Recipe Ideas for Your Community’s Holiday Potluck
Nothing brings people together like good food and great company. Promote the joy and happiness of the season with a homeowners’ association (HOA) holiday potluck. A community-wide celebration that everyone can enjoy, a holiday potluck allows residents to showcase their favorite holiday recipes and share in the convivial environment this time of year brings. Read on to learn how to host a potluck for your community, potluck safety tips, and delicious potluck food ideas.
How to Host a Holiday Potluck
A potluck is a food-centered party where guests bring a dish of their choice. As a board member, it’s important to first check your governing documents to determine the types of events allowed in the community and the rules and regulations you must follow to schedule, plan, and host the event. Beyond confirming your event is permitted, hosting a neighborhood potluck is easy. Here are tips for hosting a holiday potluck:
· Secure a large space for the party. Whether the event is held at your community’s clubhouse or an outdoor gathering area, confirm the space can accommodate long tables for food and ample seating for all attendees.
· Budget for supplies. With guests shouldering the cost of food, potlucks are usually affordable events. However, for things to go as planned, make sure you budget for—and are properly equipped with—plates, bowls, cups, eating utensils, serving utensils, extension cords, electrical outlets, paper towels, oven mitts, trash bags, and trash cans.
· Include a sign-up sheet with the invitation. It’s best practice to send an invitation three weeks in advance. Include a sign-up sheet for members to add their dishes.
· Recruit volunteers to help. A potluck is a celebration that demands time and effort to plan, prepare, set up, decorate, host, and clean up. Recruit volunteers to help with the planning process or take on day-of tasks.
Holiday Potluck Safety Tips
Scheduling fun activities allows residents to connect in a personal way, enhancing the positive atmosphere of the association. To ensure your potluck is a success—especially one of a large scale—it’s critical to put practical safety measures into place. Here are some safety protocols to consider:
· Capacity Limits: Follow capacity guidelines for indoor spaces to prevent overcrowding. Communicate these limits in advance to residents.
· Parking and Traffic Control: Inform residents and guests of designated parking areas to avoid violating rules and blocking emergency access routes.
· Food Safety: When planning gatherings with shared food, remind everyone about safe food preparation and handling practices.
· Food Allergies: Suggest guests notate the common allergens or dietary needs included in their dish, such as “contains nuts,” “gluten-free,” or “contains soy.”
· Security Measures: For bigger events, consider hiring additional security personnel or monitoring common areas to handle disruptions and maintain order.
· Encourage Responsible Alcohol Consumption: If alcohol is served, remind attendees to drink responsibly and encourage designated drivers or carpooling.
Holiday Potluck Food Ideas
At a potluck, guests typically bring a dish to share. Think: an appetizer, side dish, or dessert large enough for all guests to have a taste. Some of the best dishes to bring to a potluck include:
Squash Casserole
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
3 lbs yellow squash, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 stick butter
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
3 cups stuffing mix, divided
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Boil the squash and onion in a large pot of water until tender. Drain and return the vegetables to the warm pot.
3. Stir in the butter and cheese until melted.
4. Mix in remaining ingredients, reserving some stuffing mix for topping, and pour into a 9x13 baking dish.
5. Sprinkle extra stuffing mix on top and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
Homemade Stuffing
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
2 boiled eggs, peeled
1½ cups white bread, diced
4 cups cornbread, coarsely crumbled
½ cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp bell peppers, finely chopped
1½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 pinch thyme
1 tsp sage
2 eggs, beaten
⅓ cup butter
1⅔ cups chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine boiled eggs, bread, cornbread, celery, onions, bell peppers, salt, pepper, thyme, and sage in a bowl.
3. Add beaten eggs, butter, and chicken stock to dry ingredients and mix.
4. Place in a lightly greased baking pan and bake for about 1½ hours or until the top is lightly browned.
5. Combine the soup cans and heat separately for the gravy.
6. Pour gravy over top and serve.
Goat Cheese & Fig Cheesecake
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tbsp butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1 pinch salt
Filling
16 oz cream cheese, softened
12 oz goat cheese
12 oz sour cream
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Topping
fresh figs, quartered (for garnish)
1 cup walnuts, toasted & chopped
orange blossom honey
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the crust ingredients in a large bowl. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and press the crumb mixture in the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
3. Make the filling by beating cream cheese and goat cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add sour cream and beat to combine.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined.
6. Mix in the sugar and vanilla extract until just combined. Pour the filling into the crust and place on a baking sheet.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes and rotate. Then, bake for another 25-30 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely.
8. Garnish with fresh figs, walnuts, and orange blossom honey, and refrigerate overnight for the best taste and texture.
More Great Potluck Recipes for Your HOA Event
While these potluck food ideas are crowd-pleasers, Associa has many more recipes your community will love. For drink ideas, salads, soups, breads, entrees, sides, desserts, and more, check out our “Associa Family Cookbook Volume III.”