utterly addictive. Bonus: This dish reheats beautifully.

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Iron Range Pasties

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (20)

These mini meat- and vegetable-filled turnovers are equally good warm from the oven or at room temperature. The recipe comes from the Chowgirls Killer Catering cookbook.

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21of 40

Fresh Citrus and Cranberry Salad

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (21)

Mint and ginger add kick to an arugula salad topped with chopped fresh cranberries.

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Cauliflower Gratin

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (22)

Tossing cauliflower with bread crumbs, Dijon, cheddar, herbs and almonds makes this humble veg holiday-special.

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23of 40

Caramel-Pecan French Silk Pie

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (23)

Caramel and pecans form a gooey base for this chocolate dream pie. Make this decadent pie at least a day ahead so it has plenty of time to chill before guests arrive.

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Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (24)

Cranberry relish, dried cranberries and walnut pieces add zest to a holiday favorite.

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Pepper Jack Corn Casserole

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (25)

This dead-simple and totally delicious casserole is a homey addition to any weekend meal, potluck or even a holiday spread.

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26of 40

Pappa's Pear Stuffing

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (26)

You can serve this hearty, fruit-studded dressing with roasted or grilled pork, poultry or ham. The recipe comes from the historical Story Inn in Nashville, Indiana.

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Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Coconut Pie

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (27)

This classic pie recipe comes from Miss Aimee B's Tea Room in St. Charles, Missouri.

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Cranberry-Apple Sweet Potatoes

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (28)

Mix pantry ingredients-canned apple pie filling, canned sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, apricot preserves, orange marmalade and chopped pecans-for a quick and easy side dish with a crunchy nut topping.

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Butternut Squash Bake

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (29)

This creamy squash casserole calls for mascarpone-a mild, soft, butterlike cheese-as well as Parmesan. You can substitute softened cream cheese for the mascarpone if you prefer. Time-saver: Look for precut squash in your supermarket. (You can also bake the squash in your oven first to make it easier to peel and cut.)

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Holiday Seven-Layer Bars

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (30)

Chocolate, nuts, coconut and more fill our easy-to-make bar cookies. Mixed dried fruit bits and candy-coated milk chocolate pieces are among the layers that make this bar cookie distinctive.

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31of 40

No-Bake Harvest Stuffing

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (31)

We added walnuts, cranberries and seedy bread to classic sage-and-onion turkey dressing-and we did it in a slow cooker. The lidded appliance keeps the stuffing perfectly moist and, of course, frees up the oven for another pie.

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Triple Peanut Butter Streusel Bars

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (32)

Dry-roasted peanuts, peanut butter-flavored pieces and peanut butter bring triple flavor to this make-ahead bar cookie.

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33of 40

Wild Mushroom Hotdish

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (33)

Spoon these indulgently saucy mushrooms (inspired by classic Midwest casseroles) over baguette slices or crostini. The recipe comes from the Chowgirls Killer Catering cookbook. To serve the dish skillet-style, start the recipe off in a 10-inch oven-going skillet.

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Parmesan Cheese and Italian Sausage Stuffing

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (34)

This stuffing highlights the flavors of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Italian sausage and dried currants, all mixed with seasonings, chopped vegetables and bite-size pieces of ciabatta bread.

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Bacon-Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (35)

Tangy blue cheese and salty bacon make traditional mashed potatoes even more indulgent.

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Chili Pecans

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (36)

A coating of spicy and sweet turns toasted pecans into a great party snack. Make these ahead of time-just store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month.

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Calico Corn Bread Dressing

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (37)

Homey corn bread meets woodsy sage, thyme and sh*take mushrooms. Carrots and apricots add color and sweetness.

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Hash Brown Casserole

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (38)

Here's a somewhat lightened version of a popular potato casserole recipe that's great for brunch, dinner or a potluck.

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Gingered Fruit Compote

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (39)

Prep time is just 15 minutes for this colorful salad; make it in the morning and store in the fridge for a holiday potluck dinner.

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Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices

40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (40)

This slice-and-bake cookie recipe brings several favorite holiday flavors to the cookie tray. Beverly Olson of Marshfield, Wisconsin, added cranberries and orange peel to her butter cookies along with pecans. Finely chop these additions so they won't get in the way when you slice the dough.

