50 Thanksgiving Potluck Ideas, from Make-Ahead Casseroles to Appetizers and Desserts
Whether you’ve been invited to Friendsgiving or you’re just joining the fam for the holiday, one question remains: What tasty dish are you going to bring? Don’t panic, friend: We found 50 festive Thanksgiving potluck ideas that are just right for the occasion. Whether the vibe is elegant or more of a casserole-casual affair, these appetizers (think: bacon jam), sides (i.e. cauliflower gratin) and desserts (ahem, three-ingredient truffles) are guaranteed to win over the crowd (including your persnickety Aunt Sandy). Even better, our picks are easy to make ahead, transport and reheat. Happy Thanksgiving, y’all.
63 Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas (Because Not Everyone Loves Turkey)
Casseroles, Gratins and Travel-Friendly Pans
1. Mac and Cheese with Crispy Parmesan-Phyllo Crust
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
Serves: 10
If you’re only in charge of making one dish, why not go all out with intricate phyllo rosettes? They look more complicated than they are and taste like a heavenly Parmesan breadcrumb.
2. Green Cabbage Gratin
Kelly Marshall/Sunday Best
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 4 to 6
Some things are just better with cheese, butter and a bubbly breadcrumb crust. But good news: The gratin club isn’t exclusive, and humble cabbage is joining the group. Make this dish in advance and reheat it in the oven once you arrive at your destination.
3. Hasselback Honey-Glazed Squash with Pistachios and Chiles
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion–worthy, one pan
Serves: 8
Sweet, spiced and eye-catching, this easy Thanksgiving potluck side dish would be just as delicious with another winter squash in place of butternut. Try delicata—it doesn’t even require peeling.
4. Spiralized Winter Vegetable Gratin
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 6
Speaking of winter squash, this gorgeous gratin is like a slightly healthier version of the traditional potato dish. Parsnips, sweet potatoes and squash stand in for the usual spuds, but there’s still plenty of cheese to go around.
5. Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, vegetarian, <500 calories
Serves: 6
Behold, two cruciferous veggies working together in cheesy harmony. What could be tastier than that? (Only the fact that you can easily transport this dish and bake it upon arrival.)
6. Ina Garten’s Baked Spinach and Zucchini
Quentin Bacon/Cook Like a Pro
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
Serves: 6
You can’t bring Ina Garten to the Thanksgiving potluck, but you can bring her elegant mini vegetable gratins. If you don’t have individual serving dishes, just bake it in one and increase the cooking time.
7. The Best Potatoes au Gratin Ever
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, low sugar
Serves: 8
Why are these potatoes the best, you ask? Well, they’re impossibly creamy and comforting, plus they taste even better if you make them ahead of time. Experiment with different cheeses if you’re feeling feisty ahead of your Thanksgiving potluck.
8. Creamy Vegan Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Bake
Nisha Vora
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, gluten free, make ahead
Serves: 8
It’s a known fact that vegans don’t get enough love at the Turkey Day table, but this plant-based casserole can help. It even does double duty as a side dish or a main.
9. Easy Cauliflower Gratin
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Serves: 6
Two types of cheese, one beloved vegetable and zero problems. A pinch of nutmeg makes this one extra cozy.
10. Roasted Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Serves: 6
Everyone loves mac — and the cauliflower definitely adds ~sophistication~.
11. Gruyere and Asparagus Potato Noodle Casserole
Inspiralized
Time Commitment: 37 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Serves: 8
This fancy-sounding dish is secretly a piece of cake... er, casserole.
12. Rigatoni Broccoli Rabe Bake
Half Baked Harvest
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Serves: 8
What could be cozier than this? We're definitely going back for seconds.
Salads, Appetizers and Sides
13. Cabbage-Fennel Salad with Honeycrisp Apples
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, make ahead, <15 minutes
Serves: 6
So often the salad options at Thanksgiving are lacking. This crunchy number is a refreshing change of pace to all the creamy goodness, and since it’s made with cabbage, it can be assembled in advance.
14. Celery Salad with Walnuts and Pecorino
Nicole Franzen/To the Last Bite
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <15 minutes, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Serves: 2 to 4
That half bag of celery in your crisper drawer isn’t going to cook itself. Instead, transform it into this surprising salad that’s equal parts crisp and rich, thanks to a sherry vinaigrette.
