40 of the Best Thanksgiving Potluck Ideas

Corn Pudding

Cornbread mix and canned corn make this southern corn pudding casserole a snap to prepare. This holy grail comfort food can be modified to your liking.

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Coconut-Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

These dessert-like potatoes are made even sweeter with this addictive coconut-bourbon mix. We’ve all see people top sweet potatoes with marshmallows but how about with raisins and pecans? The Thanksgiving staple is buttery, creamy and just the right amount of crunchy.

Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls

These quick and sweet rolls are ready in under an hour. You can make them ahead of time and freeze them for the big day.

Moist Poultry Dressing

This herby stuffing is filled with onions, mushrooms and celery. Since it’s made in a slow cooker, you won’t need to worry about borrowing oven space in your host’s kitchen.

Honey-Thyme Butternut Squash

This golden, honey squash is as comforting as it is colorful. With its bright color, it makes a gorgeous side for any Thanksgiving table.

Savory Sausage Stuffing

This jazzed up dressing has a couple twists. Pork sausage makes it nice and smoky while cranberries add a hint of sweetness.

Slow-Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Cream cheese and sour cream give richness to these smooth, make-ahead potatoes. They’re not in the slow cooker for long—they’ll be ready in just 2 hours.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

This simple broccoli recipe can be doubled—or even tripled—for your next potluck. With a hint of lemon and red pepper flakes, this cheesy broccoli will be a standout side dish.

Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes

These dense and creamy potatoes have a nice crunchy layer of french fried onions on top. You can freeze them ahead of time and serve when ready. Another fun way to prepare them is in muffin cups.

Roasted Balsamic Sweet Potatoes

This warm and spicy potato salad is perfect for fall. It has a nice smoky taste from the bacon while losing none of the sweetness of the potatoes.

Elegant Green Beans

Mushrooms and water chestnuts give new life to the ordinary green bean casserole. It’s elegant in presentation, but also in taste with a hint of hot pepper sauce giving it a nice amount of heat.

Carrot and Kale Vegetable Saute

This fresh veggie saute is sweet and smoky. If you’re new to the world of butternut squash, this is a great first recipe to try.

Cranberry-Walnut Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts and cranberries are a wonderful sweet and savory combination that you’ll wish you thought of sooner. The resulting dish is bright and colorful, but also has a complex flavor profile that’ll impress guests.

Potluck Candied Sweet Potatoes

This traditional southern staple can now be made in a slow cooker. It’s hard to go wrong with candied sweet potatoes when it comes to pleasing a crowd.

Dijon Scalloped Potatoes

This creamy and cheesy recipe has both sweet and white potatoes, lots of rich, buttery flavor and a golden-crumb topping. It’s a fun take on traditional scalloped potatoes.

Parmesan Risotto

This cheesy risotto embodies comfort and elegance. The star ingredient, Parmesan cheese, adds a rich and nutty flavor, while a touch of butter and seasonings create a harmonious balance.

Potato Pan Rolls

These rolls don’t take long to make because they use quick-rise yeast. With a mashed potato base, they come together in under an hour and can feed the whole family.

Potluck Macaroni and Cheese

You can’t go wrong at a potluck with macaroni and cheese. This slow cooker version is extra-rich and creamy with 3 different types of cheese.

Traditional Holiday Stuffing

Sausage and sage add a gourmet taste to this stuffing. This version is light and perfect for a large Thanksgiving gathering.

Mushroom and Spinach Saute

This recipe is easy to double or triple for a crowd. Mushrooms and spinach make a super fast and flavorful combination.

Nanny’s Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

These creamy potatoes are loaded with Parmesan and are a nice change of pace from your usual mashed potato recipe. You can use any type of potato you like.

Special Baked Potatoes

This version of hasselback potatoes is topped with Parmesan and cheddar cheeses. The intricate cut makes them much more aesthetically pleasing than your usual baked potato.

Cranberry Pineapple Salad

This take on traditional cranberry sauce has a lot of surprises. Not only does it have pineapple, but also raspberry gelatin and chopped walnuts. The nuts add a wonderful crunch while the pineapple adds a nice tartness.

Potluck Pan Rolls

These roll are soft, light, and great alongside any entree. Folks will request these every Thanksgiving.

Cauliflower au Gratin

This cauliflower dish is a great way to put ham on the table this Thanksgiving. This creamy and cheesy dish can also be made with broccoli.

Festive Fall Tortellini Toss

This potluck recipe is fall in a dish. Mushrooms, squash, apples and walnuts work together to make a memorable sweet and savory meal. Tortellini is the perfect vehicle for adding more cheese to any pasta.

Creamed Green Beans

This creamy make-ahead recipe is topped with lots of cheese. You can choose Swiss or cheddar, but for a nice orange color you might want to go for the cheddar. The cornflake breading instead of traditional breadcrumbs offers a great crunch to the dish.

Cheesy Slow-Cooked Corn

This easy creamy corn is made with American cheese. It’s prepped in a cinch and can sit in the slow cooker until you’re ready for dinner.

Wild Rice and Squash Pilaf

This colorful pilaf is fantastic with turkey. It combines the earthy flavors of wild rice and roasted squash, resulting in a hearty and flavorful Thanksgiving side dish.

Holiday Creamed Spinach

This simple spinach is good for the whole family. It’ll make a great addition to your Thanksgiving table (and maybe even your Christmas table).

Special Scalloped Corn

Carrots and green pepper make this hearty dish colorful and fun to look at. The rich and cheesy dish goes great with other Thanksgiving offerings and is a nice spin on a traditional corn casserole.

Tastes Like Thanksgiving Casserole

This hearty, rich-tasting Thanksgiving casserole is a delicious way to use up leftover turkey and mashed potatoes. It’s perfect for the day after Thanksgiving or for any Thanksgiving parties leading up to the big day.

Bacon Collard Greens

Collard greens are a staple of southern cuisine and are a great way to have veggies on the table this Thanksgiving. These smoky greens pack just the right amount of heat.

Slow-Cooked Green Beans

These easy green beans are ready in just 2 hours. The brown sugar and soy sauce combination gives the dish a sweet and savory taste. It’s great alongside some sweet potatoes.

Roasted Fall Vegetables

Fall veggies like squash, pumpkin and carrots make a comforting side dish worthy of a chilly night. The cayenne pepper lends zippy flavor that’s not overpowering.

Classic Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

These make-ahead mashed potatoes save you a lot of time on Thanksgiving day. Starchy potatoes like russets are great options for this dish.

Agave Roasted Parsnips

Sweet and aromatic, this side dish of roasted parsnips nicely spices up any traditional meal. Parsnips are the unsung hero of fall veggies, and this recipe will help you see why.

Cranberry Meatballs

These sweet and tangy meatballs are great if you’re looking for a new side dish. Since they’re made with cranberry sauce, they fit right in with the other traditional Thanksgiving dishes.

Party Potatoes

As the name implies, these creamy make-ahead potatoes are a party in and of themselves. The garlic powder and chives add zip, and the shredded cheese adds color.

Hot Spinach Apple Salad

With a light sweet-tangy dressing, the spinach doesn’t wilt and the apples retain their crunch. This salad is the perfect prerequisite for a big dinner.