Potluck Thanksgiving

By Food & Wine
Updated October 29, 2018
Credit: © David Malosh
A potluck-style Thanksgiving meal takes the pressure off the host—and is also fun for guests. Here, a collection of our very favorite dishes to contribute to the spread, from an updated sweet potato casserole to pumpkin cheesecake bars.
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1 of 25

Roasted Winter Squash and Onion Turnovers

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The filling for these turnovers also makes a terrific side dish on its own.

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2 of 25

Crudités with Wasabi Dip

Credit: DANA GALLAGHER
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Nonfat Greek yogurt blended with fresh goat cheese and spiked with wasabi makes for a luscious, thick, tangy and addictively spicy dip. In addition to the vegetables listed below, try raw kohlrabi, chayote and endive, and wax beans that are blanched until crisp-tender.

3 of 25

Fall Corn Pudding with White Cheddar and Thyme

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Corn pudding is often a summer staple when corn is widely available and plentiful at farmer's markets. Here we use frozen kernels and coarsely ground cornmeal to boost the flavor of this fluffy pudding.

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4 of 25

Escarole and Roasted Broccoli Salad with Anchovy Dressing

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This salad offers an amazing array of flavors: sweet roasted broccoli, bitter escarole, salty anchovies, sharp cheese.

5 of 25

Sweet Potato Casserole

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Sweet potatoes grow in abundance in Alabama, where sculptor Sandi Stevens’ family eats them year-round. This casserole is a Stevens favorite: silky pureed sweet potatoes topped with a sweet and crunchy pecan-cornflake topping. If you don’t have pecans or cornflakes on hand, Stevens says the topping can be made with whatever nut or cereal is in the cupboard.

6 of 25

Green Bean Slaw

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In this salad, tender haricots verts get tossed with crunchy strips of carrot, red pepper and parsnip.

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7 of 25

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Swirl

Credit: © Alexandra Rowley
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These decadent chocolate-crusted bars are topped with a homemade caramel that sinks into the pumpkin cheesecake batter during baking.

8 of 25

Pearled Barley Salad with Apples, Pomegranate Seeds and Pine

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Thanksgiving Make-Ahead Tip: The salad without the pine nuts can be refrigerated overnight. Bring the salad to room temperature before serving.

9 of 25

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Monterey Jack and Chipotle

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Chipotles in adobo have a rich and toasty heat that flavors the creamy sauce for this luscious gratin.

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10 of 25

Roasted Persimmons Wrapped in Pancetta

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Melon wrapped in ham is a classic starter—but tough to prepare in the winter, when melons are out of season. Instead, swap in these warm roasted persimmons for a sweet-salty holiday treat.

11 of 25

Collard Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuits

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Cornmeal biscuits make a delicious crust for these smoky, spicy collard greens.

12 of 25

Double-Crust Apple-Apricot Pie

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In this fun twist on a classic apple pie, master baker Alice Medrich enhances the flavor of the tender baked apples with dried apricots and orange zest.

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13 of 25

Beet-and-Apple Salad

Credit: David Malosh
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This refreshing salad calls for jarred horseradish and apple-cider vinegar.

14 of 25

Pumpkin Cookies with Dried Fruit and Pistachios

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Inspired by the best qualities of holiday fruitcakes, these tender, scone-like cookies get a boozy kick from the brandy in the glaze. To make them more kid-friendly, you can use milk instead.

15 of 25

Ginger-Roasted Winter Squash

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For winter squash that is crispy on the outside and moist within, Melissa Perello halves each one, roasts it until soft, then cuts it into wedges and roasts it some more.

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16 of 25

Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple

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Cranberries only need to be cooked for a few minutes before they burst and form a sauce. To mold the sauce so it's sliceable, add an apple, which is loaded with pectin, a natural gelling agent.

17 of 25

Pumpkin-Gingersnap Tiramisu

Credit: © Lucy Schaeffer
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Pumpkin pie meets tiramisu, with layers of pumpkin-mascarpone custard and gingersnaps brushed with Calvados syrup. In the freezer, the flavors and textures meld to form a deliciously creamy dessert.

18 of 25

Mashed Potatoes with Butternut Squash

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For ultrafluffy potatoes, Grace Parisi presses them through a ricer. To achieve a similar texture, pass the potatoes through a food mill or a fine-mesh sieve. If you choose to mash them by hand, be gentle; otherwise, the potatoes will turn gluey.

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19 of 25

Pearl Onions au Gratin

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Inspired by the pickled pearl onions that became a family tradition ("Mom just served them straight out of the jar and threw a toothpick at them"), chef Barbara Lynch bakes fresh pearl onions in a mixture of cream, garlic, shallots and bacon, then tops it all with a crispy panko crust.

20 of 25

Brown Sugar-Cranberry Tart

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One dessert is never enough at Thanksgiving. The sweet-and-tart berries in the creamy custard pop when you take a bite.

21 of 25

Curry-Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpeas

Credit: John Kernick
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This Indian twist on the traditional Thanksgiving dish of roasted butternut squash is supereasy: After tossing the squash and chickpeas with curry and cayenne, Melissa Rubel roasts them, then drizzles the dish with a cooling cilantro-spiked yogurt sauce.

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22 of 25

Za'atar-Spiced Beet Dip with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts

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This luscious beet dip from London chef Yotam Ottolenghi is delicious on its own or served in tandem with other meze.

23 of 25

Lemon Curd Tart with Pecan-Citrus Sauce

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In this clever variation of Key lime pie, Michael Mina replaces the usual lime curd with lemon and the typical graham cracker crust with a cinnamon-pecan cookie crust.

24 of 25

Rosemary-Potato Focaccia Rolls

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Jessamyn Waldman makes her excellent focaccia rolls from a dough she learned while baking at New York City's Restaurant Daniel. When she sells the rolls at farmers’ markets, she varies the toppings by season; she uses potato and rosemary in the winter and tomatoes and feta in the summer.

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25 of 25

Mini Spiced Pumpkins

Credit: © David Malosh
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These spice cakes look like tiny pumpkins when they're covered with orange glaze and topped with a piece of dark licorice, twisted to look like a stem.

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