20 Christmas potluck ideas

If you're hosting more than one gathering this Christmas, read our guide to the best Christmas starters and New Year's Eve party food ideas. We also have festive cocktails, mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.

See our party food recipes and buffet recipes for more inspiration.

Christmas potluck ideas

1. Christmas lasagne

Lasagne is a failsafe dish to bring to a pot luck, and here we've imbued it with Christmassy flavours for a seasonal update. It features cinnamon-spiced port and beef ragu, enriched with dark chocolate and layered with chestnut béchamel. It can also be frozen for up to three months. With a potluck-friendly dish this good, you'll be be guaranteed an invitation to next year's gathering.

See our classic lasagne or discover more lasagne recipes.

2. Butternut squash, sausage, spinach & mushroom pasta bake

Wow fellow potluck guests with this seasonally flavoured pasta bake. This hearty dish combines the sweet, earthy flavour of butternut squash with sausage, spinach, mushrooms and sage. Roasted in the oven until golden and bubbling, it takes a little effort but it's well worth it. It's freezable too, meaning you can make it in advance.

Try more of our best-ever pasta bake recipes.

3. Mincemeat half-baked cookies

Treat potluck guests to these soft and squidgy Christmas cookies with moreish mincemeat flavours. These festive delights can be frozen for up to three months – simply pop in the oven when guests arrive. If you're not hosting, bake at home a few days before the potluck – they'll keep in an airtight container for up to five days.

Learn about more ways to use mincemeat or check out our most indulgent cookie recipes.

4. Ham, turkey & sprout pie

This warming turkey pie is ideal for using up leftovers from Christmas dinner, plus it will impress your potluck guests. It uses shop-bought shortcrust pastry to save on time, plus you can freeze until needed.

Take your pick from our round-up of leftover turkey and ham recipes.

5. Chilli & honey baked ricotta & grapes with prosciutto

Create a little make-your-own crostini station where guests are invited to spread baked ricotta onto warm toast and top with grapes and prosciutto. It's a smart entertaining idea – simply put the baking dish in the middle of a heatproof board, then serve with the crisp baguette slices and slices of prosciutto, letting everyone build their own crostinis.

We've got plenty more dinner party starters.

6. Smoked salmon grazing wreath

Try a clever Christmas-themed update on the ‘butter board’ trend (that’s butter spread on a board with various toppings, ready to slather on bread) for your festive potluck. Shop-bought ingredients including Tyrrell's sweet chilli & red pepper crisps and Philadelphia soft cheese help to simplify the method, and your guests probably won't have seen anything like it before.

Alternatively, try this epic babka wreath grazing board or brie & cranberry wreath, or check out more smoked salmon recipes.

7. Pistachio tiramisu

Tiramisu is great any time of year, and we've taken our love for the coffee-spiked pudding one step further with a pistachio cream filling and topping. It's the perfect show-off dessert to bring to a potluck, plus it will keep chilled for up to two days, allowing time for the flavours to develop.

See more of our tiramisu recipes.

8. Mini maple & mustard pigs in blankets

Potluck guests will love these salty morsels, made even more special using maple syrup and a little mustard. They will keep covered and chilled for two days; when ready to serve, mix the maple syrup and mustard together in a small bowl, roast the pigs in blankets in the oven for 20 mins, then turn and brush all over with the maple-mustard mixture. Return to the oven for 10 mins until sticky, then serve.

Take a browse through more pigs in blankets recipes.

9. Cod prawn pie with saffron potatoes

Elevate a standard fish pie with a touch of saffron for a smart way to feed guests who may feel a little over the usual Christmas leftovers. It's packed with health benefits too, being low in calories and fat, making it a stellar dish for eating healthily over the festive season.

Check out more fish pie recipes.

10. Salted caramel crispy rudolphs

For a festive treat that all ages can enjoy, make these cute puffed rice reindeers. Kids will love getting involved in making them, and they'll keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

We have plenty more family-friendly treats in our Christmas for kids recipes.

