23 Potluck Recipes to Carry Along to the Neighborhood Trunk-or-Treat

A neighborhood trunk-or-treat can leave everyone looking for a bite between decorating cars and answering the doorbell. These 23 potluck recipes cover the dishes people often want to bring, from hearty casseroles and shareable salads to breads and sweets. Several can be made ahead or served at room temperature, while the baked dishes are easy to portion for a crowd. Pick a dish that suits your travel time and the kind of table your hosts are setting up.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Chilled sides can be a welcome change from the richer dishes on a potluck table, and Mediterranean Orzo Salad brings orzo, spinach, cucumber, olives, and feta together with lemon and Italian seasoning. Plan on 1 hour 20 minutes total, including a one-hour chill, before heading out. Its cool, forkable texture travels well in a covered bowl and gives guests an easy option between rounds of candy collecting.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Broccoli Casserole

Planning a scoopable side that can sit beside the main dishes, Broccoli Casserole pairs broccoli and cheddar with a creamy mushroom-soup base and a crisp cheese-cracker topping. It takes 55 minutes total and serves six, making it a manageable pan for a smaller group. The casserole can be assembled a day ahead, then baked before you leave, which helps when the evening already includes costumes, decorations, and doorbell duty.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Casserole

Lemon Bars

Citrus-bright squares give the dessert table a lighter counterpoint, and Lemon Bars layer lemon filling over a buttery shortbread-style crust. Set aside 20 minutes for prep, 45 minutes for baking, and two hours for chilling, so they are best made earlier in the day. Cut them into neat portions and pack them in a single layer for an easy-to-share sweet after kids finish their first trick-or-treat loop.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Bars

Four Cheese Mac n Cheese

Few warm dishes travel as well as a shareable pasta bake, and Four Cheese Mac n Cheese combines elbow pasta with Cheddar, Gouda, mozzarella, and Parmesan. About 45 minutes, including a short oven finish, gets this ready before the evening rush. Bring it in a covered dish and serve it warm as a filling option for guests who need more than a handful of candy between doorbell rings.
Get the Recipe: Four Cheese Mac n Cheese

Ambrosia Salad

At a crowded potluck table, a fruit salad adds a cool, creamy option to the spread, and Ambrosia Salad folds mandarin oranges, pineapple, cherries, coconut, and mini marshmallows into whipped cream and sour cream. It needs at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving, giving the flavors time to settle while you get ready. Carry it in a lidded bowl and keep it chilled until the potluck table is ready for a sweet side.
Get the Recipe: Ambrosia Salad

Chocolate Lasagna

Layered desserts suit guests who like rich chocolate, Chocolate Lasagna stacks an Oreo crumb crust with cream cheese filling, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping. The no-bake dessert takes about 30 minutes to assemble, then needs two hours to chill, so it can be prepared well before costumes go on. Slice it at the event and serve the squares cold, giving the dessert table a rich option that can be made ahead.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Lasagna

Buttery Mashed Potatoes

Cloudlike and rich, a pan of Buttery Mashed Potatoes brings browned butter, cream, milk, and thyme to a hearty potluck side. It comes together in 38 minutes from prep through cooking, leaving the rest of the afternoon open. Pack it in an insulated casserole carrier and set it out hot for guests who want a savory plate before heading back to the neighborhood route.
Get the Recipe: Buttery Mashed Potatoes

Dinner Rolls

Freshly baked rolls give guests an easy way to round out a plate, and Dinner Rolls are made with milk, yeast, egg, butter, and flour, then brushed with a buttery honey glaze. The full rise-and-bake time is about 2 hours 45 minutes, so start early or bake them ahead. A basket of rolls is simple to pass around, and they pair with casseroles, salads, or whatever savory dish neighbors bring.
Get the Recipe: Dinner Rolls

Macaroni Salad

Cool pasta salads are handy when guests are eating in shifts, and Macaroni Salad combines elbow macaroni with peppers, celery, onion, cheese, and a creamy dressing. Prep and cooking take 27 minutes in all, leaving time to chill it before travel. Pack the salad in a covered container and bring serving spoons, so people can add a scoop to their plate without needing a hot dish or special setup.
Get the Recipe: Macaroni Salad

Peach Cobbler

Fruit-filled desserts bring a familiar finish to a neighborhood potluck, and Peach Cobbler bakes peaches beneath a simple batter with cinnamon for warmth. Fifteen minutes of prep and 45 minutes in the oven add up to one hour. It is easiest to carry in its baking dish and portion at the table, with ice cream on the side if the hosts have freezer space and serving bowls.
Get the Recipe: Peach Cobbler

