Holiday Potluck Recipes That Food Bloggers Swear By

Salads, dips, chilis and desserts that will win over a crowd.
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It won’t be long before we’re sifting through an influx of holiday potluck invites, our calendars booking up faster than we can say “pass the corkscrew.”

After all, who can turn down a potluck? They’re one of the most brilliant forms of socializing. In exchange for cooking one dish, you get to enjoy a giant feast that would cost a fortune otherwise. No two potlucks are ever the same, either, so you’ll never get bored with what’s on the menu.

But as chill as these get-togethers are, with their eclectic mix of platters and casseroles (and that cozy communal vibe many of us crave more than the food itself), there’s an inevitable wave of anxiety that hits as you try to decide what to (literally) bring to the table.

“Choosing a holiday potluck recipe can be such a tricky thing,” said Sarah Bond, food blogger at Live Eat Learn. “You have to consider if the recipe will stay fresh and delicious from when you make it to when it will be eaten. On top of that, you need to consider the possible dietary restrictions of the people attending the potluck.”

Some of the qualities that make the best potluck dishes, Bond added, are ease (will you be working in the kitchen all day?), durability (will the recipe still be fresh when you get to the potluck?) and scale (can you make a lot of it in minimal time to feed many people?).

Oh yeah, and it should also taste delicious to as wide an array of taste buds as possible. (You know, no pressure.)

As for ensuring the dish you bring isn’t the food equivalent of the last kid picked in gym class: “A holiday potluck recipe will be a big hit if it has a lot of flavor and is something unique,” said Bree Sheree, food blogger at Bree’s Vegan Life. “Just bringing a basic green salad won’t get people excited, but if you bring something tasty they’ve never had before, they’ll be very impressed.”

So, what are the go-to dishes that food bloggers always bring to holiday potlucks ― and never leave with leftovers? Here are 12 dishes, from dips to salads to casseroles, that are sure to impress at your next gathering.

1
Mama’s Famous Bean Salad
Live Eat Learn
Get the Mama’s Famous Bean Salad recipe from Live Eat Learn
2
Vegan 7 Layer Dip
Cadry's Kitchen
Get the Vegan 7 Layer Dip recipefrom Cadry’s Kitchen
3
Cauliflower Casserole
Healthy Recipes
Get the Cauliflower Casserole recipe from Healthy Recipes
4
Mediterranean Israeli Couscous Salad
Our Happy Mess
5
Ultimate Turkey Chili
TK
Get the Ultimate Turkey Chili recipe from Salt Jar
6
Broccoli Cranberry Salad
TK
Get the Broccoli Cranberry Salad recipe from Key To My Lime
7
Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew
Bree's Vegan Life
Get the Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew recipe from Bree’s Vegan Life
8
Warm Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
Cadry's Kitchen
Get the Warm Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe from Cadry’s Kitchen
9
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Quick Caramel Sauce
The Foodie Dietitian
10
Rockefeller Christmas Brownie Cake
Life and Sprinkles
Get the Rockefeller Christmas Brownie Cake recipe from Life and Sprinkles
11
No-Bake Chocolate & Pumpkin Cookies
Edwina Clark, RD
12
Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Bars
Keeping the Peas
Get the Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Bars recipe from Keeping the Peas

Before You Go

The Game-Changing Potato Salad

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