Potluck themes, with a sign-up list for each

How to read the lists

Each line is one slot on the sign-up sheet. x3 means three people can take it, and the fourth sees it marked full. A line with no number is for one person, and "(host)" marks what you cover yourself: sign up for those lines right after you share the link, so guests see them taken. Every list opens in Dibs ready to change. For a different headcount, the potluck calculator works out how many of each to ask for.

By season

Fall: chili cook-off

Five or six chilis is plenty for 25 to 30 people, because everyone takes a ladle of each instead of a bowl of one. Ask cooks to bring theirs in a slow cooker with a label, and put out small cups and a jar for votes. People who don't cook take the toppings, which is how the list fills from the bottom up.

1. Chili (in a slow cooker) x66 spots
2. Shredded cheese1 spot
3. Sour cream & green onions1 spot
4. Cornbread x22 spots
5. Tortilla chips1 spot
6. Hot sauce & pickled jalapeños1 spot
7. Drinks x22 spots
8. Bowls, spoons & napkins1 spot

Use this list for Chili cook-off

Fall: soup and bread night

Five soups served in mugs or small bowls let people try three. Ask for two of them to be vegetarian on the list itself, not in a note nobody reads. Soup is also the easiest dish to bring for someone who works late, since it can be made the night before.

1. Soup x33 spots
2. Vegetarian soup x22 spots
3. Bread x33 spots
4. Butter1 spot
5. Salad x22 spots
6. Cookies or bars x22 spots
7. Cider or cocoa1 spot
8. Bowls & spoons1 spot

Use this list for Soup and bread night

Winter: mac and cheese bake-off

Six pans of mac and cheese sounds like a joke until you see how fast it goes. Ask for variety in the sheet's description (one baked with breadcrumbs, one with green chile, one stovetop) and add a green salad line, so there's something on the plate that isn't orange.

1. Mac and cheese x66 spots
2. Green salad x22 spots
3. Rolls1 spot
4. Dessert x22 spots
5. Drinks x22 spots

Use this list for Mac and cheese bake-off

Winter: breakfast for dinner

This one gets kids to eat, and nobody needs a recipe. Pancakes and waffles go limp in transit, so ask whoever takes that line to bring a griddle or waffle iron and cook on site, and check you have the outlets for it.

1. Pancakes or waffles (cooked on site) x22 spots
2. Syrup & butter1 spot
3. Sausage or bacon x22 spots
4. Scrambled eggs1 spot
5. Fruit x22 spots
6. Juice & milk1 spot

Use this list for Breakfast for dinner

Spring: brunch

A late-morning start (10 or 11am) suits families and people who have plans later. Egg bakes and quiches travel well and taste fine at room temperature. Take the coffee yourself. It's the one thing everyone notices when it's missing, and it's hard to bring hot.

1. Egg bake or quiche x33 spots
2. Fruit salad x22 spots
3. Muffins or pastries x22 spots
4. Bagels & cream cheese1 spot
5. Yogurt & granola1 spot
6. Orange juice x22 spots
7. Coffee (host)1 spot

Use this list for Spring brunch

Summer: cookout sides

The host grills, everyone else brings a side. Name each side on the list instead of writing "Sides x6", or you'll get four pasta salads. Cold sides with mayonnaise go on ice, since the USDA's limit for perishable food left out is two hours, and one hour above 90°F.

1. Burgers, hot dogs & buns (host)1 spot
2. Pasta salad1 spot
3. Potato salad1 spot
4. Green salad1 spot
5. Baked beans1 spot
6. Corn on the cob1 spot
7. Watermelon1 spot
8. Cookies or brownies x22 spots
9. Drinks & ice x22 spots

Use this list for Cookout

Summer: ice cream social

A half-gallon is about 16 half-cup scoops, so four cover 25 people at two scoops each. Ask for the ice cream to arrive in a cooler with ice and not before the start, unless you have the freezer space. Toppings are the easy lines for people who'd rather not carry anything cold.

1. Ice cream (half-gallon) x44 spots
2. Hot fudge & caramel1 spot
3. Sprinkles & candy1 spot
4. Whipped cream1 spot
5. Cherries & bananas1 spot
6. Cones & bowls1 spot
7. Scoops & napkins1 spot

Use this list for Ice cream social

By crowd

Work lunch: build-your-own salad bar

No oven, and no line at the one microwave. Everyone brings one topping in a container that's ready to serve, and people with different diets build their own plate. It also suits a team that can only spare 45 minutes, because there's nothing to reheat.

