How To Plan And Organize The Perfect Potluck
How to plan and organize the perfect potluck. Easy steps to a successful potluck. The ultimate guide to the perfect potluck!
Potlucks are so fun! …And it’s so easy to plan and organize the perfect potluck!
To me, potlucks are the easiest way to host a big bunch of people!!
You know that I’m all about simple things…
…And potlucks are So perfectly Simple!!
They allow you to taste many different plates…without having to bake everything! Just love them! 🙂
You could even choose a special theme for your potluck to make this event memorable!… There are so many possibilities!! … I’m sure you’ll find great ideas to inspire you!
Obviously, I’m not the only one who likes potlucks. They are so popular, let’s find out why…
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How to plan and organize the perfect potluck: The 5 main reasons
1-Costs:
Potlucks are the best to host at a very low cost!
You will have a lovely table full of plenty of delightful dishes, but it will cost you a fraction of what it would usually cost…I’m not saying that it won’t cost you anything because you will have many things to provide, but you will certainly save a lot!!
2-Time:
Because you won’t have to do everything by yourself, it will make you save a lot of time!!
We all know how time is precious…sometimes, you might say no to hosting a party because you have a busy schedule and no time to prepare everything…well, then potlucks are for you!!
Of course, you will have a few things to prepare, but all of them will be easy to fit into your busy schedule because you’ll be able to prepare most of them in advance… I will share some tricks later to make it even easier 😉
3-Less work to do:
Hosting a big party might make you feel a little overwhelmed… Well, potlucks are perfect for you for that reason too!
Let’s be honest; the meal preparation is always the longest part, the part that gives you more work to do…
Then, why not share all that work with your guests!?
4-Discover new recipes:
My favorite part!
I just can’t tell how much I like discovering and tasting new recipes! It seems that it’s always better when someone else baked it 🙂
Almost everyone has a famous dish or special recipe that they are proud of, and they are usually happy to share it with others!
5-Stress:
But most of all, potlucks are much less stressful than formal dinners!!
Just because you are not alone to do everything! Your guests will feel comfortable helping you in the kitchen…and from my experience, it’s always a lot of fun! 😊 it’s unbelievable all we can say or do in the kitchen while doing dishes!! I just love sharing that space with family and friends… We always all feel so comfy in the kitchen…
Now that you found out why potlucks are the best for you, let’s go through some essential things to ensure your perfect potluck’s success.
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First thing first…always keep in mind that the best parties are always the simplest ones!
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How to plan and organize the perfect potluck: How to select your menu
Of course, planning your menu is important to make sure you don’t end up with only chips and desserts to serve!
I highly recommend that you do a list ( or a few lists… I’m such a lists lover!! 😃 )
Of course, when choosing your menu, you could have in mind each one’s specialty and go from there, but you might need a bit more structure than that…
I suggest you discuss and select the menu with your guests instead of imposing on them what to bring… some have less cooking abilities, and we have to respect that.
And once you all agree on a menu, you all must stick to it! Remember that it’s your potluck, so you’ll have the final say on the choices! It’s kind of your responsibility to ensure that the menu is well-balanced. Don’t forget that you want a good variety to please everyone.
How to plan and organize the perfect potluck: Choose a well-balanced menu
Here is what you need for a well-balanced menu:
- Cold dishes and hot ones
- Meat dishes: such as skewers, lasagna, meat pies, sausages, meatballs…
- Veggies: like salads, veggies & dip, stuffed veggies…
- Bread base plates: any kind of sandwiches, sliders, stuffed croissants…
- Desserts: ( my favorite!! )
Let me share some suggestions. These are all dishes that I tried many times, and it always turned out perfectly 😊… but before we talk about food, I have to talk about:
The three things I always have in mind when choosing my menu:
- I always like to have a few plates that absolutely everyone likes: assorted sandwiches, a good dip with veggies, pasta, or potato salad. That is my base. On top of that, I add other plates according to my guest’s specialties…
- Just keep in mind that everything has to be easy to serve and easy to eat!
- Also, I always prefer to take care of the plates that take longer to prepare or cost a bit more… I don’t want my guests to feel abused…but if they insist on bringing the sandwiches tray or a lovely shrimp platter, it’s okay, as long as you don’t impose anything to anyone!!
Ok, it’s now time to talk about…
My favorite cold plates for potlucks
- Potato salad: very easy to make and loved by all…and everyone has his famous recipe!!
- Pasta salad: always so good, no matter if you choose one with ham & cheese or just a plain veggie one
- Greek or any other veggie-based salad: lettuce-based salads are a little harder to eat when standing…Plus, you would have to toss in salad dressing, which is not so easy when your plate is already well garnished…
- Assorted tea sandwiches tray: but I prefer to order it from a caterer though, it doesn’t cost more, but it’s much less work!
