Potluck Ideas for Work: 58 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes
From work potluck ideas to versatile cold potluck dishes that'll work at any gathering, we've got it all!
Whether you're searching for potluck ideas for work or make-ahead dishes for that neighborhood get-together, this collection of easy potluck recipes will help you plan your menu. Next time you're invited to a backyard barbecue, summer picnic, work potluck, or dinner party, choose from our delicious array of potluck ideas: from colorful layered salads and tasty dips to creamy casseroles and savory vegetable sides. And of course, we can't forget dessert! Whether your crowd craves brownies, cupcakes, ice cream, cookies, cake or pie, we have it covered.
And if you're the one planning a potluck, be sure to check out our Dynamite Dip Tips, plus How to Plan a Perfect Buffet! These helpful guides are ideal for party-planning and serving large groups of people. Make your potluck party memorably-delicious with these potluck ideas.
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Easy Potluck Appetizers & Dips
When you think about what to bring to a potluck, you may immediately think of main dishes. But don't overlook appetizers and dips! While hearty potluck main dishes are essential to putting on a satisfying spread, the starters are just as important for warming up your crowd's appetites. Whether you're looking for a cold potluck dish that you can bring along and store in the fridge until your work potluck begins or a hot and hearty dip that'll get rave reviews from the crowd, we've got you covered with dips and potluck appetizer ideas, below
What's a potluck without classic deviled eggs? Here's a way to combine two all-time favorites into one delicious treat. This is one of those potluck recipes that's always well-received, 'cause it's such a winning protein combo. As a bonus, this recipe is also cheap and quick to make.
A winner every time, Six Layer Dip has got lots of tasty layers without all the work. This Tex-Mex party favorite is chock full of yummy flavors and textures, plus it presents beautifully. Bring this cold potluck recipe to your next work event!
This savory-sweet snack is a hit at the holidays and all throughout the year. Make easy , tasty Cranberry-Pecan Brie for your next party and enjoy the raves!
What a novel dip to serve when you're expecting company! Our creamy, Fresh Corn Dip is made with super sweet corn and lots of flavorful add-ins, so you know it's going to be addictive. Serve it in an edible bread bowl for a super change-of-pace from traditional dip recipes.
These quick-to-fix Bite-Size Crab Cakes bake up in a heartbeat in muffin tins. They're perfect as a grab 'n' go egg breakfast, brunch food or a tasty party appetizer.
Ripe avocados and a few basics are all you need to whip up this fresh-tasting guacamole that'll make you wonder why you ever brought home store-bought!
Our garden-fresh Summer Vegetable Salsa is the perfect topper for grilled chicken or fish, or as a zesty homemade appetizer for corn chips.
Looking for a potluck idea that will really hook your guests? Look no more, 'cause our "Off the Hook" Cocktail Spread is an easy potluck recipe winner in taste and presentation. If they fill up on this, you might even be "off the hook" for dinner!
This warm party spread gets its novel taste from flavorful pimientos! Put out a platter of your favorite crunchy crackers and get ready for this creamy Pimiento Cheese Dip anytime!
Whether you're entertaining by the pool, at a picnic, or in your own backyard, our Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail are always a super hit with meaty jumbo shrimp and fresh cocktail sauce!
We've switched out the garbanzo beans with black beans for a southwestern-style Black Bean Chipotle Hummus that's a change of pace from traditional hummus. Plus this recipe is super affordable to make. Your wallet can breathe a sigh of relief.
Check out our lightened version of the classic appetizer, Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Bet you can't tell the difference!
Easy Potluck Salads (Cold Potluck Ideas!)
Potlucks are known for always having a wide array of hearty, filling foods on hand. If you want to contribute something lighter to the spread, check out these potluck salad recipes. They're big enough to feed the whole crowd and have tons of tasty, healthy ingredients packed inside. From beautiful green salads to creamy potato salads, you'll find something here to suit every event, whether you're looking for cold potluck dishes that you don't have to fuss keeping warm, or hunting down something healthy to bring to your next holiday party. And if you're busy and don't have time to but something complicated together, cold potluck ideas like these are the way to go!