15. Fall Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad with Pine Nut Cream
Aran Goyoaga
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, dairy free, gluten free
Serves: 4
Once you bring pine nut cream to the celebration, you’ll have a standing invitation for every year to come. This hearty salad can be served warm or at room temperature if you need to free up the oven.
16. Kale and Brussels Sprout Caesar Slaw
Ana Cuba/The Modern Cook’s Year
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, make ahead, no cook
Serves: 8
The dressing is based on the rich flavors of a Caesar salad dressing, but uses nuts and seeds as a dairy-free base. Even better, if you dress the greens ahead of time, it gives them time to become tender.
17. Kale Salad with Persimmons, Crispy Chickpeas and Fried Shallots
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 minutes, make ahead, dairy free
Serves: 4
The jewel-like persimmons and homemade frizzled onions will put last year’s bagged salad to shame. Bonus: It’s made with just ten ingredients.
18. Fall Charcuterie Board with Black Pepper–Honey Brie, Figs and Rosemary
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 4 to 6
It’s not a party unless there are appetizers. Fact. Assign yourself the cheese board and you’ll be the talk of the soiree, especially if it includes this effortless black pepper–honey brie.
19. Wild Mushroom, Potato and Onion Tart
Melina Hammer/A Year at Catbird Cottage
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, vegetarian
Serves: 4
This work of art can be made up to three days in advance and stored in the fridge. Just refresh it in the oven or toaster before serving to revive its flaky crust.
20. Goat Cheese, Apple and Honey Tarts
Jacqui Melville/Apple
Time Commitment: 55 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
Serves: 10
These cuties are as versatile as they are delectable. You can either bake them as individual tarts or as one large tart, in which case just roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle.
21. Roasted Winter Vegetable Platter with Miso Aioli and Romesco Sauce
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Aran Goyoaga
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, make ahead
Serves: 4
Homemade aioli is sort of magical. If you don’t have time to make it from scratch while you roast the veg, you can just as easily start with high-quality, store-bought mayonnaise. (We told you these Thanksgiving potluck ideas were easy.)
22. Winter Squash Galette with Caramelized Onions and Gruyère
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 8
Roasted, stuffed or pureed into soup, we’ll eat winter squash any way you make it. And if you wrap it in a golden, flaky crust with some melted cheese, we’re ready to marry the final dish. Slice it into thin slivers for one crowd-pleasing appetizer.
23. Roasted Mixed Nuts
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes, make ahead
Serves: 6 cups
These savory nuts take 15 minutes to make and will disappear by the handful, so yeah, we’d say doubling the recipe is a no-brainer decision.
24. Easy Bacon Jam
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 10
Even if you’re not assembling the charcuterie platter this Thanksgiving, odds are it’ll be in attendance. Bring this bacon jam to serve on the side, and suddenly you’re a holiday hero.
25. 15-Minute Microwave Mashed Potatoes
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes
Serves: 10
Hello, most ingenious potato recipe of all time. These spuds are so foolproof, you don’t even need boiling water to make them (and you can refrigerate them for up to a day).
26. Radicchio, Lentil and Apple Salad with Vegan Cashew Dressing
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Aran Goyoaga
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, vegan, gluten free
Serves: 6
A creamy salad dressing is far superior to all others, but bottled ranch isn’t going to cut it on Thanksgiving. This cashew dressing is just the thing to balance the bitter radicchio and tart apples, and no one will guess that it’s vegan.
27. Pimento Cheese Stuffed Shishito Peppers
Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <30 minutes, vegetarian
Serves: 6 to 8
Think of these pimento-cheese-stuffed shishito peppers as a trendy, classed-up version of jalapeño poppers. They’re spicy, festive finger food at its finest.
28. Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket with Cheater’s Aioli
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Serves: 8 to 10
Want to know a secret? Everyone attending the dinner wishes there were pigs in a blanket involved. That’s where you (and these savory bites) come in.
29. Sweet and Spicy Cornbread
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: one pan, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 9
Skip the sad, bagged dinner rolls and make this simple, one-skillet cornbread instead. It’s best served at room temperature, so bake it and let it cool before you even think about getting in the car.
