Four Tips From a Hosting Expert on Being An Excellent Potluck Guest

What can I bring? It’s often the first question we ask after receiving a party invite, and it also happens to be the title of recipe developer and editor Casey Elsass’ new cookbook, where he flips the script on hosting advice and focusses instead on guest etiquette. Here’s his best advice for, as he calls it, living your guest life.

Let the host lead the way 

You won’t find any recipes for main dishes in Elsass’s cookbook. That’s by design. “In my mind that’s the host’s responsibility,” he says, since the main is what sets the tone of the meal. Sides, salads, desserts and drinks are a great way to support, and What Can I Bring? has an excellent selection. Some go-tos? A golden-ratio guac that can be whipped up minutes before leaving the house, or a cheesy quiche that can be served at brunch, lunch or dinner.

 Keep it room temperature

“One of the worst things you can do is walk into a host’s house and expect you’ll get oven space, fridge space or a spot on the stove,” says Elsass. Dishes that can travel and be served without heating or cooling are first picks. (Hosts, take note: room-temp dishes are also a fabulous way to prep ahead for your guests.) For appetizers, that means dips and breads; for sides, potato or pasta salads are winners.

Come prepared

"I always tell people to commit to the dish you can transport,” says Elsass. Bringing all the prepped ingredients for a salad to toss on-site, or the components of a big bowl of punch? Then you’re bringing the salad bowl and the tongs, or the punch bowl and ladle and cups, too. 

 It isn’t a competition (but it also kind of is) 

“When you look good, your host looks good by association,” says Elsass—and that’s the main ingredient for a memorable party. This doesn’t mean shooting for perfection, but choosing a contribution that best suits your cooking style and skills and feels like the right way to show your host some appreciation.

It could be as labour-intensive as a frosted layer cake for dessert, or as unexpected as a tray of flavoured Jell-O shots, depending on the party’s vibe. “It’s a big swing, but when it works, it works…when the first person gets into one, they fly. They’re gone.”