White Pizza

Cutting into squares makes White Pizza an easy share, with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, and basil over pizza crust, with olive oil and a touch of pepper flakes. Its 25-minute total makes it a practical choice for a busy afternoon before the event. Cut it into small squares before leaving, then serve it at room temperature or warm it briefly for guests who want a quick bite between candy stops.
Get the Recipe: White Pizza

Banana Pudding

Silky layers make a familiar dessert easy to scoop and share, and Banana Pudding combines vanilla pudding, condensed milk, wafers, bananas, and whipped cream. About 25 minutes of assembly gets it ready for chilling before serving. Bring it in a covered dish with a serving spoon, and it can anchor the sweet end of the potluck table while guests come and go throughout the evening.
Get the Recipe: Banana Pudding

Southern Cornbread

With a tender crumb, Southern Cornbread gives the savory dishes a sturdy, easy-to-pass companion, with cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, eggs, and butter in the batter. Thirty-five minutes from prep through baking makes it possible to bake shortly before departure or earlier in the day. Cut it into squares for simple serving, especially alongside casseroles or potatoes that guests may want to try in small portions.
Get the Recipe: Southern Cornbread

Key Lime Pie

Bright and tart, a slice can balance the richer casseroles and desserts, and Key Lime Pie pairs a graham cracker crust with a filling of egg yolks, condensed milk, and key lime juice. Hands-on prep and baking take about 40 minutes, followed by a long, 10-hour chill. Make it the day before, keep it cold for the trip, and slice it at the event for a refreshing finish to a potluck plate.
Get the Recipe: Key Lime Pie

Hashbrown Casserole

Golden edges around a soft center make Hashbrown Casserole a substantial side, with frozen hash browns, sour cream, cheddar, onion, and cream of mushroom soup. Seventy minutes total, including an hour in the oven, suits a make-ahead schedule. Carry the casserole warm in an insulated dish and set it near the other savory options for guests who want a filling bite before trick-or-treating.
Get the Recipe: Hashbrown Casserole

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey & Lime Dressing

To add a fresh-tasting choice to the table, Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey & Lime Dressing brings strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, grapes, kiwi, mango, and mandarin oranges together. The honey-lime dressing takes only 10 minutes to prepare alongside the fruit. Chill the bowl before leaving and keep it covered on the way, then offer it as a cool side or a lighter sweet between doorbell rings.
Get the Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey & Lime Dressing

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Autumn flavors join a familiar pasta bake in Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, where squash joins macaroni, milk, mustard, and mature cheddar in a creamy sauce. Allow 75 minutes total, including an hour of cooking, and plan around the event schedule. Bake it ahead and transport it covered, then serve a warm square as a filling option among the potluck sides.
Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Strawberry Cake

Rosy cake brings a shareable centerpiece to the dessert spread, and Strawberry Cake folds strawberries into a batter made with butter, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Fifty-five minutes total includes 45 minutes in the oven, with powdered sugar for finishing. Bake it before the event, let it cool fully, and carry it whole or sliced so guests can take a piece between their rounds outside.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Cake

Mac and Cheese

When plans come together late, Mac and Cheese brings elbow pasta together with a cheddar sauce flavored with garlic and mustard. Twenty minutes from prep to finish helps when the party plan comes together late. Serve it warm from a covered dish, or transfer it to an insulated carrier for the trip, giving hungry guests a filling choice alongside the other potluck contributions.
Get the Recipe: Mac and Cheese

Blueberry Muffins

Handheld sweets make passing around dessert simple, and Blueberry Muffins bake berries into a vanilla batter with flour, milk, egg, and oil. Fifteen minutes of prep and 20 minutes of baking come to 35 minutes total. Let the muffins cool before packing them in a lidded container, then set them out for guests who want a grab-and-go bite before heading back to the decorated cars.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Muffins

Pineapple Casserole

Distinctly sweet and savory notes share the pan in Pineapple Casserole, finished with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. Ten minutes of prep and 35 minutes in the oven come to 45 minutes total. Bake it before leaving and bring it covered; its scoopable texture works as a side for a mixed potluck plate and offers a different flavor alongside the more familiar pasta and potato dishes.
Get the Recipe: Pineapple Casserole

Cream Cheese Brownies

Marbling gives Cream Cheese Brownies a rich look when cut into squares, with cocoa in the chocolate batter and vanilla in the creamy swirl. They take 50 minutes total, including 40 minutes in the oven, then need to cool before slicing cleanly. Pack the brownies in a flat container and set them among the desserts for an easy hand-held treat during the neighborhood festivities.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Brownies

Scalloped Potatoes

Gently browned layers and cheddar sauce make Scalloped Potatoes a hearty choice for a savory potluck table, with milk, butter, flour, and cheddar in the sauce. Allow 1 hour 45 minutes total, including 90 minutes in the oven, so this side suits advance planning. Carry the baked dish covered and serve it warm as a filling side for neighbors rotating between the food table and the doorbell.
Get the Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes