Potluck Party? 25 Sure-Win Dishes To Bring
A roundup of potluck-perfect recipes that will impress your friends and family
By The Weekly -
The festive season is a busy one – especially if you have kids – so if you’re the potluck host, don’t bother making your home spotless before guests arrive. Just clear every counter and tabletop of clutter and hide the mess away in a cupboard somewhere to deal with later. Spray the surfaces with all-purpose cleaner so they shine, and that’s enough. No one will notice dust under the sofa, anyway.
Potluck parties are best when they’re informal, so you don’t even need to use tablecloths. If you’re no fan of disposable plastic cloths, be inspired by the chalkboard look in cafes: Use plain mahjong paper on the table and write instructions or the names of dishes on the paper.
If the party is at someone else’s home, think about how you’ll get your dish there in good shape. An easy trick is to make individual servings of desserts like these cute trifles below (recipe in the gallery) or even agar agar – they’re easy to transport in disposable plastic cups.
So whether you’re attending a festive potluck party, or throwing it yourself, these 25 recipes are sure to be winners!
Numerous delectable possibilities abound with these red curry fish cakes! From being nestled within a bun, topped off with creamy mayonnaise, to being accompanied with a crisp garden salad, one could hardly believe these remarkably moist and juicy fish cakes come from an air fryer.
Chicken wings and drumettes are always a hit when it comes to parties and you can trust these spicy yoghurt drumettes to satisfy your penchant for a flaming, tasty and fun chicken snack. Raita, a refreshing and healthy Indian dip, helps temper the heat.
Salads are easy to make, store and transport for a potluck event. You can make ahead of time too and keep in the fridge. This zesty and savoury salad will be a hit with your potluck guests.
Crunchy, refreshing and flavoursome, this popular Peranakan appetiser is a great dish to serve up at parties. Time-saving tip: Use ready-made kueh pie tee shells, and get your guests or fellow potluckers to fill their own shells! It prevents the shells from getting soggy, too.
Oishii! These patties are nutritious and make great snacks to munch on. Prepare some sesame or tartar sauce as dips to go along with them.
Kimchi fried rice may be all the rage, but once you try this one-pot kimchi rice with juicy chicken thighs by media personality and cookbook author Cheryl Miles, you may be an instant convert! The rice in this recipe is cooked in kimchi juices for extra flavour. Plus, there's less mess as it is all made in one pot and can be ready in around 30 minutes.
It's always safe to bring a vegetarian dish as you might not know if one of your guests could be vegetarian. This salad is sweet and refreshing... and also very healthy!
This savoury dish of mashed potatoes and beef is the ultimate comfort food, and doesn't take much effort to make.
Also known as the Malay curry puff, impress everyone with your puff-making skills with our super easy recipe.
Juicy and succulent garlic prawns meet the Italian main staple for this extravagant dish, cooked and readied with chilli for a kick of spice.
People love easy finger food at parties; try out the recipe for these mini quiches in two different fillings for variety.
This sweet Peranakan treat will be a hit with all generations, as you can tweak the coating (this recipe uses roasted ground peanuts and shredded coconut) to suit different tastes and preferences.
Try this cheesecake recipe with a beautiful apricot swirl, which gives the tangy, creamy dessert an unabated taste of summer. Plus, it’ll impress at any party or gathering, too.
These bite-sized polenta muffins topped with smoked salmon makes for great finger food. Serve with sour cream and dill and you'll keep everyone happy before the main course is served.
Pizzas are among the top favourite party foods as they tend to be easy to make, transport and are popular with both adults and kids.
Wraps are another great idea for potluck party as they are easy to make and pack. If you are the host, you can simply prepare the wraps and fillings and have everyone help themselves to making their own wraps.
Desserts are a must, and many people tend to forget about them when thinking of what to bring for a potluck party. These sweet treats will prove to be popular at the end of the savouries.
Rich, decadent and fudgy brownies are instant crowd-pleasers that don't take much effort to make. Slice them up into bite-sized squares before serving to make it easier for sharing.
These little cups of refreshing sweets are a fantastic end for everyone – and who does not love pretty meringue? Use little plastic cups to transport and serve them for the potluck.
These veggie-and-cheese squares are a healthy, nutritious alternative to regular party snacks like pigs-in-a-blanket and fish fingers.
Instead of baking a whole black forest cake, these black forest mousse cups are much easier to prepare and don't require any baking. Use bottled cherries and cherry jam if you don't want to make your own compote.
This easy-to-prepare dish works for any dinner or lunch party. The mac ‘n’ cheese is a perennial favourite that will satisfy both children and adults.
This cheesy cauliflower and broccoli dish is a fantastic complement to roast dinners, and a clever way to make the kids eat their greens.
Text: Tara Barker, Sean Tan, Elizabeth Liew and Joyce Chua
This article was originally published on Dec 7, 2020 and updated on Dec 7, 2024.