Fall potlucks are old-fashioned fun that never, ever goes out of style. The chance for everyone to bring a wide variety of dishes to a communal event is a great way to share new dishes and hang out with friends and family.
Of course, it only works if people bring something good. You want to put a little time into planning your fall potluck dish of choice. This a great time to pick some great comfort food or a favorite dish you want to let your friends sample so they can understand its greatness!
Looking for some ideas? Read on.
Fall Potluck Dish Ideas
A fall potluck is all about having fun and eating good food. So, you’ll want to make a list (at least a mental one) of potential dishes you can either cook yourself or buy. You can stick with the traditional or go with something a bit unusual (but not too unusual, see below).
Traditional Dishes
Let’s start with some of the traditional dishes. These are almost guaranteed to find their way to a fall potluck, year in and year out.
- Chicken wings
- Homemade lasagna
- Chili
- Casseroles
- Pasta dishes
- Sloppy Joes
- Deviled eggs
There’s nothing wrong with any of the above. They are even better if you make them at home, as everyone usually has their own unique recipe for these dishes (with the possible exception of chicken wings).
If You Go To The Store
If you go by the grocery store to buy something on the way to the fall potluck, make sure you don’t get something lame like a sad vegetable tray or potato chips. Stick with something sweet from a bakery or cured meats, cheese or mixed nuts.
Some Non-Traditional Fall Potluck Ideas
Here are some non-traditional ideas to get the ideas flowing. Remember, you want to bring something that is your own creation if possible. Everyone can cook something!
Cheese dip. A homemade cheese dip that you flavor and spice your own way, served with chips, bread or crackers.
Turkey or Chicken breast. But you want to cook them your own way – lemon pepper chicken, for example, or Spanish Marsala Turkey Breast.
Mini Taco Station. You can bring shells, seasoned ground beef you cook beforehand, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, taco sauce and whatever else you like on tacos.
Bacon-wrapped sweet potato. Cut the sweet potato into little bites and wrap with bacon because everything is better wrapped with bacon.
Bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños. It’s easier than you think to stuff jalapeños with cream cheese, wrap it with bacon and bake in the oven.
Homemade Mac and Cheese. A simple dish that has become popular once again and for good reason – it tastes awesome. Spice it up, add some ground beef, whatever you like.
Roasted vegetables. Since most people will bring heavy dishes, you can go the other way and bring roasted vegetables – carrots, squash, even kale. Vegetables are great when roasted and peppered. You might also want to consider dipping sauce.
A Few Etiquette Rules
One thing you don’t want to do is to violate any rules of potluck etiquette. What do we mean? Here are some rules to keep in mind and keep you on the good side of everyone at the potluck.
Bring Everything You Need
Don’t expect the potluck party host to have the serving dishes and utensils you need. Chances are they are using everything they have just to do their own dishes. Plus, you are just adding more dishes for them to wash when the potluck is over. Do the right thing and bring everything you need from your house and take it when you leave.
Bring Food For Plates
Potlucks are about plated dishes. You will hold things up and create a headache if you bring something that needs a bowl. Stick to foods that can be served on plates.
Avoid Spicy and Strange
Don’t bring dishes that are spiced to the “red hot” level you enjoy in your house – not everyone has that sort of taste palette. Also, don’t bring dishes with strange ingredients or, even worse, that smell funny as well as look strange. You want people to eat your dish, not avoid it.
Keep these ideas and rules in mind and you will have one of the best fall potlucks ever. Happy eating!