This rainbow of colorful salad fix-in's stacks up to be an easy summer main dish salad. With a variety of fresh-tasting ingredients from our market refrigerator and freezer section, Rainbow Stacked Salad is super for entertaining.
We've got what we think is the Best Broccoli Salad, and we're betting you'll agree! This garden-fresh broccoli salad is tossed in a creamy homemade dressing and livened up with a few surprises. It's sure to be one of your favorite easy salad recipes!
Whip up our easy Icebox Salad the next time you've got company coming over and get ready to take in all the "oohs" and "aahs." This make-ahead, layered salad is both pretty and delicious. It's the all-American, hearty salad that everyone grew up eating, but in a party-size form!
Our fresh-tasting Summer Potato Salad made with all-American Idaho potatoes will conjure up memories of lazy summer afternoon family picnics. How 'bout making some new memories this summer with this easy potluck recipe?
Turn your kitchen into the private dining room of a country club when you serve up this fresh fruit salad at your next get-together. Our recipe for Country Club Fruit Salad is dressed up in a lively yogurt sauce that makes this fruit salad all the better!
Corn Salad is the perfect dish to mix up for a quick side dish or to bring to a potluck or picnic. With fresh veggies, sweet corn, and the tanginess of the dressing, it's a light and easy last minute potluck idea!
This Fresh Fruit Shell Salad is great for lots of things, from lunch, to a snack, to dessert. It's especially nice to have this ready in the fridge for the kids to grab and go.
This colorful confetti of tastes and textures from the veggies to the Feta cheese livens up our chilled Confetti Couscous Salad. Get ready for raves when you serve this super change of pace go-along at any of your gatherings.
Chilled Stacked Salad is a colorful and easy make-ahead layered salad that is perfect for easy summer entertaining. It's beautifully presented, and among our favorite easy salad recipes for potluck parties.
Potato salad lovers will rejoice in this novel twist on a favorite cold summer salad. Boasting a fiesta of flavors, our Taco Potato Salad is sure to be the talk of your patio party. We know once you start snacking, you'll never stop! This is a terrific budget-friendly potluck idea, too.
Our easy recipe for Basic Macaroni Salad is a potluck staple. No frills here! Just the same classic taste you love, and remember growing up with.
We have given popular macaroni salad a homemade makeover by adding the smoky flavor of bacon and the heartiness of chopped eggs.
Easy Potluck Main Dishes
Potluck main dishes are a major staple of potluck food. While appetizers, salads, sides, and desserts are great, everyone wants a hearty main dish to load onto their plate before the meal is done. Plus, you'll definitely be the office hero for taking the time to come up with a great main dish idea. No one needs to know that these recipes are actually really simple!
These easy potluck ideas for work include make ahead options, comfort food favorites, and stick-to-your-ribs entrees that everyone will love.
Stop slavin' over the grill, and let your slow cooker do the work! Your gang will think you're a BBQ grill master once they taste these flavor-packed, fall-off-the-bone tender Classic Barbecue Ribs.
Who would have thought you could turn fajitas into a potluck main dish? Get these ready ahead of time, and pop them in the oven. Everyone will love this easy Make Ahead Fajitas recipe!
Not your usual kebabs, these hot dog kebabs are fun and colorful, and they taste great , too! You'll love the flavor-packed sauce over bite-sized pieces of hot dogs, bell peppers, corn, and onions for a sure-fire hit with the kids and everybody!
For kids and adults who are big macaroni and cheese lovers, our baked dish of Crunchy Macaroni and Cheese is pure heaven. With the addition of the crackers on top, it becomes a crunchy, creamy easy potluck recipe delight!
We've given traditional sliders a change of pace makeover by substituting fork tender beef brisket for the usual mini burgers. Our flavorful onion-y Pulled Brisket Sliders may be small in size but they're big on taste.