- Any other kind of sandwiches, such as sliders, chicken salad mini-croissants, ham & Swiss cheese buns…possibilities are endless!
- Cherry tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella mini-skewers. With a zip of good Balsamic vinegar. Refreshing and so cute 🙂
- Cheddar cheese cubes and raisins mini-skewers: always very popular
- Cream cheese and smoked salmon rolls: it will add a little something to your table for sure!
- And, of course, the good old classic one: Veggies and dip! There are so many dip recipes to choose from, and we all love them!
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Now, some of my favorite hot plates
- Quiches: any kind of quiche will do. You can easily cut them into bite-size or, even better, opt for mini-quiches
- Mini-pizzas: I like to use mini-pita or mini-Naam bread. You can garnish them with whatever you like!
- Lasagna: so easy to serve, directly from the oven to your table!!
- Mini-skewers: I love chicken, pineapple, and bacon skewers but feel free to choose any other that inspires you!
- Hot-dip with French baguette slices: pulled pork, spinach & cheese…no matter which one you choose, they are all good anyway! 😄
- Sweet meatballs: I always make them in my slow-cooker; they are so easy and so good
- Sausages: sausages and veggies skewers, sausages slices with good spicy mustard…again, very easy to serve and so tasty
- Sliders: roast beef, turkey, pizza-style…so easy to make! ( but try to avoid cold and hot sliders…choose between one or the other )
- Chili: so popular! No matter the recipe…after all, chili is chili!!
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… And for the final touch!! Desserts!
😊 My favorite part of all!! I just love desserts! Any kind of dessert…
In fact, I love desserts so much that I’m working on a full book about them…I promise I will let you know as soon as it’s ready… but for now, have a look at my Top 10 best make-ahead desserts; I’m sure you’ll find inspiration…
**UPDATE! The Make-Ahead Desserts Big Book is out!! YAY!!
But seriously, desserts are essential to any meal. We all like to end our meal with a sweet little touch 😊
I suggest that you serve at least two different ones. I personally like to have two desserts and a fruit plate… but it’s totally up to you!
So, any dessert that you can cut into squares or single portions will do. It’s tough to choose only two from my favorites, but I would suggest:
- Chocolate cupcakes
- Sugar or pecan tartlets
- Carrot cake cut into squares
- Lemon meringues
- Blueberry cake… or cheesecake…or… ha! ha! I can continue forever!!
How to plan and organize the perfect potluck: Quantity of food
How much food will you need? What quantity of food will you need to serve?
Here is my answer! My rule is pretty simple! ( of course, it’s simple…You know that I like things to be simple! 😉)
No matter the number of people, I like to have 12 different plates. Eight cold dishes and four hot ones… That should do for a group of 12 to 15 people, but if you are more than that, just add a few more sandwiches and another dessert!
Never select more than four hot dishes unless your guests bring their own slow cooker… you won’t have enough room in your oven to heat more than 4
My advice here: you really don’t need to prepare tons of food. Not everyone will eat from every plate, and surprisingly, people tend to eat a little less when it’s a buffet…even if a serving plate is empty, there will still be a lot on your table! No need to worry about that!!
How to plan and organize the perfect potluck: All you need to provide
As I said earlier, I like to make what usually takes longer to prepare. I don’t want to give my family and friends any trouble, but it’s really up to you to decide which plate you will take care of…
And on top of that, there are a few important things that you will have to provide:
- All condiments: salt & pepper, of course, but also ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream…
- Pickles and marinades
- Coffee, tea, sugar & cream
- Beverages: soft drinks and juice
- Chips, pretzels, or any other snacks if you opt to serve some
- For potlucks, people usually bring their own beer, wine, or any other liquors, but it’s always a good idea to have some, too 🥂
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Now, all the non-food that you should provide:
- Napkins
- All utensils: spatulas, serving spoons…
- Some serving plates and bowls… just in case!
- Ice cubes
- Plastic wrap or foil to cover any leftovers, or even inexpensive plastic containers that you will give away as doggy bags… your guests will contribute to the meal; the least we can do is make sure they leave with leftovers!!
- Extension cords for slow cookers or any other small appliances on the table
- And of course, dining ware, glasses, utensils, cups, and spoons…
How to plan and organize the perfect potluck:
Important things to ensure the success of it
Although potlucks are very easy to organize, there are still a few important things to think about to ensure that all runs smoothly.
- As I mentioned before, make sure to select dishes that will be easy to serve but, most of all, easy to eat! Many of your guests will stand all evening, chatting from one group to another. Think that they will hold their plate in one hand and have only one hand free to eat…it has to be convenient for them
- If you serve quiche, lasagna, or meat pie, you can leave them in their pan but divide them into portions before setting them on the table. Simply add the spatula or serving spoon directly to the pan; that would be much easier for your friends!!
