25 Comforting Fall Potluck Ideas For Every Crowd
With hearty stews, creamy pasta bakes, and packed-to-the-brim vegetable gratins, these fall potluck recipes are sure to wow the crowd.
When our fall harvest favorites finally hit the farm stand or produce section, we know exactly what to do: let them shine. With colorful picks like sweet potatoes and pumpkin, and crunchy ones like apples and collards, the season is more than abundant with fall potluck ideas.
With hearty stews, creamy pasta bakes, and packed-to-the-brim vegetable gratins, these fall potluck recipes are sure to warm and wow the crowd on a crisp, breezy autumn evening. Our Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake throws together just about everything except the kitchen sink to get a filling, satisfying dinner on the table. Looking for a new Cajun favorite? Might we recommend our Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya? Saddled with dessert duty? Fret not, because we didn't forget to include some fall-tastic Bundt cakes, bars, and the best pull-apart bread you'll ever taste (also known as our Caramel-Glazed Monkey Bread). Check out these easy fall potluck recipes we're making all season long.
Chicken-and-Biscuit Cobbler
This comforting classic features a biscuit topping flecked with chopped bacon. As if that’s not enough, the homemade creamy gravy is a perfect complement. Pick up a rotisserie chicken to reduce prep work.
Chicken-Bacon Ranch Casserole
Fred Hardy; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
Serve this family-friendly casserole to all ages. With bacon, chicken, ranch, and pasta baked in one dish, guests will clamor for seconds. Leftovers reheat well, if you have any.
Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole
This casserole hits all the requirements for fall comfort food—hot pasta that’s creamy, cheesy, and filling. Use rotisserie or leftover chicken and jarred Alfredo and pesto sauces to get this in the oven quickly.
Apple Butter Cobbler with Drop Biscuits
This simple and comforting dessert will give other sweets some hefty competition. Cut up a mix of sweet and tart apples and combine with apple butter for optimal flavor. Drop biscuits are a tasty and filling topping.
Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is acceptable at any Southern potluck, but come fall, this butternut squash version is the one you need to make. With shortcuts like canned butternut squash or pumpkin, pre-cooked microwavable pasta, and cooking on a sheet pan, you’ll have a crowd-pleasing dish in no time.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Even if there are other chilis at your game-day gathering, this white chicken version has a place on the table. This recipe requires only 10 minutes of hands-on time because the Instant Pot does the rest of the work. A little cream cheese adds a touch of creaminess.
Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese
Serve up this not-your-basic macaroni and cheese to really impress at the family cookout or fall potluck. Buttery panko breadcrumbs seasoned with sage, thyme, and rosemary make up the delicious secret to this next-level recipe.
Harvest Salad
Skip ordinary tossed salad and make this fall-flavored dish with Honeycrisp apples, Brussels sprouts, and squash on a bed of kale. An orange-maple vinaigrette adds even more flavor. You can make the dressing and do some of the prep ahead.
Spiced Pecan Pie Bars
Made in a 13- x 9-inch dish, this pecan pie in bar form is easy to transport and serve. Square portions make this great for a crowd. Plus, you don’t have to fuss with a pie crust. Pleasantly spiced with cinnamon, these bars are great with ice cream or on their own.
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Using budget-friendly chicken thighs and smoked sausage, this Cajun dish is a no-brainer for a potluck. It's flavored with Creole seasonings and aromatics and will easily feed a crowd. Serve with some warm crusty bread, and you're set.
Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili
What makes this so appealing for a big-batch recipe? You can set it and forget it. A few hours later, a warm pot of flavorful brisket chili is waiting for you to haul over to the potluck.
Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler
This savory cobbler gets a lovely touch from its flaky, latticed crust. In the sea of chicken pot pies, this version with diced ham makes a welcome addition and will stand out in the crowd.
Turkey Pot Pie With Cranberry-Pecan Crusts
No casserole has ever looked quite as festive and ready for fall as this turkey pot pie. The cranberry-pecan crust gives the smallest touch of sweetness to a savory main dish.
Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding
Baked in a rich Parmesan custard with smoky bacon, spinach, and chunks of roasted sweet potatoes, this bread pudding is a standout side dish that never fails to satisfy the fall cravings and hungry bellies of your Southern crowd.
Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake
This colorful casserole will pop on that potluck table. Packed to the brim with cheese-filled tortellini, fresh broccoli, and chicken, this pasta bake gives a little something for everyone.
Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Let this fall-tastic apple Bundt cake wow with its sweet cream cheese filling and homemade praline frosting. This treat is packed with all the seasonal flavors we love: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, apples, and pecans.
Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole
When the table is full of pasta bakes and vegetable casseroles, this almond-topped casserole filled with chicken, water chestnuts, sour cream, and cheese will offer a welcome alternative.
New Turkey Tetrazzini
Nothing like a freshened-up version of a classic comfort dish to really rev up your potluck game. This is the type of casserole that needs nothing else, which means everyone will just be forever grateful that you brought it!
Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans
From the fall potluck to the Thanksgiving dessert table, this decadent Bundt cake won't disappoint. Test Kitchen Tip: For the smoothest texture and most impressive presentation, make sure the icing is still warm when you spoon it over the cake.
Mushroom Stroganoff
A creamy mushroom-studded sauce served over wide egg noodles basically hits all of the marks for a slightly nostalgic, totally delicious main dish. It's a classic that the whole family will love.
Pumpkin-Chocolate Brownies
Pumpkin and chocolate lovers, rejoice! Baked with chocolate chips, pumpkin filling, and a hint of espresso, these decadent brownies are just perfect for fall.
Collard Dip
Give your collards a deliciously creamy appetizer makeover in the form of this warm, cheesy dip. It makes the perfect hearty snack to include at the potluck or party.
Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites
We're happily introducing this seasonal twist on the classic Bisquick sausage balls that belong at every Southern party. They get a nice kick from spicy, peppery Mexican-style chorizo sausage. Test Kitchen Tip: These sausage balls can be frozen on a baking sheet and transferred to ziplock plastic freezer bags for storage, then baked from frozen.
Slow-Cooker Green Beans
Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Crispy bits of pan-fried bacon are added to this dish to bring everything together. This staple side dish is easy to transport to any potluck or holiday gathering.
Old-School Squash Casserole
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Squash casserole is a Southern classic dish that can be enjoyed year-round but tastes even better in the colder months. The creamy sauce made from cheese, mayonnaise, and egg along with the crunchy cracker topping will be a hit at your next potluck.
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Read the original article on Southern Living.