15 Simple December Potluck Dishes You Can Make in 45 Minutes or Less

Get crowd-pleasing appetizers, mains and sides on the table fast with these easy potluck dishes, all ready in 45 minutes or less.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published December 20, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Overhead view of a green baking dish with chicken and broccoli casserole and a serving spoon next to a small plate with a serving

Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Christina Daley

December is a busy time of year, and we all know food plays a central role at every get together, so let yourself lean on these easy potluck-friendly recipes when you have somewhere to be, and not a whole lot of time to get yourself there. From a fun Deviled Egg Dip to a satisfying Chicken and Broccoli Casserole, a shredded Brussels Sprouts Caesar to a goes-with-anything Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole, each of the recipes below take under 45 minutes to pull together and are easy to pack up and share, making them ideal picks this potluck season.

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  • Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

    Kraft mac and cheese - a silver spoon is scooping homemade mac and cheese our of a white casserole dish
    Alison Bickle

    "If you're short on time, skip the baking step! Pour the noodles into the cheese sauce, stir to combine, and serve as-is." —Summer Miller, Contributor

  • Olivier Potato Salad

    bowl of olivier potato salad on a table

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "The best part about this salad? It's great for preparing ahead. Once you have everything mixed together, this salad will keep in the fridge for 4 days." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

    Overhead view of a green baking dish with chicken and broccoli casserole and a serving spoon next to a small plate with a serving

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Christina Daley

    "Shredding up a rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut here to make this already quick recipe even quicker." —Afton Cyrus, Senior Editor

  • Deviled Egg Dip

    Overhead view of a platter with vegetables and potato chips arranged around a bowl of deviled egg dip and two plates with dip and veggetables

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "If you find you need a little extra liquid to get the perfect smooth consistency, use a splash of brine from the cornichons (or whatever pickle you use)." —Stephanie A. Ganz, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 15 below

  • Homemade Veggie Dip

    Platter of Vegetables with a Bowl of Veggie Dip

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice

    "For a slightly different take, swap half or all of the sour cream for whole milk Greek yogurt." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

    Chicken stuffing casserole in a baking dish with a serving spoon visible

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser

    "This casserole uses a store-bought stuffing mix as a buttery crumb topping, which gets crispy as it bakes. Don’t prepare the stuffing according to the package instructions." —Blair Lonergan, Recipe Developer

  • Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

    Serving of Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad with Lemony Breadcrumbs in a Bowl with a Fork Next to a Larger Bowl with More, a Bowl with Shredded Parmesan, and a Glass

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "To make this recipe super smooth, skip the hassle of shredding the Brussel sprouts and buy a pre-shredded package." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

  • Homemade French Onion Dip

    Caramelized Onion Dip
    Elise Bauer

    "The only thing that takes time for this recipe is caramelizing the onions, which you can do on a back burner while preparing something else. You can also prepare the onions a couple of days in advance if necessary." —Elise Bauer, Founder

    Continue to 9 of 15 below

  • Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

    Copycat Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole in a casserole dish at a table setting with a plate, a basketful of bisquits, a stack of plates, and spoons on the counter

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Colby cheese is not necessarily tricky to find, but not a lot of well-known cheese brands make it. Use Colby Jack as a substitute, but note that the casserole won't have that orange hue that's unique to Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole." —Myo Quinn, Former Associate Editorial Director

  • Snickers Salad

    A bowl of Snickers salad with chopped apples, Snickers pieces, and caramel drizzle, served in a ceramic dish

    Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn

    "If you’re a Granny Smith apple hater, just be sure to choose another crisp and not-too-sweet apple like Pink Lady or Golden Delicious." —Meghan Splawn, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Pickle Dip

    A bowl of creamy dip garnished with dill, surrounded by ridged potato chips

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "Add a little heat with spicy banana peppers or by adding pickled jalapeños." —Stephanie A. Ganz, Recipe Developer

  • Southern Squash Casserole

    Southern squash casserole in a casserole dish (a serving size al served)

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "You can easily double this casserole and bake it in a 9x13-inch dish." —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

    Continue to 13 of 15 below

  • Creamy Everything Bagel Cucumber Salad

    Everything Bagel Cucumber Salad

    Simply Recipes / Sara Tane

    "I’d recommend using Persian cucumbers for this salad because they’re more flavorful, less watery, and have thinner, smoother skin in comparison to English cucumbers." —Sara Tane, Recipe Developer

  • Pickaroon Potatoes

    A serving dish containing a casserole with a spoon scooping into it showing a creamy and textured interior

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "Be sure to cut the potatoes into a consistent size and always start cooking the potatoes in cold water. If you drop the potatoes into hot or boiling water, the outsides of the potatoes cook and soften while the middles stay hard and crunchy, resisting a silky-smooth mash." —Anne Wolf, Recipe Developer

  • 3-Ingredient “Minnesota” Grape Salad

    Bowl of grape salad topped with chopped nuts

    Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

    "You can easily scale this recipe up or down, just stick to a ratio of about 2 tablespoons of sour cream and 1 tablespoon brown sugar for every cup (about 8 ounces) of seedless table grapes." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

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