Food is Everybody’s Real Favourite Thing
If you love to eat food and if you love hanging out with friends, host a favourite food potluck party! This is a party where everybody brings their absolute favourite dish to share. Whether anyone’s an all-star chef ready to wow everyone’s taste buds or whether they simply enjoy preparing delicious classics, there is nothing quite like good food to bring people together.
This is a party that doesn’t fall into the format of most other party themes, so there’s a lot of flexibility in how you host it. Here we’ll cover the basic gist of a favourite food potluck party, as well as planning ideas and universal party basics, and you take it from there!
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How to Throw a Favourite Food Potluck Party
1. Create a Comfortable and Inviting Mingling and Dining Space
A potluck party doesn’t require decorations but it’s always fun to decorate, regardless, if you choose to do so! Things like party streamers make a space fun and festive, and you can usually find inexpensive party supplies at the dollar store. But the important thing is that you make your space look nice, as you would for any party. Clear clutter (a good practice in general), perhaps rearrange your home décor, and set out decorative throw pillows. Pleasant aromas from scented candles always add a very cozy touch during a party (and anytime).
Fun background music encourages a positive, upbeat dinner party vibe. There is no one-size-fits-all – go with whatever music you love so long as it isn’t offensive, blaringly negative, or stressful. Whichever style you choose – salsa, pop, Indie, soul, instrumental – make sure the volume’s low enough that everyone can easily converse about their favourite thing (food, of course!).
The most important thing to prepare for your favourite food potluck party (besides the dish you share, of course) is the eating area. Whether you will fit everyone at a dining table with chairs or whether your guests will spread more casually along the couch and cushions on the floor, you need to make sure each person has a comfortable place to sit while they eat.
You will also need to provide ample space in the kitchen or on a table for everyone to set their dishes, and have plenty of space in your frig to store items that should be kept cold. Have extra serving utensils in case anyone forgets to bring one for the dish they share. It’s also a good idea to offer mini aluminum to-go containers in case anyone wants to take home a sample of each leftover.
Will you provide your own dishes, or get disposable ones? If you’ll only host a handful of people, it’s easy to serve using your own dishes. Any more than that, you’ll need plenty of paper plates, cups, and disposable utensils. Stock up on at least as many as the number of guests you’ll host. These are also found in any dollar store.
2. Prepare Your Own Favourite Dish as Well as Drinks to Share
Cook the dish you will share a day or two ahead of time, if necessary, to avoid rushing at the last minute. There’s nothing worse than trying to prepare for a party while cooking and then trying to usher guests inside and chat with them while watching the stove! Avoid any such hassle by preparing your dish in advance and keeping it chilled or frozen until the day of your party when you can warm it in the oven a couple of hours before guests arrive. Have at least a few drink options such as sparkling waters, juice, or tea. Wine pairs beautifully with food, of course, and you can also invite guests to BYOB.
3. Plan Games or Activities
The point of a favourites food potluck party is to eat and enjoy one another’s company. But if delicious food and libations aren’t enough for any guests to shake off the stress of the week, games and activities are a great way to let loose. Games aren’t necessarily required to make a great party, but they can definitely make a more interesting and entertaining party. Structured fun is especially helpful for more introverted guests, or if intriguing conversations aren’t flowing as easily. So prepare any fun party games – whether board games, drinking games, or simply silly games – that suit you and your company!
Because this party is all about food, invite each guest to go around the room and share about their favourite food. How did they come to love it? When did they first try it? Is it a family recipe? Did they discover it in another country? Did they invent it?
If anyone feels too snoozy from eating all the hearty food, play ‘Guess My Job.’ Have each guest take a turn to go in front of the group and act out their occupation without using words. The rest of the guests try to guess which job is being acted out in pantomime. Naturally, this is appropriate when guests don’t already know each other’s careers. So if everyone already knows everyone else’s jobs, you can instead have everyone act out their first job. That’s something others are less likely to know!
4. Establish Guest Participation
Guest participation involves how you’d like your guests to participate or contribute to your party. Of course, your guests will participate in your potluck party by bringing a dish to share. So when you initially invite your guests, even though a potluck by nature implies as much, it’s always best to clarify this. And also clarify whether guests may BYOB or whether you’ll provide libations (or not – depending on whether you and your guests drink, of course).
Of course, always choose your guests mindfully and with their interests in mind. Prioritize friends who you know would most enjoy a favourite food potluck party. Fellow foodies will be the first to line up! But don’t shy away from others who may not seem as open to trying new things. You never know, you may introduce someone to another guest’s delicious dish that they wouldn’t have otherwise tried!
Checklist of Items You Need for a Favourite Food Potluck Party
These are the things you need for your potluck party:
- Decorations, scented candles, etc. (optional)
- A good playlist/music and speakers
- Ample space for everyone to comfortably sit and eat (will determine your guest count)
- Plenty of plates, napkins, utensils, and cups (whether disposable or your own dishes)
- Extra serving utensils in case guests forget to bring theirs (large spoons also suffice)
- Mini aluminum to-go food containers for guests to take home leftovers (optional but encouraged)
- Ingredients to prepare your favourite dish
- Drinks (non-alcoholic and, optionally, alcoholic)
- Party games (optional but encouraged)
Preparation Checklist for Your Favourite Food Potluck Party
1. First, confirm that people can come on any chosen date:
- Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well
- Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort) as well as maximum number that you can comfortably seat
- Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s)
- If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure calendar date for your awesome favourite food potluck party!
2. Then, proceed with the fun planning:
- Schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep listed below
- Create invitations with all the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
- Order any party supplies (utensils, etc.) and decorations 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time)
- Shop for any supplies/decorations you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
- In your planned time slots, acquire perishable ingredients/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time (a day or two before your party, or the morning of only if you’ll have all day as a time buffer)
- In your planned time slots, set up any decorations you choose to display
- In your planned time slots, prepare your favourite dish
3. Day of Party (in your amply planned time slot):
- Prepare your dish (early!) if you haven’t already, and set up drinks
- Set out any quick/easy last-minute supplies and decorations (if not out already)
- Prepare ambience (music, light candles)
- Get dressed with plenty of time in your favourite party outfit
- Once everything’s ready, meditate or do any preferred self-care to get in a good head space if you aren’t already. You want to be a relaxed, energized, and happy host – both for yourself and for your guests, who will pick up on your contagiously good vibe and automatically be happier as well!
Getting together with friends and enjoying favourite foods is a lot of fun. A favourite food potluck party is a great way you can make that happen. This is a simple but enjoyable concept and when you properly prepare and don’t overcomplicate it, you can’t go wrong!