Beer & Cheddar Dip

Ah — potlucks. The season of groaning tables loaded with mismatched casserole dishes has begun, and perhaps you're already planning your contributions to potlucks at the office, at school, or with family. The best potluck dishes have certain characteristics: Easy to transport, easy to reheat (or with no need to reheat at all), and, of course, crowd-pleasing on an existential level. It's nice if they're easy to scoop out and eat off a paper plate, too.

Here are 15 recipes we think work quite well under all sorts of potluck circumstances — from a festive grain salad, to a decadent baked potato dip, to a creamy baked squash casserole. There are glammed-up cheese balls, zesty pasta salad, and baked beans with bacon — something to please everyone.

DIPS & APPETIZERS
• 1 Beer & Cheddar Dip
• 2 Loaded Baked Potato Dip with Homemade Chips
• 3 Sweet & Smoky Eggplant Spread (Baklazhannaia Ikra)
• 4 Cheese-Stuffed Bread Sticks
• 5 Cheese Ball Trio: Goat Cheese Ball with Chives, Cucumber, and Caramelized Shallot, Blue Cheese Ball with Candied Almonds & Cheddar and Olive Cheese Ball with Dijon, Lemon, and Dill

WARM SALADS
• 6 Winter Wheat Berry Salad with Figs & Red Onion
• 7 Warm Potato Salad with Cilantro & Toasted Cumin
• 8 Orzo Salad with Spinach Pesto, Olives & Feta
• 9 Zesty Tortellini Salad
• 10 Sweet Potatoes with Star Anise, Ginger, and Lime

CASSEROLES
• 11 Baked Beans with Pineapple and Bacon
• 12 Cheesy Corn Bake
• 13 Cauliflower & Sausage Casserole
• 14 Butternut Squash Tian with Herbed Bread Crumbs
• 15 Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

What are your favorite dishes to take to a potluck? What are the most important criteria for a good potluck dish?

Related: 15 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck Recipes

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