You’ve been invited to Friendsgiving (or you’re just joining the fam for the holiday), but one question remains: What tasty dish are you going to bring? Don’t panic, friend: We found 40 festive Thanksgiving potluck ideas that are just right for the occasion. Whether the vibe is elegant or more of a casserole-casual affair, theseappetizers,sidesanddessertsare guaranteed to win over the crowd (including your persnickety Aunt Sandy). Even better, our picks are easy to make ahead, transport and reheat.
40 Thanksgiving Potluck Ideas, from Make-Ahead Casseroles to Appetizers and Desserts
Casseroles, Gratins and Travel-Friendly Pans
1.Mac and Cheese with Crispy Parmesan-Phyllo Crust
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
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.
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It:vegetarian, special occasion–worthy
Some things are just better with cheese, butter and a bubbly breadcrumb crust. But good news: The gratin clubisn’texclusive, 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
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It:vegetarian, special occasion–worthy, one pan
Sweet, spiced and eye-catching, this side dish would be just as delicious with anotherwinter squashin place of butternut. Trydelicata—it doesn’t even require peeling.
4.Spiralized Winter Vegetable Gratin
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
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
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, vegetarian, <500 calories
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
- Time Commitment:50 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
You can’t bringIna Gartento the Thanksgiving potluck, but youcanbring 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
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It:吊人,使未来,低糖
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 withdifferent cheesesif you’re feeling feisty.
8.Creamy Vegan Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Bake
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 25 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, vegan, gluten free, make ahead
It’s a known fact that vegans don’t get enough love at the Turkey Day table, but this plant-basedcasserolecan help. It even does double duty as a side dish or a main.
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Two types of cheese, one beloved vegetable and zero problems. A pinch of nutmeg makes this one extra cozy.
Salads, Appetizers and Sides
10.Cabbage-Fennel Salad with Honeycrisp Apples
- Time Commitment:15 minutes
- Why We Love It:no cook, make ahead, <15 minutes
So often thesalad optionsat 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.
11.Celery Salad with Walnuts and Pecorino
- Time Commitment:10 minutes
- Why We Love It:ready in <15 minutes, beginner-friendly, make ahead
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.
12.Fall Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad with Pine Nut Cream
- Time Commitment:45 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, dairy free, gluten free
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.
13.Kale and Brussels Sprout Caesar Slaw
- Time Commitment:25 minutes
- Why We Love It:ready in <30 minutes, make ahead, no cook
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.
14.Kale Salad with Persimmons, Crispy Chickpeas and Fried Shallots
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It:<10 minutes, make ahead, dairy free
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.
15.Fall Charcuterie Board with Black Pepper–Honey Brie, Figs and Rosemary
- Time Commitment:15 minutes
- Why We Love It:no cook, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
It’s not a party unless there are appetizers. Fact. Assign yourself thecheese boardand you’ll be the talk of the soiree, especially if it includes this effortless black pepper–honey brie.
16.Wild Mushroom, Potato and Onion Tart
- Time Commitment:1 hour
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, vegetarian
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.
17.Goat Cheese, Apple and Honey Tarts
- Time Commitment:55 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
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.
18.Roasted Winter Vegetable Platter with Miso Aioli and Romesco Sauce
- Time Commitment:50 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, vegan, make ahead
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.
19.Winter Squash Galette with Caramelized Onions and Gruyère
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Roasted,stuffedor pureed intosoup, 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.
- Time Commitment:15 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes, make ahead
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.
- Time Commitment:45 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, crowd-pleaser
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.
22.15-Minute Microwave Mashed Potatoes
- Time Commitment:15 minutes
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes
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).
23.Radicchio, Lentil and Apple Salad with Vegan Cashew Dressing
- Time Commitment:35 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, vegan, gluten free
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.
24.Pimento Cheese Stuffed Shishito Peppers
- Time Commitment:25 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <30 minutes, vegetarian
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.
25.Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket with Cheater’s Aioli
- Time Commitment:35 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead
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.
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It:one pan, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
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.
27.Whole-Wheat Feta Tart with Caramelized Onions and Herbs
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion–worthy
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.
28.Green Beans with Garlicky Pistachio Vinaigrette
- Time Commitment:35 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
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.
Desserts and Sweet Treats
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion–worthy
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.
30.Mini Caramel Pecan Pies with Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust
- Time Commitment:45 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Want a dessert that looks impressive but is ready to go in under an hour? These itty-bitty pies will do the trick.
31.Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion–worthy
If a spiced pumpkin pie and a fluffy angel food cake had a delicious baby, it would be thispumpkin dessert. The cream cheese glaze is just gilding the lily.
32.Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Cider Frosting
- Time Commitment:55 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
A sheet pan cake that’s ready in less than an hour willalwaysbeat out a complicated pie recipe. (Sorry to all the gorgeous lattice crusts out there.) Plus, who can deny that tangy, sweet apple cider frosting?
33.Three-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles
- Time Commitment:4 hours, 25 minutes (includes chilling)
- Why We Love It:make ahead, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Whether you forgot to make dessertorsave room for dessert, these impossibly simple, just-rich-enough truffles have your back.
34.Vegan and Gluten-Free Apple Blackberry Crumble Tart
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, vegan, gluten free, make ahead
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.
35.Pumpkin Black and White Cookies
- Time Commitment:45 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead
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.
36.No-Cook Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu
- Time Commitment:6 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Why We Love It:no cook, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
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.
37.Cranberry Curd Thumbprint Cookies
- Time Commitment:55 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Go ahead, make these cookies up to five (!) days ahead. Then pat yourself on the back for being so prepared for the Thanksgiving chaos.
38.Caramel-Stuffed Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Time Commitment:1 hour
- Why We Love It:make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
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?)
- Time Commitment:
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
你没听说吗?蛋糕和巧克力蛋糕。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.
- Time Commitment:1 hour
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Store-bought frozen puff pastry is the secret to making these bite-size pies look totallyprofeshwith minimal effort on your part. Bring vanilla ice cream along and you’ll really win Thanksgiving.