12 best winter potluck party recipes

Channel your inner control freak and assign your guests the dishes you would like them to bring.

By Chatelaine

January 10, 2013

Think of this recipe when you have a crisper full of vegetables that you want to use up: It has tons of flavour and is ready in no time.

So you're hosting a winter potluck and don't want a repeat of last year when three guests arrived with mixed bean casseroles. While there is a lot to love about a potluck (the main thing being you must only prepare one dish but get access to many), but let's be honest, the hodgepodge of a free-form potluck is ripe for sending guests home with indigestion. So this year, channel your inner control freak and assign your guests the recipes or ideas you would like them to bring such as the ones we've provided below. Then pick up a few crusty baguettes and a few bottles of wine (assuming guests will also BYOB) and set the scene for a cozy winter soiree.

Appetizers

Crunchy artichoke with creamy lemon dip

Buttery-soft pretzel sticks

Carrot soup is an easy make-ahead. For an appetizer, serve it in shot glasses or small espresso cups. Or dish it up as a first course for a sit-down dinner.

Honeyed carrot & thyme soup

This blend of chili flakes, coconut and cilantro will have you wanting more!

Crispy coconut chicken drumsticks

Salads

Wheat-berry, kale and cranberry salad

Wild rice salad

Mains

Think of this recipe when you have a crisper full of vegetables that you want to use up: It has tons of flavour and is ready in no time.

Harvest vegetable curry

Pulled-pork with ginger bourbon sauce

Ravioli-lasagna-with-sausage_mushrooms-0-l

Ravioli lasagna with sausage and mushrooms

Desserts

No fancy pastry skills needed here! Just roll out frozen puff pastry dough and top with sliced apples and grated cheddar. For a new twist, add a sprinkling of chopped fresh rosemary.

Easy apple tart with aged cheddar crust

Berry bliss pudding

Best-ever buttercream cupcakes

The very best of Chatelaine straight to your inbox.

FILED UNDER:

Copy link

The cover of Chatelaine magazine's spring 2025 issue, reading "weekend prep made easy"; "five delicious weeknight meals", "plus, why you'll never regret buying an air fryer"; "save money, stay stylish how to build a capsule wardrobe" and "home organization special" along with photos of burritos, chicken and rice and white bean soup, quick paella in a dutch oven, almost-instant Thai chicken curry and chicken broccoli casserole in an enamelled cast-iron skillet

Subscribe to Chatelaine!

Want to streamline your life? In our Spring 2025 issue, we’ll show you how—whether it’s paring down your wardrobe, decluttering your messiest spaces or spending way less time cooking thanks to an easy, mostly make-ahead meal plan for busy weeknights. Plus, our first annual Pantry Awards.