- Try to select hot plates that all have the same cooking oven degree. Having only cooking time to manage is much less stressful 😉
- Also a very good idea if each of your guests brings his own cooking sheet or pan…ready to slide into the oven!
- Same with cold plates, they should bring them ready to serve
And some more…
- Make sure that your buffet table is big enough so you can set all the plates on it
- Also good to know in advance if you’ll need to plug a slow cooker somewhere…
- Follow up with your friends a few days before to ensure they haven’t forgotten what to bring… if so, that will allow you enough time to think about a B-plan…
- One of my favorite tricks: I always prepare one extra plate, just in case…we never know!! 🙂 it happens to me once, so it won’t happen twice!!
- One of the most important things, when you follow up with them, is to confirm that they will bring exactly what they were supposed to! … some might forget how important it is…
- Make sure that you have enough room in your fridge. Remove all you won’t need for your event. You can easily store extra things in a cooler until your fridge is available again
- And make sure to remove everything you won’t need from your kitchen countertops! Trust me; you will need that extra space for sure!!
But don’t forget that the most important thing of all is to Keep it Simple!!
Don’t aim for perfection…nothing is ever perfect!
Keep an open mind, maybe one of your guests will bring something you would never choose, but it’s absolutely fine!! It doesn’t worth worrying about such a small thing 😊 Keep your energy for what is really important…like enjoying your guests and your party!!
How to plan and organize the perfect potluck: Tricks to keep control!
- Make sure that your kitchen countertops are clean at all times…a messy kitchen could be very stressful!
- Try to have a trashcan insight where all can see it
- Remove empty plates, glasses, or bottles as it goes…and don’t be shy to ask for help 🙂
- Set a separate table for coffee and desserts
- Set dining ware and napkins on one side of the table; your guests will start from there to fill their plates… well, most of the time! It’s always easier when traffic goes in one direction…but please, don’t stress if it’s not exactly that way! As long as all can access the table, all is good! 😊
- Your table should be close to the kitchen to avoid unnecessary steps…
- If one of your guests brings a dish that needs to be cooked, make sure that the pan goes in the oven…a lovely plastic tray could quickly ruin your evening!
And a few more things that you will have to consider:
- Older people should always be the first ones to be served. Ensure that they have easy access to the buffet table and assist them if needed. It is also important that they can sit somewhere to eat… the most comfortable places, of course!!
- If there are kids, make sure that they will find something to eat that they will enjoy. At least one or two dishes must be kids friendly. Unless you know them well and that you know what they will like…or not
- To set your table, keep in mind that hot plates should be placed in the front, and bigger bowls, or higher serving plates at the back of the table…
- If you need to use an extension cord for a slow cooker or other small appliances, make sure that it’s the closest to the wall. You don’t want the cable running all over the place; that could be very dangerous… I’m sure you can imagine what could happen…
- When you select your menu with your friends, don’t forget to ask them also to bring the cooking instructions! That can save you from trouble
Need more great tips & tricks? Have a look here… You will find absolutely all you need to know about How to keep total control of your party!! 🙂
How to plan and organize the perfect potluck: Your house
- Of course, you want your house nice and neat so your guest feel welcomed
- I suggest that you do a nice deep clean-up a week before. Then, save an hour or two on the day before D-Day to refresh and do some touch-ups
- Don’t hesitate to move or remove furniture or carpets to create easy access to the kitchen and the buffet table
- Hideaway precious things
- Again, make sure that you remove everything you won’t need from your kitchen countertops
- Try to set the buffet table a few days in advance and make sure all plates and bowls will fit on it
- Also, make sure that you have enough seating place for everyone
- Wash and iron table cloth if needed
- If there are kids, set up a place for them so they can play…as far as possible from the buffet table!
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To Conclude…
As you can see, potlucks are the best!!… They will make you save tons of time… and money too! 🙂
They’re also the perfect way to host without any stress!
You will enjoy your evening for sure!! Imagine how much time you’ll have to spend with your guests…and each of them will be so proud to share his famous recipe 😊 … it’s such a nice feeling to see people laughing and enjoying a meal you prepare with all your heart!
No more excuses!! Potlucks are for you!! It’s time to send out your invitations!!
…Still not totally convinced and still think that hosting a party is too complicated?! 😄 I will prove to you right here that hosting a big party is much easier than you think! I’m sharing tons of tricks and ideas to make hosting easier for you!
As always, I would love to hear from you 🖤 Please use the comment box below; it’s always so inspiring to read you!!
Or even better, use that comment box to tell me about Your last potluck or what is your favorite recipe? I would be so, so happy to discover it…and I’m pretty sure I would try it too! ha! ha!
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Talk to you soon!
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