Christmas potluck sign-up sheet

The menu

For 30 to 40 guests at a church hall, a street party or a big family gathering:

• 2 mains, such as ham and turkey, plus a vegetarian main on its own line
• 2 potato dishes and 2 roast vegetable dishes
• 2 salads, so there is something fresh
• Rolls or bread
• 3 cookie lines and 2 other desserts
• Warm drinks: mulled cider or hot chocolate, plus soft drinks

If you are hosting at home, take one main yourself and sign up for it. Guests are more confident choosing a side once they see the center of the table is covered.

The cookie problem

In December, half your guests will want to bring cookies. That is fine, but give cookies a line with a limit, say three, and list a yule log, a trifle or a cake separately. When the cookie line is full, the next guest sees it and picks another dessert. Or point them to a cookie exchange, which is a different party.

Jobs beyond food

Holiday potlucks in shared spaces need hands as well as dishes:

• Setup and decorations, an hour before
• Someone to run the music or a carol sing-along
• Cleanup, three or four people

Cleanup always falls to the same people. Putting it on the sheet with a number spreads the work.

A gift swap

If you are doing a white elephant or secret gift swap, add a line for it with no limit so you can count gifts. Put the rules in the description: price limit, how the swap works, and whether gifts should be wrapped. It saves explaining it five times at the door.

Allergies and labels

Ask guests to note nuts, gluten or dairy when they sign up. Christmas food is heavy on nuts, in stuffing, cookies and sweets, so it is worth saying once in the description. Provide small cards and a pen on the table so guests can label dishes.

Timing and reminders

Send the sheet three to four weeks out, ideally before December starts. Remind guests two days before, when they are planning their shopping, and on the morning with "bring a serving spoon". People who cannot come after all can cancel from their own link, and the next guest on the waitlist for that dish gets an email.

A ready list

The starter list above feeds about 40. Paste it into Dibs and each line becomes a slot with its own limit. Share the link in the church email, the street group chat or the family thread. Guests claim a dish from their phone with no account and no ads.