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Home Recipe Round-Ups

25 Best Fall Potluck Dishes

By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 10/15/24Updated: 2/13/25

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This list of the best fall potluck dishes or meals are easy to transport, can be made ahead, often highlight seasonal ingredients, and are the cozy fall dishes everyone craves. You’ll find soups, casseroles, chilis, salahttps://thrivinghomeblog.com/bacon-cheddar-potato-soup/ds, desserts, and more ideas.

Or check out our breakfast potluck ideas instead.

Fall potluck meal ideas including chili, casseroles, salads, dessert, and more. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • What I Would Personally Take to a Fall Potluck
  • Fall Appetizers
  • Fall Salads
  • Fall Side Dishes
  • Potluck Main Dishes
  • Fall Sweet Treats
  • Bonus: Activities for Kids at Potlucks

What I Would Personally Take to a Fall Potluck

Keys to a great potluck or tailgate dish is that it can be prepped ahead, everyone will rave over it, and it’s transportable. With those parameters in mind, these are my personal picks from our already highly curated and well-tested recipes below.

  • Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
  • Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
  • Cheeseburger Soup or The BEST Stovetop Chili
  • Pumpkin Dump Cake

But, you can’t go wrong with any of the dishes below. I promise!

Tip: If you need help organizing your next potluck, I want to recommend the free online tool called Perfect Potluck for sign-ups.

Fall Appetizers

A platter of celery, carrots, and crackers with baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip in the middle.

Spinach Artichoke Dip with Roasted Red Peppers & Feta

My favorite hot dip! Serve with hearty crackers and carrot and celery sticks.

Spinach Artichoke Dip with Roasted Red Peppers
Four bowls of different variations of Honey Whipped Goat Cheese served with sliced baguettes.

Honey Whipped Goat Cheese (4 Ways)

This 10-minute appetizer is always a party favorite. Choose from 4 different topping options.

Honey Whipped Goat Cheese

Fall Salads

Autumn Salad in a glass bowl with Apple Cider Vinaigrette being poured on top.

Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

This is our most popular recipe each fall. You can prep ahead the salad ingredients (except chopping the apple) and the Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Prepare to have people ask for this recipe!

Autumn Salad
Shaved Brussels Sprouts salad with bacon on top and a jar of dressing next to it.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

This salad has the perfect combination of Brussels sprouts, savory bacon, crunchy almonds, and shredded Parmesan. These simple ingredients are tossed in a zesty homemade dressing that will have you craving for more.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Fall Side Dishes

Sweet potato corn bread stacked on a plate

Sweet Potato Cornbread

This cornbread recipe is so easy to make, incredibly delicious, and includes sneaky nutrition. It makes a perfect side dish for soups and chilis.

Sweet Potato Cornbread
Hashbrown casserole in a white baking dish.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

Rest assured you won’t take home any leftovers of this make-ahead side dish. This cheesy hash brown casserole is made with real food ingredients that are also gluten-free.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Sweet potato biscuits on a plate with one buttered.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Discover the perfect blend of comfort and flavor with these heavenly biscuits. They are perfectly moist, made with a tender crumbly texture, and have a subtle sweetness that takes a classic biscuit recipe to the next level.

Sweet Potato Biscuits
side view shot of stuffing with spoon

Homemade Stuffing

This simple homemade stuffing recipe couldn’t be simpler yet has wonderful depth of flavor. It includes mostly pantry items and only takes about 30 minutes! You’ll never go back to store-bought after this.

P.S. This is super easy to make gluten-free, if needed.

Homemade Stuffing
Four twice baked potatoes on a serving platter.

Bacon and Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes

These make-ahead potatoes are the quintessential side dish for almost any meal. They are a bit healthier than other twice-baked potatoes yet just as rich-tasting.

Twice Baked Potatoes
Bread machine dinner rolls piled up in a basket.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

You can make delicious, homemade rolls at home! Follow our detailed instructions and pro tips for perfectly soft and fluffy dinner rolls.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

Potluck Main Dishes

A hand lifting a ham and cheese slider from a baking dish with a spatula.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

These sliders are super easy to make, budget-friendly, great for a group of people, and even freezer-friendly. I’ve been making these for YEARS and constantly have people ask for the recipe.

Ham and Cheese Sliders
Stovetop chili in a large pot topped with fritos.

The BEST Stovetop Chili

A down-the-pipe, 30-minute chili that everyone will like. Or try this same recipe as Instant Pot Chili.

Stovetop Chili
A spoon serving chicken stuffing casserole out of a glass casserole dish.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

With just 4 ingredients, you can use up leftover cooked chicken in this cheesy, comforting casserole. Be sure to prep two and freeze one for later using our freezing instructions.

P.S. You can make Turkey Stuffing Casserole instead.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
Pulled pork sandwich on a plate with a small bowl of extra BBQ sauce.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This is a crowd favorite at fall potlucks. These sandwiches are SUPER easy to make, too. Serve alongside our popular 5-ingredient coleslaw for pulled pork.

BBQ Pulled Pork
A large pot of Autumn Potato Corn Chowder.