Our Big Top Steak Skewers are a salute to the balancing poles used by circus tight rope walkers. Except ours are woven with strips of tender marinated beef, and seasoned in a flavorful marinade, which make 'em amazing!
This saucy Old World Spanish Chicken one-pot is chock-full of fresh-tasting ingredients guaranteed to deliver full, comforting flavor. Tue traditional flavors of this potluck main dish will transport you to another era!
Take a stroll through the frozen food aisle at the supermarket and grab everything you need to make our Easy Tortellini One-Pot. It only takes 20 minutes, and it doesn't get much easier than that!
This secret Texas beef chili recipe comes as a special gift to us, direct from the Goode Company Bar-B-Q restaurant in Houston, Texas, where Texas chili is king.
Festival Sausage Bake is huge and hearty. Its large portions and smorgasbord of ingredients will remind you of the big pasta bakes your mom used to make. This potluck dish is sure to be a hit with your crowd!
This one is pure comfort food heaven! Our hearty Cheesy Bacon Pierogi Bake is chock full both creamy texture and smoky flavor! This stick-to-your-ribs cheap potluck idea does double duty as both a side dish or a main dish!
Everyone has a favorite meatball recipe, and we've tried tons of 'em! We think Mr. Food's My Own Italian Meatballs recipe takes first place. They're easy to make and easy to say, "OOH IT'S SO GOOD!!®"
Easy Potluck Side Dishes
Potluck side dishes may be one of the best parts of potluck food. They're just so versatile, and there's usually so much to choose from! These potluck side dish ideas are flavorful, simple to whip up, and perfect for any occasion. Just pick the side dish that suits the theme of your potluck and head for the kitchen! If you're attending a backyard summer picnic, try our Backyard Bean Bake. Or if you're hosting a holiday party, try our Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, for a fancier touch. All of these make great office potluck ideas, too!
Perk up your next party with our Backyard Bean Bake and enjoy the tastes of an old-time barbecue. And shh... no need to tell anyone this easy baked bean recipe started with canned baked beans!
Looking for an easy recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes? Mr. Food has the answer with this down-home southern classic you can make no matter where you live!
This Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms recipe is one of our favorites because it's so versatile. Serve 'em up as an appetizer for guests or work it into your main meal. It's gonna be a treat!
Our Baked Stuffed Peppers are over-stuffed with veggies for a super change-of-pace easy side dish. And the colorful bell peppers serve as tasty, edible bowls! Who wouldn't love a potluck recipe like that?!
There's more than one way to be a ham, and making masterpieces in the kitchen is one of 'em. When you want to please the gang, this creamy scalloped potato recipe will win you loads of raves.
Nothing store-bought compares to the homemade goodness of the rich and creamy taste and texture of this delicious Amish vegetable casserole. Our Amish Broccoli Bake might just make veggie lovers out of your finicky gang.
If you can't decide between making a pasta salad or making a veggie salad, then you'll love our Garden Pasta Toss! It satisfies your cravings for both! This last minute potluck idea goes together in no time and will please the whole crowd! Plus, it's one of our best easy cold side dishes for a potluck, so you know it'll be a hit.
Scalloped? Au gratin? Creamed? Whatever you call them, everyone will say "OOH IT'S SO GOOD!!®" about this Scalloped Potatoes recipe.
Your Favorite Potluck Desserts!
When it comes to potluck dessert recipes, you just can't go wrong. Everyone loves desserts, so choosing a dessert worth sharing at your next potluck should be a piece of cake. We even have make ahead potluck recipes! The only challenge will be choosing which of these delicious potluck desserts to try first! If you need a cold potluck dish that's easy to serve chilled, try our Raspberry Icebox Cake - the sweet and salty combo will be a hit! Or if you're looking for a no cook potluck idea, try our Sunny Party Pie! No matter which dessert you bring to the table, your gang will love every last bite.