1. Lettuce & greens x22 spots
2. Chicken or tofu x22 spots
3. Hard-boiled eggs1 spot
4. Cheese1 spot
5. Cherry tomatoes & cucumbers1 spot
6. Croutons & seeds1 spot
7. Dressings x22 spots
8. Bread or rolls1 spot

Use this list for Salad bar lunch

Friends: around the world

Each guest brings a dish from a country they've lived in, visited or have family from, with a card naming it. Keep the list loose with one line for everyone, and add one question to the sheet, "What are you bringing?", so two people don't both turn up with pad thai.

1. Dish from a country you know well x88 spots
2. Drinks x22 spots
3. Plates & cups1 spot

Use this list for Around the world

Families: family recipe night

Every dish comes with its story, like the stuffing that's been made the same way for 40 years, the cake from a great-aunt's index card. Print blank recipe cards and ask people to fill one in, then scan them all into a little booklet afterwards. It's a natural fit for a reunion or a holiday gathering with three generations at it.

1. Main dish (a family recipe) x44 spots
2. Side dish x44 spots
3. Dessert x33 spots
4. Drinks x22 spots
5. Recipe cards (host)1 spot

Use this list for Family recipe night

Big groups: casserole supper for 50 or more

Church halls, school nights and club dinners run on 9x13 pans. Eight casseroles at about 12 servings each feed 50 to 60 people alongside salads and rolls. At this size, put the jobs on the list too. Setup and cleanup crews fill faster when they're slots with a limit than when they're a plea at the end of the night.

1. Casserole x88 spots
2. Salad x44 spots
3. Rolls x22 spots
4. Dessert x66 spots
5. Iced tea & lemonade x33 spots
6. Paper goods x22 spots
7. Setup crew x44 spots
8. Cleanup crew x44 spots

Use this list for Casserole supper

By budget

Cheapest: baked potato bar

The host bakes one large potato per adult plus a few extra, and every guest brings one topping. Each topping costs little, and together they make a full meal. Russets take about an hour at 400°F, so start them before guests arrive, and wrap them in foil to keep warm.

1. Baked potatoes (host)1 spot
2. Shredded cheddar x22 spots
3. Chili or pulled pork x22 spots
4. Steamed broccoli1 spot
5. Bacon bits1 spot
6. Sour cream & chives1 spot
7. Butter1 spot
8. Salad x22 spots
9. Drinks x22 spots

Use this list for Baked potato bar

Middle: taco bar

Plan on about a pound of meat for every four people, so three people bringing two pounds each covers 25. Put the fillings on the list by weight, so nobody brings a single pound and calls it done. Beans and a vegetarian filling make it work for everyone.

1. Taco meat or filling (2 lb) x33 spots
2. Beans & rice x22 spots
3. Tortillas x22 spots
4. Shredded cheese1 spot
5. Salsa & pico de gallo x22 spots
6. Guacamole1 spot
7. Lettuce, onions & cilantro1 spot
8. Chips1 spot
9. Dessert x22 spots
10. Drinks x22 spots

Use this list for Taco bar

Splurge: wine and cheese

Everyone brings a bottle, and a few people bring the cheese. Plan on 2 to 3 ounces of cheese a person when there's bread and cured meats too, so four 1-pound wedges cover 25 people. Add a sparkling cider line for guests who don't drink, and say in the description whether it's adults only.

1. Wine or sparkling cider (one bottle) x88 spots
2. Hard cheese (1 lb) x22 spots
3. Soft cheese (1 lb) x22 spots
4. Crackers & bread x22 spots
5. Cured meats1 spot
6. Fruit, nuts & olives x22 spots
7. Something sweet1 spot

Use this list for Wine and cheese

Making any theme work

• Put the theme's rule in the sheet's description. "Every dish must have pumpkin in it" belongs at the top, where everyone reads it before they pick a slot.
• Ask one question: "What are you bringing?" It's the only way the second salad person knows to bring something green.
• Ask about allergens if anyone in the group has a serious allergy, and say why. Labeling dishes with nuts, gluten or dairy takes a minute and a pen.
• Keep hot food hot. The USDA's line for hot food is 140°F. A slow cooker set to warm does it. A foil-covered dish on the counter doesn't, after the first hour.

Any list above opens in the editor ready to change. For a regular potluck without a theme, the potluck sign-up sheet has the standard mix, and the November holidays have their own lists for Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving.