The holidays are basically one big excuse to gather around a table with everyone you love. And if your calendar is already filling up with parties and get togethers, you need a few no stress dishes in your back pocket. I've rounded up 19 of my favorite Thanksgiving potluck ideas that are easy, crowd pleasing, and totally delicious. Let's get you signed up for the best dish on the buffet.

1. Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort classic you see at just about every get together. We all say it's for the kids, but let's be honest, everyone goes back for a scoop or two. This version sneaks squash right into the cheese sauce, giving it that pretty orange hue and a hint of sweetness that is so lovely.

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2. Onion Bread Recipe No-Yeast Method

You actually don't need yeast to bake bread, believe it or not. Yeast is really just there to help things rise faster. You can easily swap it out for a starter, baking soda, or even buttermilk. This particular loaf is more like a giant savory muffin, so it has a nice dense texture and relies on baking powder to do the heavy lifting.

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3. Cranberry Crumb Bars

Crumble bars are a welcome treat at any party. They are so buttery, so simple, and you can switch up the filling to match any season. Cranberries feel just right for Thanksgiving, and I love that they add a tart pop without being overly sweet. I finished mine with a zippy orange juice glaze.

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4. Apple Pie Recipe with the Best Filling

When you make apple pie, are you team big chunks or thin slices? I'm all about thin slices because they cook through perfectly in time. This recipe uses thin apples and plenty of those warm cozy spices. Want to make it easier to eat while mingling? Bake little mini pies right in a muffin tin.

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5. How to Assemble A Veggie Platter

Veggie platters and charcuterie boards are having a major moment, and arranging all that colorful food is truly an art. I almost always go for the full rainbow effect. Start with some red cherry tomatoes, then move around the plate adding bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and any other colorful veggies you love. Another fun idea? Set out a few little bowls of homemade colorful hummus for dipping.

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6. Pineapple-Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

A classic sweet potato casserole is lovely, don't get me wrong. But if you want to shake things up at your next holiday gathering, this pineapple bourbon version is an absolute must. After the sweet potatoes are cooked, the mash goes into a food processor with brown sugar, bourbon, melted butter, ginger, allspice, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, eggs, and pineapple. It's a flavor party.

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7. Dark Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bark

You've probably made your fair share of bark, or at least been gifted some over the holidays. It's always easy, tasty, and everyone loves it. At Christmas, I usually stick to white chocolate with peppermint and cranberry. But for Thanksgiving, this rich dark chocolate pecan version is a total winner.

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8. Easy Stuffing Recipe

Can you even call it a Thanksgiving potluck if there's no stuffing on the table? It's the dish everyone secretly hopes for and there is never enough to go around. Honestly, if three people show up with stuffing, every last scoop will still get eaten. When you make it from scratch, dry bread is my little secret to the best texture. I like to chop my bread the night before and let it sit out on the counter overnight.

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9. Parmesan Crisps with Thyme and Sea Salt

I am obsessed with these little Parmesan chips. They are crispy, salty, cheesy, a little bit nutty, and even low carb. All you do is sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan onto a lined baking sheet inside a small cookie cutter. The cutter holds the cheese in a perfect little circle so it doesn't scatter everywhere while it bakes.

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10. Easy Creamed Corn

Is your mouth watering yet? Because mine absolutely is. Is there anything on the planet more satisfying than a big spoonful of creamed corn? If you have a little extra time to roast the corn until it gets those charred bits, please do it. That smoky flavor is unbeatable.

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11. Hasselback Potato Gratin

How gorgeous is this dish? All those thin edges get so golden and beautiful, it will disappear fast. If you want to keep it simple with just potatoes, try to find some red ones and even blue ones if you can get your hands on them. For the full rainbow look, you'll also want to slice up carrots, parsnip, beets, radishes, and sweet potatoes.

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12. Brussels Sprouts and Grapes au Gratin

If you really want to wow the crowd, this is the dish that will have people talking. Brussels sprouts often get overlooked, which is a total shame. But I promise you, this fun twist on them is so good that you won't find a single leftover on the platter.

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13. Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

Turkey is practically a guarantee at any Thanksgiving potluck. But honestly, what is turkey without a big spoonful of cranberry sauce on the side? I know it's tempting to just open a can, but this homemade version is so simple and your host will absolutely taste the difference. One little tip from me to you: if you're using frozen berries, they tend to release more liquid, so just let them bubble a bit longer on the stove to thicken everything up.

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14. Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad with Farro and Goat Cheese

Fall salads are genuinely my favorite part of the season. They are so far from sad lettuce and bottled dressing, you know? Autumn versions are loaded with roasted veggies, chewy dried fruits, crunchy nuts, and creamy cheese. This one features butternut squash, but if all you have is pumpkin or sweet potato, that swap works beautifully too.

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15. Classic Waldorf Salad

This salad actually got its start way back in the day at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. It has traveled the world since then, with cooks putting their own spin on it everywhere you go. But the one thing that never changes is how crazy delicious it is.

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16. Raspberry Pretzel Jell-O

This dessert is the whole package: sweet, creamy, salty, and wonderfully crunchy all at once. Using pretzels instead of graham crackers for the crust gives it so much more personality. And I found that piping the creamy filling right over the pretzel base made the whole assembly so much easier.

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17. Incredibly Easy French Onion Soup Casserole

Let's be real, carrying a pot of hot soup into a party is a recipe for disaster. This casserole gives you all that amazing slow cooked onion flavor without the spills. The key to getting that deep, rich taste is beef broth, no exceptions. If you try to swap it out for chicken or veggie stock, you just won't get that same savory magic.

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18. Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

I know this looks just like a pan of cheesy roasted potatoes. But surprise, it's actually a lower carb casserole made with cauliflower. The sauce is a dreamy mix of cream cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, sour cream, garlic powder, and onion powder, with bacon crumbled right on top. My best advice? Roast the cauliflower first because steaming doesn't do much for such a naturally mild veggie.

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19. Easy Pumpkin Pie Dip

You know someone will bring guacamole and someone else will show up with buffalo dip. But will anyone think to bring something sweet for dipping? That's where you come in. The base is a creamy blend of cream cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. It eats just like a no bake cheesecake.

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