Your friend’s potluck is right around the corner, and you still don’t know what to bring. Guests are calling dibs on dishes you wanted to make, and now you’re stuck in a rut. Don’t fret — just consult our list of potluck foods, which includes everything from appetizers to desserts. Your dish will be everyone’s favorite!
Appetizers And Sides
1. Dips
One of the best items you can bring to a potluck is a dip. Classic options like buffalo chicken dip not only pack flavor but give meat lovers something to sink their teeth into. Vegetarian options, such as guacamole or spinach and artichoke dip, are also available.
If you want to bring the king of all dips, consider making a seven-layer dip with beans, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and other ingredients.
2. Finger Foods
If dips aren’t your thing, try making some classic finger foods. Crab cakes, deviled eggs, buffalo cauliflower bites, and chicken wings are all great options.
3. Salads
Salads are the ultimate healthy appetizers, and you can easily jazz them up with toppings and vinaigrettes. For example, while chicken salad on its own is delicious, cranberry walnut chicken salad is even better! Chicken salad can also be stuffed into bread of your choice.
Of course, we can’t forget the classics: potato salad and pasta salad. Some pasta salads include salami and various types of cheese. Others only include veggies, so they are safe for those with dietary restrictions.
4. Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas are perfect for a potluck. You only need five ingredients and about an hour to make this simple side dish. Our recipe calls for a bit of cayenne pepper sprinkled over the top, but it’s not enough heat to turn off your guests. Pop your chickpeas in the oven for a max of 45 minutes, and you’ll have a healthy appetizer people will love.
5. Steamed Vegetables
Want an even healthier option? There’s nothing wrong with bringing hearty vegetables to the table! Steaming vegetables like broccoli, spinach, peppers, or mushrooms won’t take much time at all, and you’ll be able to bring more than one kind of veggie with you.
Main Courses
6. Sloppy Joes
Do you need a main course that doesn’t take too long to make? We’ve got just the thing you need: sloppy Joes! This classic entrée only takes 35 minutes to prepare, and you won’t need a ton of ingredients. The ground beef mixed with onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic will be a hit at any party.
7. Air-Fried Chicken Tenders
You can make delicious air fryer chicken tenders in half an hour. If you need a side, too, you can whip up some potato salad, French fries, or veggies. Serve your tenders plain or slathered with barbecue sauce, honey garlic sauce, or ranch dressing.
8. Garlic Butter Salmon
Salmon is a superfood packed with vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. A delicious, healthy potluck option is garlic salmon in foil; it takes only 25 minutes to make, and the dish serves four people. You can easily make more if you need to.
9. Chicken Adobo
As fun as it is to bring food everyone knows and loves, it’s good to switch things up. Enter chicken adobo, a savory meal from the Philippines. It’ll take about two hours to make, so it’s not the best if you’re pressed for time. But this delectable meal serves four and is swimming in soy sauce and seasoning.
10. Hamburgers
Everyone loves a classic hamburger. Hamburgers are delicious at any time of the year, and you don’t need a grill to get a juicy end product! Just make sure to bring the toppings and condiments so people can have their burgers their way.
Desserts
11. Pies
Pies aren’t just for the holidays! Why not bring a scrumptious apple or lemon meringue pie to your next potluck — and maybe even prepare your own flaky crust?
Cherry, blueberry, and key lime are also delicious, as are French silk pie and traditional pecan pie.
12. Cakes
Speaking of traditional desserts everyone loves, a moist cake completely covered in homemade icing or filled with custard is a tasty treat bound to please anyone in attendance.
Not everyone is a master baker, though, so it’s often easier to prepare cakes with more flavor and less decoration. Carrot cake, chocolate cake, and applesauce cake are loaded with yummy ingredients, but they are easier to make.
Cakes give you a blank canvas to show off your creativity. A strawberry poke cake is a terrific option for those who are looking to dress up their dessert a little.
13. Cookies
A plate of cookies will disappear in no time! Prepare a batch of sugar cookies and decorate them with detailed designs or basic patterns, or whip up a batch of macarons and fill them with a variety of flavors. Or try your hand at thumbprint cookies, adorning them with Hershey’s Kisses or dollops of homemade cream.
If you’re pressed for time, you can always make classic chocolate chip cookies or applesauce cookies. On the other hand, if you really want to wow your friends, prepare cake mix cookies!
14. Cupcakes
A good way to ensure everyone gets a delicious dessert is to make cupcakes. If you’re not good with cupcake art, slather your cupcakes with homemade frosting and call it a day. If you want to make your cupcakes stand out, try making succulent cupcakes or champagne cupcakes!
15. Donuts
These air fryer donuts take less than 10 minutes to make, and you won’t need very many ingredients — just a little dough, sugar, and cinnamon will make six donuts.
