How to Plan a Potluck Party

WHAT IS A POTLUCK PARTY?

A Potluck Party is a gathering where everyone invited brings an individual homemade dish to be served at the party.

It is believed that Potluck gatherings started during the Great Depression in the 1930s due to food being scarce and diets having very little variety, so communities would meet up and share what they had in their pantries so they could experience an assortment of different foods. To me, this sounds like the definition of community spirit and would have been and still is a fantastic way to bond with family and neighbours.

Today’s Potluck Parties are a little bit more elaborate and embellished and tend to have people cook or prepare dishes for six distinct categories:

• Appetisers
• Soups / Salads
• Mains
• Side Dishes
• Desserts
• Beverages

I really love the concept of Potlucks because they are the perfect non-birthday or calendar-related occasion where you can invite your nearest and dearest to catch up and enjoy eating what everyone has lovingly prepared.

So, let’s get into How to Plan a Potluck Party.

WHAT FOOD IS BEST FOR A POTLUCK PARTY?

When you are making food for a Potluck Party, you can really make anything that you think the majority will enjoy.

Your favourite dish might be something that would work well for a Potluck, or if you are not the best cook but you are good at throwing something together, a charcuterie board or a platter of some kind would go down well as guests can hopefully choose from the selection provided.

At a Potluck Party, you will typically find:

Food Types

• Casseroles
• Pastas
• Salads
• Pies
• Charcuterie Boards
• Platters
• An Assortment of Dips

Dish Examples

• Enchiladas
• Macaroni Cheese
• Potato Gratin
• Brownies
• Fruit Salad
• Cookies
• Cupcakes

POTLUCK HOST TIPS

Like any event, hosting can be very rewarding when you see the finished result, but until that point, it’s planning, planning and more planning, which can be stressful depending on how organised you are.

However, Urban Zoom is here to help you plan and be the no.1 host.

CHECKLIST

1. Make a guest list.
2. Pick a theme for the Potluck Party.
3. Communicate to guests the theme, guest numbers, their dish category, any allergies to be aware of, and other supplies to bring.
4. Confirm in advance the dish that each guest is making so that changes can be made if two guests are making the same dish.
5. Make sure there are enough options in each category.
6. Make a list of all the food and drink being provided.
7. Establish the required crockery, cutlery, and glassware so everyone can be catered to.
8. Establish how many tables and chairs are required at the venue.
9. Look at your chosen venue, whether it be a home or venue and confirm where the Potluck dishes will be stationed.

POTLUCK ETIQUETTE

Needless to say, it should be a given that guests be well-mannered when they attend an event, but not everyone abides by the same standards, and that could just be that they do not know what is expected etiquette at a Potluck Party, so it is worth spreading the word on the DOs and DONTs.

• Do not be critical of dishes you have not made.
• All dishes should come with a label (also add any allergens to the label).
• Cook or assemble a dish that will feed the number of guests invited.
• Guests should bring serving utensils for their dish.
• Condiments do not count as a dish.
• All guests should be prepared to help with the clean-up at the end of the party.
• Do not turn up with a dish you did not sign up to make.

POTLUCK THEMES

By all means, a Potluck Party can just be guests bringing along their choice of food, no questions asked, but adding a party theme can make the event just that little bit more interesting.

PARTY THEME IDEAS FOR A POTLUCK PARTY

Around the World
Each guest has to make a cuisine from a country chosen from a hat.

Movie Food
Each guest has to make a dish seen in a movie

Story Food
Each guest has to make a dish synonymous with a particular book, i.e Hansel & Gretel’s Gingerbread House.

Medieval Banquet

APPs FOR A POTLUCK PARTY

Potluck Parties, in essence, should be simple affairs, but when the numbers grow and the logistics start to get complicated, a little bit of technology will always be welcomed to help any host throw a party without a hiccup!

So here we have listed some apps to help organise a Potluck Party:

Planning – Todoist

This app is great for creating projects and to-do lists.

Make a list for:

• Decor, Equipment and Furniture needed for the party.
• All guests and what dish they are bringing.

Cocktails – Cocktail Flow

This app has every cocktail recipe imaginable, making it a great place to start looking for inspiration and ensuring the party has some of the best-tasting cocktails.

DID YOU FIND OUR POTLUCK PARTY GUIDE HELPFUL?

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