30 Best Christmas Potluck Ideas to Feed a Crowd

This “CharcuterTREE” turns a simple meat-and-cheese spread into a gorgeous tree-shaped centerpiece layered with cheddar, Havarti, Colby Jack, salami, olives, berries, pretzel sticks, and chocolate star cookies, all finished with sprigs of rosemary for a pine-tree look. The mix of sweet and savory nibbles means there’s something for everyone, from cheese lovers to snack grazers with a sweet tooth. It’s built from rows of colorful ingredients, so the board looks impressive without requiring any cooking. Set out at a potluck, it doubles as both decor and an appetizer, inviting guests to snack as they mingle.

These deviled eggs take the classic party favorite up a notch with an ultra-creamy yolk filling enriched with mayo, a dab of butter, yellow and Dijon mustard, sweet pickle juice, a pinch of sugar, and a touch of Tabasco. They’re finished with a dusting of paprika and optional toppings like crispy bacon pieces and sweet pickle slices, so each bite has a little extra flavor and texture. The filling is slightly sweet, tangy, and velvety, making these stand out from basic deviled eggs on the buffet table. Because they’re bite-sized and easy to grab, they disappear fast at potlucks and pair well with almost any holiday main dish.

This fruity drink will bring a splash of holiday cheer to the beverage table! The recipe combines cranberry juice, orange juice, and sparkling ginger ale for a refreshing and bubbly punch. Garnished with fresh cranberries, pomegranates, and orange slices, this punch looks elegant and festive. It’s simple to make, ideal for a crowd, and easily served in a large punch bowl, making it a wonderful centerpiece for Christmas parties.

This fudge combines white chocolate chips, sugar cookie mix, sweetened condensed milk, butter, and plenty of festive sprinkles to create rich, buttery squares that taste like a mash-up of fudge and frosted sugar cookies. The mixture is cooked on the stovetop, stirred with sprinkles, then chilled into a thick, sliceable slab that looks like a Christmas confetti brick when cut. With just five simple ingredients and no baking involved, it’s an easy Christmas treat to whip up for last-minute parties. A single pan makes a big batch of bite-sized pieces, so it’s ideal for filling dessert platters and cookie trays.

This salad layers mixed spring greens with juicy orange segments, pomegranate seeds, salty crumbled feta, and crunchy candied pecans for a colorful red-and-green bowl that's festive and full of vibrant flavors. Everything is tossed in a homemade honey-Dijon and apple cider vinegar dressing that adds sweetness, tang, and a little savoriness to balance the fruit. The combination of creamy cheese, crisp greens, and bright citrus makes it a refreshing counterpart to the typical rich Christmas comfort foods. It’s a great potluck addition because it looks festive in the bowl, brings some lighter freshness to the spread, and pairs easily with almost any main course.

This classic French-style potatoes au gratin layers thinly sliced starchy potatoes with a rich mixture of cream, melted butter, garlic, Gruyere cheese, and a hint of fresh thyme for a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth side. The dish bakes into a golden, bubbly casserole where the potatoes turn soft and tender under a blanket of gooey cheese. It’s designed as an indulgent, “cream over flour” version of scalloped potatoes, inspired by Julia Child and amped up with extra cheese.

This recipe starts with a spiral-sliced bone-in ham that’s bathed in melted butter and honey, then finished with a sugar-and-spice glaze that caramelizes into a crackly, candy-like crust. The glaze is packed with warm holiday flavors from granulated sugar, seasoned salt, onion powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, paprika, and a pinch of allspice. You still get that signature sweet, smoky, spiced coating without paying Honey Baked’s premium price. As a showy main dish that feeds a big group, it makes a standout centerpiece for a Christmas potluck buffet.

This cheese ball transforms a creamy cheese spread into a festive edible centerpiece. The base is a rich mixture of softened cream cheese loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, red bell peppers, dill pickles, chives, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt for big savory, tangy flavor in every bite. It’s molded into a tree shape and covered with mixed olives, extra sun-dried tomatoes, and rosemary sprigs, then served with crackers, salami, and prosciutto for grazing. Since it’s no-cook and serves about 14 people, it’s an easy, eye-catching appetizer that instantly elevates a holiday potluck spread.

This Christmas party dip is a no-bake dessert made from cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, Cool Whip, powdered sugar, Andes peppermint baking chips, and mini chocolate chips for that classic chocolate–peppermint combo. The mixture whips up into a fluffy, sweet-and-tangy cheesecake-style dip with cool peppermint flavor running through every spoonful. It’s meant to be scooped up with things like chocolate graham crackers or chocolate-covered pretzels. Because it comes together quickly and travels in a single bowl, it’s an effortless sweet treat to set out on a dessert table.

This recipe uses a simple herb butter made with softened butter, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and sage, rubbed under and over the skin so the meat turns out flavorful and juicy without any brining or basting. The cavity is filled with onion, lemon, apple, and extra fresh herbs, which flavor the turkey from the inside and enrich the pan drippings. It’s designed to be fuss-free and straightforward.

This mac and cheese bakes cellentani pasta in an ultra-creamy cheese sauce made with milk, evaporated milk, butter, flour, Dijon mustard, chicken bouillon, and plenty of sharp cheddar. The casserole hides a decadent middle layer of provolone slices and sour cream, then gets crowned with a shower of Parmesan and an optional buttery panko topping for extra texture. It’s rich, velvety, and over-the-top cheesy, living up to its “million dollar” name. It's a classic comfort-food side that people flock to at a potluck.

This Christmas crockpot candy is made from a blend of white almond bark, semisweet chocolate chips, German sweet chocolate, and heaps of dry roasted peanuts, all finished with festive holiday sprinkles. The mixture turns into glossy chocolate peanut clusters that look like you spent all day in the kitchen, even though it only uses four main ingredients and a slow cooker. Each batch yields a big tray of bite-sized candies that are rich, crunchy, and sweet enough to satisfy every chocolate lover at the party.

