30 Best Thanksgiving Potluck Ideas

This colorful appetizer spread is perfect for holiday entertaining. It features seasonal fruits like apple slices, grapes, and figs. Various cheeses, cured meats, and nuts in this tray provide something for everyone. Presented beautifully with autumnal colors and decorative items like mini pumpkins, this one is sure to impress everyone at your potluck.

This punch is made with apple cider, gently spiced with pumpkin pie spice, and bulked up with ginger ale for bubbles. It’s festive-looking in a glass jar loaded with sliced apples, oranges, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks. Just whisk, chill for a couple of hours, and serve up cozy autumn flavors in style. It's a great make‑ahead option that stays fresh in the fridge for 3–4 days.

This creamy, cheesy casserole combines thawed hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and shredded cheddar, then bakes under a buttery cornflake crust for golden crunch. It’s beloved for feeding a crowd and easily scales up — make one 9×13 pan or triple it for larger gatherings. The recipe even gives a make-ahead tip (don’t add the crunchy topping until baking) so you can prep earlier without losing crispness. Rich, comforting, and nostalgic, it’s a classic Thanksgiving side dish that always gets devoured at potluck gatherings.

This salad features bright red and green apples mingling with tangy dried cranberries, salty-sweet crumbled feta, and hearty chopped walnuts all tossed with a homemade vinaigrette that pairs bright apple juice with cider vinegar, honey, and olive oil for a perfectly balanced kick .
What makes it shine is how effortlessly it comes together—just chop the apples, whisk up the dressing, toss, and voilà: a delicious, healthy side ready in 10 minutes flat . It’s light enough to balance heavier dishes, but flavorful enough to steal the spotlight. 

This pie is designed to feed a crowd, with tender, cinnamon-spiced apple chunks tucked between two golden layers of ultra-flaky homemade butter crust. Baked in a jelly roll pan and cut into generous squares, it’s the ultimate party pie—perfect for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or any festive Thanksgiving gathering. Serve it warm with ice cream and maple bourbon caramel sauce for a dessert that’s guaranteed to steal the spotlight at any potluck!

This cheeseball is packed with creamy ranch‑seasoned cheese and hidden little bursts of green onion and red pepper, but with zero pumpkin taste, just a pumpkin look! It’s rolled in sharp cheddar, then shaped with plastic wrap and rubber bands into plump ridges, and topped with the red pepper stem for that all‑natural pumpkin stem effect. Being a breeze to prep ahead, it’s ideal for those last-minute potlucks. Guests can’t resist it—cheesy, savory, festive. Pair it with crackers, veggie sticks, or your favorite dippers.

This cheesy casserole is Thanksgiving comfort food at its finest. Layers of tender yellow squash and onions are combined with a creamy blend of sour cream and condensed soup, then topped with sharp cheddar cheese and buttery cracker crumbs. Baked until golden and bubbly, this Southern classic is a must-have for any holiday potluck.

This cider is a warm, holiday hug in a mug—blending unsweetened apple, cranberry, and orange juices with just a touch of sugar for customizable sweetness, plus fragrant cinnamon sticks and a hint of ground cloves to spice up any potluck. It’s one of those easy recipes that takes just five minutes to prep, then simmers for a few hours to fill your home with a delicious autumn aroma . Serving’s a breeze—keep it warm right in the crockpot, and let guests help themselves during your festivities.

These sliders have fluffy Hawaiian rolls layered with turkey, tangy cranberry sauce, and melty Swiss cheese, all topped with a seasoned butter drizzle and poppyseed. With just five minutes of prep and a quick bake, they transform into a gooey, savory‑sweet sandwich that’s as festive as it is effortless. The recipe is flexible—swap in deli turkey, switch cheeses (hello, cheddar or Havarti). They will vanish faster than you can say “seconds, please,” especially when you pull off the foil for a crisp‑top finish.

This hearty and colorful pasta salad is perfect for autumn parties and potlucks. Roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts are mixed with farfalle pasta, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries, all tossed in a light maple-cinnamon dressing. This dish combines sweet and savory elements. It's a festive and nutritious option for your holiday table.

This is a quick and easy dessert that captures the essence of fall in every bite! The moist and soft cake is infused with pumpkin puree and warm spices, creating a great autumn flavor profile. It's topped with a sweet and creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting that melts into the cake as it cools. Ready in just 30 minutes, this recipe is perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or a simple Thanksgiving treat.

This casserole is the pinnacle of potato comfort, built layer by gorgeous layer with velvety cream, garlic-flavored butter, thyme, and melty cheese woven between ultra-thin, starchy potato slices. It’s baked low and slow, gently covered and then uncovered just long enough to develop a golden, bubbly crust. Rich, flavorful, and indulgent, this potato bake is a fall must-have that elevates any potluck into a festival of creamy, cheesy warmth.

