Creative Ideas for Themed Potlucks

Green bean casserole. Macaroni and cheese. Potatoes au gratin. Three bean salad. Jello. If this list of food instantly says "potluck" to you, you are not alone. An invitation to a potluck can summon visions of the same array of food, over and over and over again. This can cause boredom, if not a total lack of appetite.

But, a potluck meal doesn't have to follow a certain time-honored tradition of casseroles, salads, and Jello. Although these dishes can be creative and delicious, sometimes they need a little help, or direction.
That's where a theme comes in. One way to help alleviate the 'same old same old' is by designing a menu that steers away (or sometimes to!) a more interesting twist. Let's take a look at a few ideas for themed potlucks that can help the participants get more creative in their offerings.

Seafood

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Remember, anything goes when it's a themed potluck. That means be prepared to see dishes you might think you know but with a whole new flavor twist. Is macaroni and cheese your favorite dish? Go ahead and bring it, but try a seafood mac and cheese. You can still make your pasta salad, just replace the ham with shrimp. Green bean casserole can always join the theme party with layers of Cajun spiced crawfish.

Or try something totally different and make smoked salmon spread, then make a batch of taquitos using the salmon spread, chopped cucumbers, and green onions. Make fish cakes or clam dip. Let your imagination guide you and turn favorites into something different, or take a totally new turn.

Pizza

You want to really steer clear of the old ideas here and come up with a pizza that is way beyond ordinary. Think of the pizza crust in a totally new way and let it guide you when you choose the ingredients.

You can make hot, cheesy pizzas or cold, fresh fruit and vegetable pizzas. Try making pizzas on different types of crusts - biscuit, phyllo, crescent rolls, or even thinly rolled out chicken cutlets. Make individual pizzas or full size. Start with the 'crust' and build your pizza up from there. Sweet, savory, spicy, gooey, or crunchy - you decide how your pizza is going to WOW the potluck crowd, then do it!

Jello

Why not just give in to the Jello! This is a fun theme for a Friday afternoon event at work or for any group on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Any time when dinner is not needed, but a gathering IS needed, this is a fun theme.
Grab your most outrageous (or most delicious!) Jello recipes and bring them out for all to see, and share.

Kids will love this potluck, too. It makes a good theme for summer camp or even birthday parties. The sky's the limit with this theme. No jello dish is too crazy to enjoy!

There are so many themes to enjoy that a potluck never has to be boring. Try a finger-foods theme, or a blender drink theme, or a healthy diet theme, or a favorite cafeteria food theme.

No matter what you choose, the idea is to spark some creativity by providing a focus, a theme, to get the participants motivated. One thing you can be sure of, it will never be boring!