If there’s one day of the year to create a show-stopping table, it’s Thanksgiving. Ideally, the dish itself should evoke memories of delicious foods like apple pie, warm mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and more. But have you ever been to a Thanksgiving potluck and your food didn’t turn out well? It can be frustrating to make a dish that looks amazing at home, only to have it not look so great when it’s on the table at your destination. Cutting into a bowl can encourage some early brain exercise: What goes well, looks good, and tastes like good hours later?
15 Thanksgiving potluck ideas that are 100% authentic
If you’re like me, you want your food to look as good as it tastes, especially in presentation. In an effort to take the stress off your already busy plate, I’ve rounded up a few Thanksgiving potluck ideas that go well, look great, and are perfect for a crowd. Scroll through the recipes, and pass this along as a PSA to all your friends!
The best side dishes for Thanksgiving
More often than not, the keeper will have a portable snake. The whole turkey is not exactly tender. But the sides? Now we are talking. The following side dishes are the final touches that will add much-needed color and vibrancy to the table. Also, full clarity: the sides are my favorite part!
Pesto Parmesan Potatoes
Five ingredients, potatoes full of pictures? Music to my ears. Choose a variety of small potatoes (Yukon, painter, and baby potatoes) and toss them in pesto, olive oil, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the roasted garlic and parmesan for good measure. Also, I love a good homemade pesto, but in the words of Ina Garten, “bought is fine.”
Travel tip: These potatoes work best warm, so check in with your host about the oven. Let them know they will need to be expedited if you don’t eat right away! I promise you it’s worth it – warm potatoes, always warm.
Harvest salad
I love a simple, hearty salad. Delight Extraorderaire Sophie Collins created this recipe that adds fresh flavor and wonderful color to all your fall gatherings. Hardy greens and crunchy seeds combine to create a salad that proves: It’s not just about nutrients – salads can be delicious, too.
Travel tip: To pack your brie and sliced ​​pears. When it’s time to serve, halve the brie wheel, then sprinkle with the bite-size pieces, followed by the pearls. You will be very happy too.
Butternut squash may be a crowd favorite (and I love it a lot, too), but for me, but for me, reigning squash wins. In this recipe, the half moons are tossed with olive oil, brown sugar, rosemary and pepper and roasted until they are golden brown. And, for the record, brown butter makes everything better.
Travel tip: Garnish your squash with sage leaves! Garnishing really takes a dish to the next level as far as presentation, and you want to pull out all the stops for Thanksgiving.
Simple stir-fried vegetables
This recipe comes courtesy of our resident wellness expert, Edie Hourstman. Not only is this dish full of nutrient-dense goodness (a big win for any Thanksgiving table), but it’s also bursting with flavor. Wild rice lends a nice chew to the base while a rainbow of heirloom forots yerothiloom brings a little much-needed color to the table. Creamy goat cheese on top? *chef’s kiss*
Travel tip: The real Show-Stopper of this side of the holiday is the Tahini Sauce. Pack it in a small container and eat it, along with goat cheese and Pepitas, on your plate at home.
Cauliflower Tabbouleh
For your gluten-free friends, this salad can be light and weighty at the same time. It works with all the colors and flavors of the holiday season and is a great accompaniment to any big festive meal. In other words, it’s exactly what you need to bring to every potluck this season.
Travel tip: Place this in a nice serving dish and cover with plastic wrap when it’s time to go. It will be fine – just refrigerate it when you get to your destination. And make sure you have extra pomegranate seeds and pistachios for garnish!
Jewel Jewels Chopped Kale Salad
Think you’re not a fan of kale salad? Think again. If you add pieces of pearl, glazed gorgonzola, pomegranate, and vinaard-i Swall-Shayot, it will go from bland to the best thing you’ve ever eaten. Perfect for Thanksgiving—and good news: If you go home with leftovers, they’re delicious for lunch the next day.
Travel tip: Add your cheese, nuts, and dressing just a few minutes before serving. Tested walnuts are better than real candy if you ask me, but if you’re too scared to make them yourself, you can buy them at the grocery store.
Apple walnut salad
This salad is an order for all our taste buds. It makes a good case for why we should eat apples by the bushel. It is fruity, peppery, crunchy, and salty, with a combination of ingredients that combine the perfect balance of flavor and color. Plus, it’s just the refreshing bite you’ll need when you’re halfway through your turkey season. Who doesn’t love a burst of color between beige-colored foods?