This dish layers silky mashed sweet potatoes with a crunchy streusel made from brown sugar, flour, pecans, and butter—then crowns the whole thing with gooey toasted marshmallows. The contrast of textures—soft, creamy base and crispy-nutty topping—makes this a standout on any Thanksgiving table. One of its best perks? You can fully prep most of it ahead, then just bake just before serving. This recipe balances traditional flavors with an extra flourish, making it feel both comforting and a little bit fancy.

This casserole has fresh (or frozen!) broccoli that is coated in a creamy combo of mushroom soup, mayo, a touch of onion, and sharp cheddar cheese. Topped with a crunchy blanket of crushed cheese crackers, it bakes until bubbly and golden. It’s perfect for making ahead—just stash the casserole minus the cracker topping in the fridge for easy prep. This cheesy, crowd-pleasing side will steal the center stage at your Thanksgiving potluck!

This New England classic transforms corn kernels (fresh or well-drained canned) into a luscious, custard-like pudding, then tops it with buttery, cheesy cracker crumbs for a golden crust. The creamy center bursts with corn flavor while the crunchy topping gives you contrast with every bite. It’s easy to adapt (fresh, canned, or frozen corn), so it's flexible for whatever you find at the store. If you want a side dish that brings both snug nostalgia and a bit of texture play to your potluck spread, this one shines.

This recipe transforms the classic pecan pie into bar form with a buttery shortbread base and a pour-over pecan filling—no tricky crusts to fuss with. It’s a one-bowl mix, pour, and bake formula, which makes it simple for holiday prep. The bars chill beautifully, which means you can bake them ahead and slice them cleanly later. You can cut them into bite-sized squares to serve a crowd at your potluck gathering.

These fall cookies have ultra-chewy centers infused with pumpkin and cozy autumn spices, finished with a sprinkle of spiced sugar on top. The recipe takes the extra step of drying the pumpkin puree (pressing out excess moisture) so the cookies stay chewy—not cakey. No chill time required makes this a fast dessert (ready in under 30 minutes!). Every bite tastes like pumpkin pie in cookie form, perfect for the potluck dessert table.

This recipe dresses a bone-in turkey breast with herb butter (rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, garlic) rubbed under and over the skin, then roasts it to golden perfection. Her method starts by cooking it at a higher temp to crisp the skin, then drops heat to cook through gently—yielding tender, juicy slices with no dryness.

This party dip blends creamy cheesecake comfort with cozy fall flavor in a flash. It features cream cheese whipped with sugar, pumpkin‑spiced instant pudding, and International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer, all folded into fluffy whipped topping. The result is indulgent yet airy, tasting like pumpkin pie in dip form. It’s a no-fuss potluck appetizer that comes together in just about 10 minutes with minimal cleanup. Sweet, spiced, and perfectly scoopable—this dip is a crowd-pleasing fall dessert shortcut.

This traditional stuffing starts with dried bread cubes (ideally cubed (and ideally dried) days ahead), sautéed onion and celery in butter, eggs, broth, and just a few seasoning staples (poultry seasoning, salt, pepper). The eggs act as a binding agent so the texture holds together while still melting in your mouth. This buttery, savory, and golden stuffing is a great choice when looking for a timeless, no-fuss, and crowd-pleasing potluck recipe.

This version of mac & cheese is over the top in the best way — it sandwiches a hidden layer of provolone and sour cream between cheesy pasta, so every forkful delivers extra creamy surprise. The sauce itself is built on a combination of roux and evaporated milk (plus a little cornstarch) to keep it silky and stable under baking pressure. A crisp panko or Parmesan topping adds a golden finishing touch, giving contrast to the molten center. It’s indulgent and comforting — ideal for a potluck where you want your dish to be the one people sneak seconds of.

These rolls are soft, tender, and shaped like little pumpkins, complete with a pecan “stem” poked into the top. The dough includes real pumpkin (mild in flavor, so it complements rather than overpowers), yeast, warm milk, and warm spices. Before baking, you brush them with plain melted butter or sweet brown sugar-cinnamon butter (or both!), then bake until golden and fluffy. They elevate any Thanksgiving spread by being both festive and delicious.

This recipe starts by crisping fresh green beans (or using blanched ones) before combining them with mushrooms, cream, garlic, and flavorful seasonings for a richer base than typical casseroles. Then it tops the mixture with homemade crispy fried onions (rather than store-bought) for that signature crunch. What sets this apart is the depth of flavor from sautéed mushrooms and a carefully balanced cream sauce, making it more than just “your mom’s old casserole.” It’s a side that feels classic but elevated — stuck between nostalgia and wow factor.