Food and Recipes Fall Recipes Fall Side Dishes Our Favorite Fall Side Dishes That Belong At Your Next Potluck By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough Sadik is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on October 21, 2023 Close Photo: Iain Bagwell It's an undeniable fact: Every potluck is only as good as its side dishes. We're packing our plates to the brim with creamy casseroles, like our cheesy scalloped potatoes and old-school squash casserole, and comforting classics, like slow-cooked collard greens and old-fashioned okra-and-tomatoes. (If our plate doesn't feel like it's about to buckle in and our arm isn't getting tired from holding it, it's just not full enough.) In the fall, potluck season grants free rein to the fresh and colorful harvest; and we've rounded up the very best of our fall side dishes that'll wow the potluck crowd this year. Here are our easiest fall potluck ideas yet. 01 of 26 Slow-Cooker Green Beans Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Free up your stovetop and lessen your cook time by throwing this recipe into your slow cooker for a few hours. The trick to a crowd-pleasing Southern side dish? Adding bacon. It just makes everything a little bit more flavorful, including these old-fashioned green beans. Get the Recipe 02 of 26 Roasted Delicata Squash Jessica Furniss We wait all year for delicata squash season. These squash are special because their peel is thin enough that it bakes up tender and delicately chewy. You don't need to add a lot of seasoning to this squash. Its natural flavor is sweet and a bit nutty. Get the Recipe 03 of 26 Roasted Brussels Sprouts Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Toss Brussels sprouts with a seasoning mix of Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder for a fast and highly flavorful side dish. A quick roast caramelizes the sprouts, making them so good even skeptics will enjoy them. Get the Recipe 04 of 26 Old-School Squash Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox The crunchy, buttery cracker topping on this traditional Southern recipe keeps everyone coming for more. If you show up to the potluck with this classic comfort food, you're guaranteed to take home a scraped-clean baking dish. Get the Recipe 05 of 26 Shoepeg Corn Casserole Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner Make this dish in advance, then bake it off just before serving for a comforting and creamy corn casserole. Get the Recipe 06 of 26 Cracklin' Cornbread Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Tiny morsels of meaty pork cracklings elevate a humble buttermilk cornbread loaf to a special side, worthy of any holiday or family picnic. Get the Recipe 07 of 26 Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Stacy K. Allen; Props: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Here's a lower-carb, but not lower-flavor, side dish that will appeal to everyone. Traditional loaded potato-skin toppings like cheese, bacon, and chives make this casserole a comfort-food dream. Get the Recipe 08 of 26 Cowboy Casserole Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall If your potluck crowd includes kids, this tater tot-topped dish will steal the show. The taco-seasoned ground beef, chiles, and cheese make a savory southwestern combo under the 'tots, and it just looks fun, Get the Recipe 09 of 26 Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes Emily Laurae / Southern Living It might be a controversial take, but why wait until Thanksgiving to break out the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes? This version, adding the crunch of cornflakes and pecans to offset all of the fluffy creaminess, will have family asking you to whip it up again for the holidays. Get the Recipe 10 of 26 Savory Corn Pudding Emily Laurae / Southern Living Fresh thyme adds a savory twist to the sweetness of corn pudding. Though it's often overlooked as a potluck side, corn pudding will always fit in perfectly with all of the classic casseroles, like green bean and squash. Get the Recipe 11 of 26 Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Bring some cozy fall flavor to the potluck with this twist on mac and cheese. Butternut squash adds (healthy) richness, panko crumbs bring an irresistible crunch, and the sheet-pan prep makes it easy and fast. Get the Recipe 12 of 26 Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes Beth Dreiling Hontzas A hearty scalloped potato casserole offers a welcome option to classic mashed potatoes. Not to mention, you don't have to worry about the texture going downhill as it sits on the potluck table. For a delicious twist, try Gruyère cheese instead of Parmesan. Get the Recipe 13 of 26 Herbed Wild Rice Dressing Iain Bagwell Be prepared to receive rave reviews all night long—because this fall-inspired side dish is nothing less than amazing. Earthy wild rice is combined with crisp apple, celery, red onion, toasted walnuts, fresh parsley and sage, and buttery sourdough bread cubes. Get the Recipe 14 of 26 Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Let these easier-than-easy collards wow the crowd. With only 15 minutes of prep time, this recipe lets the collard greens cook with ham hocks low and slow in your trusty slow cooker. Get the Recipe 15 of 26 Classic Okra And Tomatoes Monica Farber/Southern Living You can't go any more classic than this Southern pairing of okra and tomatoes. The ingredients get wonderfully stewed together and taste amazing when served over rice. Get the Recipe 16 of 26 Roasted Broccoli Macaroni And Cheese Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch Introducing the perfect twist on our classic macaroni and cheese. Roasted broccoli makes the creamy, cheesy casserole just a little more interesting in terms of flavor and texture. When taking macaroni and cheese to a party or potluck, this recipe makes sure it's anything but boring. Get the Recipe 17 of 26 Harvest Salad Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch It's pretty, it's a welcome partner to a rich casserole, and it's bursting with fall bounty. This colorful salad brings roasted veggies, crisp apple slices, and crunchy pecans together with a tangy-sweet orange maple dressing Get the Recipe 18 of 26 Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham This colorful casserole is packed with fresh fall ingredients and baked in a rich Parmesan custard with smoky bacon, spinach, and chunks of roasted sweet potatoes. It'll be a standout side dish on the potluck table. Get the Recipe 19 of 26 Wild Rice with Mushrooms Iain Bagwell A hearty rice side elevated with sautéed sweet onion and fresh mushrooms makes a simple yet crowd-pleasing option. Requiring only seven ingredients and thirty minutes of prep time, it's a low-maintenance pick. Get the Recipe 20 of 26 Cary Hynes' Parker House Rolls Jaguar Sun These homemade yeast rolls are a step above the rest. Coated in melted butter and topped with flaky salt, these are always a welcome add-on to any party or potluck. Get the Recipe 21 of 26 Okra and Chickpeas in Fresh Tomato Sauce Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox A tangy tomato sauce lightly covers the fresh ingredients in this recipe. Okra, tomatoes, and chickpeas make up the bulk of the flavorful side dish. Get the Recipe 22 of 26 Black-Eyed Pea and Grain Salad Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kaye E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Inspired by Southern favorite Texas Caviar, this colorful salad is packed with black-eyed peas, corn, and bell pepper; while a tangy sauce with a spicy kick holds it all together. Trust us, this one is a crowd-pleaser. Get the Recipe 23 of 26 Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter Photo: Victor Protasio; Propr Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox We're betting these biscuits go quickly at the potluck. The pumpkin gives them that perfect fall color, and adding savory ham and sweet butter puts them over the top. Get the Recipe 24 of 26 Spicy Grilled Corn Salad Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan Shake up the sideboard by bringing this spicy salad inspired by Mexican-style street corn. If your potluck has a casual cookout vibe, this recipe offers the perfect accompaniment. Get the Recipe 25 of 26 Tortelloni-and-Grilled Vegetable Salad Hector Manuel Sanchez Don't be afraid to mix up the vegetables in this tortelloni salad, depending on your favorite fall produce. Grilling the veggies takes this pasta salad to the next level. Get the Recipe 26 of 26 Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon Alison Miksch When you don't have to worry about packing and layering sweet potatoes into a baking dish, using the fall-favorite ingredient seems even more appealing. A little salty, a little sweet, and oh-so-tasty, this slow-cooker recipe is going to be a family favorite. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit