40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated August 22, 2020
Adam Albright

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

Credit: Adam Albright
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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

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

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Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

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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"

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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

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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

Credit: Brie Passano
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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

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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

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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

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

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Can-Don't Green Bean Casserole

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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

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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

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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

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

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Sunny Broccoli Salad

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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

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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

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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

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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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Caramel Heavenlies

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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

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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

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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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Fresh Citrus and Cranberry Salad

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

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Cauliflower Gratin

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

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Caramel-Pecan French Silk Pie

Credit: Mark Thomas
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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

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

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Pepper Jack Corn Casserole

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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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Pappa’s Pear Stuffing

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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

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

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Cranberry-Apple Sweet Potatoes

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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

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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

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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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No-Bake Harvest Stuffing

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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

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

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Wild Mushroom Hotdish

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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

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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

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

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Chili Pecans

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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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