11. Cauliflower cheese mash with sage butter

For an epic side dish to accompany festive roasts and stews, let us introduce you to this cauliflower-cheese-mash hybrid, pepped with a swirl of herby brown butter. You can make it in advance and keep in the fridge for up to two days, although for best results make the sage butter just before serving. It's also freezable.

Turn your hand to our best mash recipes.

12. Sweet potato stuffing

If you're not sure what to bring to a potluck, this sweet potato stuffing works well with any Christmas main. Herby, with sweet and savoury notes, it's a winning veggie side dish for your festive table. It's also a great make-ahead option, as you can make it a day in advance.

Check out our best Christmas stuffing recipes and more ways with sweet potato.

13. Cheeseboard mac ’n’ cheese with cracker breadcrumbs

Use whatever odds and ends of Christmas cheese you have for this golden mac 'n' cheese – blue cheese, gruyère and camembert all work well. The breadcrumbs are made of leftover cheeseboard crackers too – it's a fun and imaginative way of using up leftovers.

See our top macaroni cheese twists or top melted cheese recipes.

14. Spicy tortilla chips with pomegranate hummus

Elevate your standard chips and dips with these spicy homemade tortilla chips with pomegranate hummus. Guests will be impressed, and the best part is it can be rustled up in 15 minutes. Wholewheat tortillas become lovely and crisp in the oven – ideal for a festive snack.

See our classic hummus or check out the best dip recipes.

15. Broccoli quiche

Though it looks simple, this elegant broccoli quiche is bursting with goodness, featuring little pops of cheese at the bottom. It's also a great way of boosting your leafy greens intake over the holidays. Cut into generous pieces and let fellow potluckers dig in.

We have plenty more vegetarian quiche recipes.

16. Dirty prawn martini cocktail

If you're hosting this year, why not give the classic prawn cocktail a makeover with a boozy twist? It makes an easy, no-cook dish which serves up to six guests.

See our round-up of best prawn cocktail recipes.

17. Spiced squash, feta & beetroot wellington

Bring a showstopping vegetarian main to this year's Christmas potluck – a meat-free wellington with squash, beetroot and feta, all encased in puff pastry. This is a great dish to make in advance, as it can kept in the freezer for up to two months. If you're cooking from frozen, unwrap the wellington and bake in the oven for 30 mins. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 35-40 mins more, removing the foil for the final 10 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before thickly slicing.

Check out more vegetarian wellington recipes, vegetarian Christmas mains or our Christmas centrepieces.

18. Pumpkin star bread

If you're a keen baker hoping to show off your skills, bake this savoury tear-and-share bread as part of your potluck buffet. It's a stunning side dish for a Christmas gathering, and although it requires a bit of effort, we guarantee the results and the reaction from guests will be worth it.

See more ways to use pumpkin as well as our top easy bread recipes.

19. Frozen custard sundae

If you're hosting a potluck this year, this devilishly good sundae will make a sweet ending to your festive feast. It uses up excess mince pies and panettone by layering them with a simple no-churn ice cream. The mince pies can be swapped for Christmas cake, pudding or crumbled yule log. Broken biscuits, such as ginger nuts or shortbread, or chopped nuts and chocolate truffles, can be used instead of toasted panettone. You can also drizzle over chocolate sauce or raspberry coulis.

Indulge in more ice cream sundae recipes.

20. Christmas tree cheeseboard

A cheeseboard is an essential fixture in many households for the festive period, so why not take it to the next level by creating one in the shape of a Christmas tree? This sharing platter is made with cheese, crackers, cucumber and grapes, and decorated with rosemary and pomegranate seeds to make it look like a festive tree. It makes a super-easy centrepiece which can be rustled up in 20 minutes, plus it's no-cook, meaning you can have it ready on the table for guests to snack on while the oven cooks the rest of the dishes.

See more Christmas cheeseboard recipes.