Autumn Chowder

Thanks to the cheddar cheese and bacon, this veggie-loaded chowder tastes so rich. This soup is easy to assemble and the leftovers can be easily frozen. A one-pot comfort food that you’ll be making all winter long!

Autumn Chowder
Baked penne pasta being scooped out of a glass baking dish.

Baked Penne Pasta

This is a delicious and hearty Italian-American pasta dish that’s perfect for a potluck. Everyone will be coming back for seconds.

Baked Penne Pasta
Slow cooker turkey chili with sweet potatoes.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potatoes

This lean, healthy chili is not only hearty and absolutely delicious, but it’s also chock full of fiber, protein, and nutrients. It’s also gluten-free & dairy-free! Or try our Instant Pot Turkey Chili instead.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potatoes
Cooked spinach bacon quiche with a slice being lifted out of the pan with a pie server.

Spinach Bacon Quiche

Filled with only 6 flavorful ingredients, this quiche comes together quickly but won’t stick around for long!

Spinach Bacon Quiche
A serving of beefy baked ravioli on a plate with fresh parsley on top.

Beefy Baked Ravioli (Fake Out Lasagna)

This fake-out lasagna is a dinnertime and potluck favorite. It is very easy to make, super filling, and makes a great beef freezer meal.

Beefy Baked Ravioli
A ladle full of white chicken chili being served from a crock pot.

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

This healthy chicken chili recipe is a little lighter than others yet still so comforting and packed with flavor! It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and freezer-friendly. You may also like our healthy Chicken Taco Soup or Instant Pot White Chicken Chili, too.

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
Chicken spaghetti in a white baking dish ready to serve.

Chicken Spaghetti

This casserole is an easy, cheesy, make-it-again-soon-please recipe that everyone will love. Perfect for a potluck!

Chicken Spaghetti
Cheeseburger soup in a dutch oven pan with small bowls of chopped green onions, and bacon next to it.

Cheeseburger Soup

This comforting, hearty, veggie-forward soup makes even the coldest winter nights warm and cozy. Serve for an easy weeknight meal or at your next potluck. Our Cheddar and Bacon Potato Soup is another one-pot option to make for group gatherings!

Cheeseburger Soup
Cheesy baked pasta in a white casserole dish with fresh basil on top.

Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta

This comforting, vegetarian baked pasta tastes like lasagna but is much easier to make. Penne pasta, marinara, and fresh herbs meet a creamy blend of ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses. It’s a budget-friendly recipe for feeding a group.

Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta
Mummy hot dogs on a plate.

Mummy Dogs

Just for fun around Halloween, bring these Mummy Dogs. I guarantee the adults will like them as much as the kids. We serve these every year at a fall potluck along with Stovetop Chili.

Mummy Dogs

Fall Sweet Treats

Pumpkin spice muffins stacked on a colling rack.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Crumble Topping

This tried and true muffin recipe will quickly become part of your fall baking rotation. Imagine all the delicious flavors of autumn packed into a fluffy, moist, nutritious muffin. The sweet and slightly crunchy crumble topping takes these to the next level and mean no leftovers when you take them to a potluck!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Crumble Topping
Pumpkin spice cake mix cookies lined up on parchment paper with icing on top.

Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies

Super easy to make with yellow cake mix and bursting with warm spices and sweet pumpkin flavor. 

Pumpkin Spice Cake Cookies
Slice of pumpkin dump cake with whipped topping.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

This is an easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing recipe that goes a long way (serves 9-12 people). It is a delicious twist on classic pumpkin pie that almost any age will like. It’s also a great make-ahead recipe. Perfect for holiday parties!

Pumpkin Dump Cake
pumpkin spice latte in mugs with cookies.

Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Latte (for a Group)

Granted, this one isn’t transportable. But, if you’re the host, it’s a really fun drink to serve to a group! Tastes like the Starbucks version.

Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Latte
Monster cookies on parchment paper with M&M's sprinkled around them.

Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies combine rich peanut butter with the sweet crunch of M&M’s and chocolate chips. Brown sugar and vanilla add depth, while old-fashioned oats provide a hearty chew. Perfect for any occasion, these cookies promise a delightful mix of flavors that will leave you craving more.

Monster Cookies
Three slices of banana pumpkin bread stacked.

Banana Pumpkin Bread

This Banana Pumpkin Bread combines the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with the cozy warmth of pumpkin, resulting in a healthy, mouthwatering breakfast that all ages enjoy. It’s freezer-friendly and can also be turned into muffins easily.

Banana Pumpkin Bread

I hope you’re able to find the perfect Fall Potluck dish for your next gathering this season.

Bonus: Activities for Kids at Potlucks

If you’re looking for fun activities for the kids to do at your next potluck, be sure to check out these holiday-themed ones:

  • Easy Halloween Crafts – Most popular are the Q-Tip Skeleton and Puffy Ghost.
  • Halloween Game Ideas – My favorites are Halloween Bingo and Pass It Pictionary.
  • Easy Thanksgiving Crafts – Favorites are Thanksgiving Bingo and Thankful Tree.
  • Easy Christmas Crafts – Try our simple Snowman Coloring Sheet or Gingerbread Man Coloring Sheet.
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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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Fall potluck meal ideas including chili, casseroles, salads, dessert, and more.