…plus a game plan for all the hosts out there.

We’ve rounded up our top 10 crowd-favorite and – above all – easy potluck recipes that travel well, please even the pickiest of pallets, and leave room on the plate for a little taste of everything. And for all those hosts out there — we didn’t forget about you, either. Our game plan will guarantee entertaining success.

1. Christina’s Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Veggie, protein, and starch all in one = a potluck trifecta

Ingredients

• 2/3 Cup Water
• 1/3 Cup Uncooked White Rice
• 8 Cabbage Leaves
• 1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
• 1 Egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 2 14.5-Ounce Cans Stewed Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice, stir, and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Bring a large, wide saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage leaves and cook until softened, 2-4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground beef, 1 cup cooked rice, onion, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
5. Divide beef mixture evenly among cabbage leaves. Roll (or like my Army mom says, “tuck n roll”) and secure with toothpicks or string.
6. In a large pan or stock pot, spread a few tablespoons stewed tomatoes around the bottom (it’ll keep you out of sticky situations!). Add cabbage rolls and cover with remaining stewed tomatoes.
7. Cover with foil and cook about 2 hours. (The meat may look a little pink, but have no fear! That’s just a bit of color from the tomatoes.)

2. Cynthia’s Borek

…or, in other words, a savory pastry with tangy feta and fresh parsley sitting between layers of flaky, golden brown puff pastry.

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1-2 Eggs, slightly beaten + 1 beaten for egg wash
• Splash of Milk
• Handful of Parsley
• 1 Puff Pastry Sheet
• Black and White Sesame Seeds

Instructions

1. Combine feta cheese, eggs, milk, and parsley.
2. Open dough and spoon mixture in a line down the middle.
3. Fold over dough, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
4. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

3. Anthony’s Buffalo Chicken Dumplings

Yup, you read that correctly. Buffalo chicken and dumplings. GENIUS.

Ingredients

• 1 Pound Roasted Rotisserie Chicken, skin and bones removed
•  1 12-Ounce Bottle Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
• 1 Package Dumpling Wrappers
• Blue Cheese Dressing
• Crumbled Blue Cheese
• Peanut Oil (for frying)
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces, then combine with hot sauce and a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste).
2. Place a spoonful of chicken mixture onto center of dumpling wrapper. Fold wrapper in half to form a crescent and pinch the edges. TIP: This is way easier if your finger are slightly wet.
3. Heat just enough peanut oil to coat bottom of a nonstick skillet before frying dumplings uncovered until bottoms are lightly brown, 1-2 minutes. (TIP: Don’t crowd the pan! Give those dumplings their space.) Add 1/3 cup water and cover to let steam until wrappers appear translucent and liquid has evaporated, another 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove from pan and, if desired, drizzle with blue cheese dressing and crumbled blue cheese.

4. Caprese Salad

Because let’s be honest – tomato and mozzarella will never go out of style. Talk about a match made in heaven.

5. Cranberry Brie Bites

Sweet, creamy, buttery, golden brown… need we say more?

6. Cauliflower Buffalo “Wings”

A weird pairing, we know. But one bite and you’ll be transported to your favorite wings joint. Trust us, we’re sitting at the corner booth right now.

7. Wild Rice Salad

A winner of a side dish if we’ve ever seen one. Not like it’s a competition or anything…

8. Chocolate-Covered (or Filled!) Strawberries

Although we originally posted this recipe back in the summer as part of our picnic menu, we’d be okay eating it in the winter as well. Or spring. Or fall.

9. Banana Bread

Because everyone — and we mean everyone — goes bananas for banana bread.

10. Chocolate Beet Brownies

If it’s called a brownie, we’re going to eat it. So why not sneak in some beets while you’re at it? Guests will swoon. 

Okay, hosts. We promised we wouldn’t forget about you. And we definitely didn’t.

Now that the food is covered, it’s time to move onto the drinks! Because let’s be honest… no potluck dinner is complete without a margarita. Or two.