30. Whole-Wheat Feta Tart with Caramelized Onions and Herbs
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 6
Feta tart? We’ll bite… It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit salty and extremely delicious, plus it features a press-in crust that even beginner bakers can make.
31. Green Beans with Garlicky Pistachio Vinaigrette
Taylor Peden and Jen Munk/Cook This Book
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
Serves: 4
Normally we’d advise against bringing a green veg side to a potluck, since it’s best served piping hot. But these green beans flip the script: They’re served chilled, so you can make them days in advance.
32. Oven-Roasted Beets and Potatoes
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian
Serves: 6 to 8
This colorful dish is bound to get you brownie points at your Thanksgiving potluck.
33. Turnip Fries
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan
Serves: 6 to 8
Fries? Say no more.
34. Mashed Turnips and Parsnips
Spend With Pennies
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Serves: 10
This is lighter than your average mashed tater, and the flavor is honestly just as good!
Desserts and Sweet Treats
35. Cinnamon Meringue Pie
Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion–worthy
Serves: one 9-inch pie
Let someone else handle the pumpkin; you’re in charge of this custardy, spiced dessert. It’s basically a type of sugar pie, which just means it’s thickened with flour instead of eggs and is impossible to mess up.
36. Mini Caramel Pecan Pies with Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust
Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Serves: 24 mini pies
Want a dessert that looks impressive but is ready to go in under an hour? These itty-bitty pies will do the trick.
37. Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 10
If a spiced pumpkin pie and a fluffy angel food cake had a delicious baby, it would be this pumpkin dessert. The cream cheese glaze is just gilding the lily.
38. Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Cider Frosting
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 55 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Serves: 18
A sheet pan cake that’s ready in less than an hour will always beat out a complicated pie recipe. (Sorry to all the gorgeous lattice crusts out there.) Plus, who can deny that tangy, sweet apple cider frosting?
39. Three-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles
Colin Price/Dinner Then Dessert
Time Commitment: 4 hours, 25 minutes (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Serves: 30
Whether you forgot to make dessert or save room for dessert, these impossibly simple, just-rich-enough truffles have your back.
40. Vegan and Gluten-Free Apple Blackberry Crumble Tart
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Aran Goyoaga
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, gluten free, make ahead
Serves: 10
This stunning tart already features cinnamon in the filling, but you can add other warming spices such as cardamom, nutmeg or orange zest to take it up a notch.
41. Pumpkin Black and White Cookies
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Serves: 12
Kids and adults alike won’t be able to resist a soft pumpkin cookie. Make them even better with the classic black-and-white frosting treatment.
42. No-Cook Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 6 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why We Love It: no cook, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 10 to 12
Other than the chill time, this layered custard is a breeze to make, plus it requires no fussing with a cooked custard and is laced with booze.
43. Cranberry Curd Thumbprint Cookies
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 55 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 32
Go ahead, make these cookies up to five (!) days ahead. Then pat yourself on the back for being so prepared for the Thanksgiving chaos.
44. Caramel-Stuffed Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 12
We’ve never met a snickerdoodle we didn’t like, and these caramel-stuffed cookies are no exception. (Of course, you could leave the caramel out…but why?)
45. Pecan Pie Brownies
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment:
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Serves: 9
Haven’t you heard? Pie is out and brownies are in. We’re totally kidding, but these bites start with a boxed mix and taste like you spent hours in the kitchen, so you could make a case for the argument.
46. Mini Apple Cinnamon Tarts
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Serves: 6
Store-bought frozen puff pastry is the secret to making these bite-size pies look totally profesh with minimal effort on your part. Bring vanilla ice cream along and you’ll really win Thanksgiving.
47. Easy Apple Galette
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling:Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Serves: 10
Apples are the epitome of fall — take your average apple pie up a notch with one of these... and don't forget the vanilla ice cream.
48. Cranberry Apple Danish
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Serves: 12
Whether you're doing a Friendsgiving brunch or looking to bring dessert, this is definitely a winner.
49. Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
Spend With Pennies
Time Commitment: 48 minutes
Why We Love It: <500 calories, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 32
For a not-so-sweet dessert, this one is guaranteed to impress.
50. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Photo: Nico Schinco Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Serves: 24
Pumpkin and cheesecake? We'll take five.
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