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40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to plan a potluck for 40 people? ›

A Suggested Menu for a Perfect Potluck of 40 Guests Includes:
  1. 4 People Bringing Appetizers. ...
  2. 5 People Bringing Main Dishes. ...
  3. 8 People Bringing Side Dishes. ...
  4. 4 People Bringing Bread. ...
  5. 4 People Bringing Dessert. ...
  6. 3 People Bringing Beverages. ...
  7. 1 Person Bringing Cups, Plates & Napkins.
  8. 1 Person Bringing Utensils.

How much food is needed for 40 people? ›

Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet.

How much finger food for a party of 40? ›

Type of Event:

co*cktail Party: For a stand-up co*cktail party where finger foods are the main focus and no other substantial meal is served, plan for 10-12 pieces per person per hour. Mixed Event: If your event includes finger foods as appetisers before a meal, aim for 3-5 pieces per person.

How can I feed 50 guests cheaply? ›

Feed the masses without breaking the bank with these budget-friendly dishes.
  1. Mexican Lasagne. A spicy lasagne for those of us who love Mexican and Italian food. ...
  2. Cheese Cob Dip. ...
  3. The Best Burger in Oz. ...
  4. Kangaroo Casserole. ...
  5. Sausage Casserole. ...
  6. Nanna's golden sausage casserole. ...
  7. Quiche Lorraine. ...
  8. Turkey and Pumpkin Lasagne.

What is the cheapest food to feed a crowd? ›

Cheap tricks for the best outdoor cookouts.
  • 1 / 7. Hot Dog Snack Board. ...
  • 2 / 7. No-Cook Dip and Veggie Summer Board. ...
  • 3 / 7. Instant Pot Pulled Porchetta Sandwiches. ...
  • 4 / 7. Chicken Caesar Salad Skewers. ...
  • 5 / 7. Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad. ...
  • 6 / 7. Fish Tacos. ...
  • 7 / 7. Ice Cream Sandwiches for a Crowd.
Apr 19, 2023

How much meat will feed 40 people? ›

A question we often get is “How much meat do I need?” The starting rule of thumb is: Boneless Meat: 1/2 lb. per person for adults and 1/4 lb. per person for children.

What is the best food to feed a crowd? ›

8 Delicious Dinners That Feed A Crowd
  • Classic Lasagna. ...
  • Pulled Pork. ...
  • White Chicken Chili. ...
  • Sloppy Joes. ...
  • Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes. ...
  • Gail Simmons' Epic Spaghetti Pie. ...
  • Moroccan-Style Brisket with Dried Fruit & Capers. ...
  • The Ultimate Chili Recipe.

How to feed 100 people for cheap? ›

Serving budget-friendly cuisines like salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes can be a very cost-effective choice. Or, if you're looking for a more casual option, how about a barbeque? Burgers, hot dogs and other grill-oriented foods are sure to be crowd favorites, and they won't rack up a big bill.

What to bring to potluck cheaply? ›

27 Cheap Potluck Recipes that Won't Break the Bank
  • Deli Style Hawaiian Pasta Salad. ...
  • Just Like Chipotle Guacamole. ...
  • Copycat Monte Cristo Party Sliders. ...
  • Perfect Potluck Cucumber Salad. ...
  • Throw Together Fruit Salad. ...
  • Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Copycat. ...
  • Throw Together Potluck Salad. ...
  • Strawberry and Pretzel Dessert Salad.
Mar 5, 2018

What is a good finger food to bring to a potluck? ›

Easy Finger Food Recipes to Make Ahead
  • Fried Pickles. Treat your guests to fried pickles for fun finger food ideas. ...
  • Fried Mac and Cheese Rolls. ...
  • Deviled Eggs. ...
  • Honey Garlic Meatballs. ...
  • Garlic Breadsticks. ...
  • Salted Soft Pretzels. ...
  • Whipped Ricotta Crostini. ...
  • Vietnamese Spring Rolls.
22 hours ago

How many appetizers do I need for 40 guests? ›

If you are serving just appetizers and not a main course, you need a selection for your guests to choose from which if it's 40, best to go with 6–8 different items. Having said that, the selection would also be from cold, room temperature to hot food items.

How much should each person bring to a potluck? ›

As a general rule, plan for one main dish serving and one or two side dish servings per person. For example, if you have 30 guests, you would aim for approximately 30 main dish servings and 60 side dish servings.

How many dishes are needed at a potluck? ›

So, how many dishes will you need? "People love trying different things at potlucks, so it's best to offer two to three dishes of each category (appetizer, salad, main, dessert)," says Levitt.

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