When it's hot out and we don't want to turn on the oven, how do we bake a special cake? We pop it in the freezer! Yep, trust us by making this Pineapple Freezer Cake the next time you're in need of a cold potluck idea.
Be ready for loads of compliments when you serve up this yummy Cherry Nut Cobbler. Lots of shortcuts in this recipe make it super easy for you, but no one will ever know that for you, this easy potluck recipe was a cinch!
Looking for an easy-to-throw-together pie that's full of sunshine? Our Sunny Party Pie will do the trick!
You won't believe how easy it is to make these great-looking, picnic-perfect Corn on the Cob Cupcakes! These are a perfect potluck idea for work, and they'll be the talk of the office for days!
You know those yummy chocolate caramel candies that are shaped like turtles? We've put that same gooey, rich taste into our Turtle Pie!
These are the Fudgy Brownies that we all loved as kids. You remember how good they were, but do you remember them being this simple? This easy and cheap potluck idea bakes up in no time and will be the hit of the party.
Greek bazaars are known for their great food and incredible desserts, and that's just where we got this recipe! The Greek woman who shared it with us spoke very little English, but her baking communicated smiles to everybody.
For an easy homemade dessert, tart and tangy Key lime juice adds instant flavor appeal to a store-bought lemon cake mix to create our yummy Key Lime Cake. This cake is a bit different from a classic Key Lime Pie, yet just as rich and enjoyable.
The classic combo of chocolate and peanut butter makes for the perfect marriage in our Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. It's easy to whip up, and better than anything you can buy at the store!
Looking for a break from regular cookies? Bar cookie recipes are the perfect option! These Blonde Cookie Bars are sure to satisfy even the biggest choco-holics.
Treat yourself and your guests to the homey and wholesome flavors in our Amish Molasses Oatmeal Pie and you'll see why this is one of our most requested Amish dessert recipes!
Really, who doesn't love a good ice cream cake? Now you don't have to get one from the store. Our Easy Ice Cream Cake is just that -- easy! There ain't nothin' better than homemade cakes like this when it comes to cold potluck ideas.
Whether you're looking for an easy potluck dish to bring to the block party or you just want a simple dessert to serve up after dinner on a warm summer day, this Raspberry Icebox Cake just simply can't be beat.
Thanks to cake mix, these homemade cookies are almost effortless. What are you waiting for? These cookies use only four ingredients and are ready in 10 minutes! Tear open a package and reap the rewards!
For more easy potluck ideas, check out these 44 Make-Ahead Dessert Recipes. This collection features some of your favorite desserts that can be made ahead, so you have one thing less to worry about on the day of the potluck!
Which of these easy potluck recipes do you like best?
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Your Recently Viewed Recipes
CookingMommy
May 18, 2017
The Cranberry Pecan Brie recipe is my go-to around the holidays...my friends love it and ask for it all the time. Although the Pulled Brisket Sliders are also great for a potluck, they're so yummy, I don't like to share them!
CrazyCooking
May 17, 2017
I usually go for a dessert with potlucks - who doesn't like desserts? The Raspberry Icebox Cake really caught my eye...
SpicyGirl
May 17, 2017
The Best Broccoli Salad really is the "best"! I've brought this to a few potlucks and it's always a hit.
Foodismylife
Dec 23, 2016
I never know what to make for a potluck, so it's great to have all of these easy ideas. I especially like all the different potluck salads and appetizers, since that's what I would most likely bring.
dkisamore 6587996
Dec 07, 2016
From main dishes - hot dog kebabs, from side dishes - stuffed mushrooms from desserts - fudgy brownies
bkick1
Dec 07, 2016
I think I would like to have something different at our Christmas get together this year and will make the Key Lime Pie. Sounds very refreshing and easy to make.
RachelAnne
Dec 02, 2016
I'm usually a "cheese and crackers" kind of hostess, but I guess I'll have to up my game after seeing some of these amazing recipes! I think my guests will go crazy over the key lime cake.
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