Travel tip: Wait to add the goat cheese, walnuts, and dressing until it’s time to eat. Adding them will soon make your salad a salad!
Salt and vinegar powated potatoes
Let me introduce you to the most ambitious spuds of all. Just five simple ingredients and 40 minutes of combined prep and cooking time, and you’ll have this delicious treat ready to go. (Bonus: It’s easy to transfer and very easy to redevelop.) You could rename the crack potato…
Travel tip: A four-quarter drizzle of Apple Cider Vinegar sends the classic salt and vinegar flavor home – just make it before serving! Sprinkle with coarse salt and chopped herbs to make them more beautiful.
The best desserts for Thanksgiving
Okay, I know I said the side dishes were my favorite part of Thanksgiving, but I can change my mind about dessert. I love dessert and will always give up baking instead of cooking. Thanksgiving potluck ideas wouldn’t be complete without something delicious! The following dessert recipes are delicious, but also good and ready to go.
Buttermilk Pie
This is Camille’s mom’s recipe, so you already know it’s going to be good. Buttermilk Pie is a southern staple that—like camille—definitely doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It has the desire for a creamy, well-made filling, airy, and a little more thanks to the buttermilk. And with a spoonful of vanilla mixed in, well, it’s so delicious.
Travel tip: Like cake carriers – you can invest in pie carriers! It can also be a fun DIY project if you’re up for a little sewing!
Sweet potato cake with cream cheese frosting
At a time of year when it’s all about pumpkin, it’s a welcome move to throw a sweet potato dessert into the mix. This cake more than deserves its place on your Thanksgiving buffet. It’s also made gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy a slice. Mixing sweet potatoes, neutral-tasting oil, and eggs makes a moist crumb, and almond flour mixed with sorghum flour keeps everything light and sweet and infused with cinnamon-ginger goodness.
Travel tip: If the top of your go-to container is for Cream Cheese Frosting, don’t get carried away. You can bring it back with a butter knife when it’s time to serve. This is also the time to reach for ginger in the old man!
CHEWY PUMPKS SPICE COAKCIes
If you’re into a traditional Thanksgiving potluck, these Pumpkin Spice Cookies are a must. Cinnamon Glaze might seem like a cake, but trust me – it’s not. They perfectly capture the sweet and savory look of the season, and if you prefer a cookie that leans on the chewier side, then this is exactly what you want.
Travel tip: Cookies may be the most indulgent dessert of all time, and if you’re feeling extra, bring on the cake. They will feel extra special and inviting at your Thanksgiving dessert table – just like a bakery display!
Pumpkin Snack Cake
Snack cakes are, by our definition, simple, comforting confections that don’t require much thought or effort. That said, they still deserve love and care and should be eaten with pleasure. This pumpkin version benefits from a coffee cake-like crumble and a moist, spiced crumb. All that said, it’s perfectly fine to enjoy leftovers the next morning.
Travel tip: Make sure your cake is completely cool before packing it to go. If you don’t have a cake carrier, line a tupperware container with parchment paper instead.
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Bar
I’m all about taking a classic, old-time favorite recipe and switching things up—and these pecan pie bars do just that. While it’s hard to improve on the original, adding chocolate and bubbly to the mix makes it possible. The result is a line that is thick, chewy, nundty, and what you want when you think you can’t eat anything else.
Travel tip: Travel bars are great, so don’t be afraid to throw them in a storage container with a drive. But when it’s time for dessert, consider pulling them off a large, wood-cut board. Simple – but amazing.
Pulled Pumpkin Bread
Just because the recipe includes “healthy” in the name doesn’t mean this pumpkin bread isn’t full-on-dessert-worthy. Bonus: The ingredients that make it hope it’s the same stuff that lends tons of flavor and a moist texture to each bite. Applesauce, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, and maple syrup naturally lighten your bread while making it clear you’re still indulging. Could this be the perfect Thanksgiving potluck dessert? You decide.
Travel tip: Investing takes the cake! This makes packing your cake super easy, and they even make them directly into Burt’s Cakes.
Dairy- and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pie’s a classic—and a holiday dessert that everyone should enjoy. That’s why we’re adapting our favorite recipe so our gluten-free friends can join in, too. And don’t worry, those frames are included yyyy It’s easier to create than it seems. Get our step-by-step tips in the post.
Travel tip: Pies generally go well, just wait to add your whipped cream until serving time!
This post was last updated on November 9, 2025, to include new insights.