These carrots are roasted on a sheet pan with honey, minced garlic, melted butter or ghee, olive oil, cinnamon, and ground ginger, which gives them a sweet, slightly spiced, and savory flavor. The high-heat roasting caramelizes the edges while keeping the centers tender, so you get that glossy, sticky coating on every piece. Bright orange carrots piled into a serving dish bring a fresh pop of color to an otherwise heavy holiday spread. Since they’re simple to toss together and pair well with almost any main course, they make an easy, crowd-pleasing vegetable side for a Christmas potluck.

These crockpot meatballs start with frozen bite-size meatballs simmered in a tangy-sweet sauce made from whole cranberry sauce, Heinz chili sauce, Worcestershire, and dark brown sugar. As they cook, the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze that clings to every meatball. They’re designed as cocktail meatballs, so they’re equally at home on toothpicks as they are scooped over a little rice or mashed potatoes. Kept warm right in the slow cooker, they’re a natural fit for potlucks where guests can help themselves all night long.

This pull-apart garlic bread is made from a soft, milk-based yeast dough shaped into a tall tree, then slathered with roasted garlic butter mixed with Parmesan, sage, basil, oregano, parsley, and chili flakes. Once baked, the bread turns golden and fluffy, with herby, garlicky branches that guests can tear off piece by piece. It makes a great centerpiece on a potluck table.

This homemade hot chocolate uses real milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, chocolate chips, and a splash of vanilla extract for a drink that’s extra creamy, rich, and deeply chocolaty. The combo of cocoa powder plus melted chocolate chips gives it that classic “hot cocoa” vibe with a more indulgent, dessert-like finish. It comes together quickly on the stovetop but feels like a special treat, especially when topped with whipped cream, marshmallows, or candy cane pieces. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for larger servings.

White Christmas Pie is a vintage-style coconut pie with a baked pastry crust filled with a fluffy, gelatin-stabilized coconut cream scented with almond and vanilla extract. The whole thing is topped with a thick layer of unsweetened whipped cream and a snowy sprinkle of shredded coconut, then served with strawberries for a pop of bright red color. It’s rich, creamy, and feels like a slice of holiday nostalgia pulled straight from a mid-century church cookbook.

These sliders layer soft Hawaiian sweet rolls with cranberry sauce, thick slices of ham, Swiss cheese, and mozzarella, all brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with poppy seeds. The sweetness of the rolls and cranberry sauce plays against the salty ham and melty cheese, giving each bite that sweet-savory holiday sandwich vibe. They bake together in one pan, so you get a pull-apart tray of little sandwiches that look impressive but are simple to assemble.

This casserole is a “dump-and-bake” side made with creamed corn, whole kernel sweet corn, Jiffy corn muffin mix, sour cream, melted butter, and a generous layer of shredded cheddar on top. As it bakes, the mixture turns into a soft, spoonable corn pudding with a golden, cheesy crust that tastes like a cross between cornbread and creamy casserole. Baked in a large casserole dish or even made in the slow cooker, it’s an easy, cozy side that fits perfectly alongside main dishes at a holiday gathering.

This pigs in a blanket recipe wraps little smokies sausages in crescent roll dough, then arranges them in a circular shape to look like a festive holiday wreath. An egg wash and optional poppy seeds give the dough a shiny, bakery-style finish, while fresh rosemary sprigs and cherry tomatoes around the edges add that Christmas greenery-and-berries look. The whole presentation is fun, interactive, and perfect for a potluck appetizer where everyone’s snacking and mingling.

These pinwheels mix softened cream cheese, crumbled feta, dried sweetened cranberries, and chopped green onions into a tangy-sweet filling that gets spread over wheat or spinach tortillas. The rolls are chilled, then sliced into colorful spirals, with the red cranberries and white cheese popping against the green tortillas for a festive look. Flavor-wise, you get a great balance of creamy, salty, and sweet in a single bite-sized piece. Because they’re served chilled, made ahead, and easy to heap onto a platter, they’re an ideal grab-and-go finger food for holiday potlucks.

This cake is a simple, from-scratch buttery cake loaded with fresh, tart cranberries and just six basic ingredients: eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, flour, and cranberries. As it bakes, it develops a golden, slightly crackly top while the cranberries burst inside, giving you bright pops of color and flavor in every slice. There’s no frosting or glaze needed—the texture and sweet-tart balance make it feel like a cross between a dense cake and a festive dessert bar. It’s easy to transport and serve at a potluck.

This recipe keeps things simple with fresh asparagus spears tossed in olive oil spray, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and a shower of grated Parmesan. The short ingredient list lets the asparagus stay front and center while the garlic and cheese add a savory, almost nutty richness. It’s a quick, no-fuss side that still feels a little special thanks to the roasted edges and cheesy coating. Piled onto a platter, the bright green spears bring color and freshness to a holiday potluck spread and pair effortlessly with everything from ham to turkey.

This “best ever” stuffing is all about buttery comfort, made with a big pan of toasted bread cubes combined with sweet onion, celery, garlic, and a generous amount of fresh sage, parsley, and rosemary. Chicken or vegetable stock and a couple of eggs bind everything together so it bakes into a soft, custardy interior with a golden, slightly crisp top. The mix of different breads and fresh herbs gives it a rich, homemade flavor that feels like classic holiday stuffing turned up a notch. Since it’s baked in a large casserole dish and scoops out easily, it’s a natural, crowd-pleasing side to bring to a Christmas potluck where everyone wants a big spoonful of something cozy and comforting.