Food and Recipes 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 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.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 4, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller 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 23 Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese 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. 02 of 23 Slow-Cooker Green Beans Iain Bagwell Recipe: Slow-Cooker Green Beans 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. 03 of 23 Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes 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. 04 of 23 Savory Corn Pudding Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Savory Corn Pudding 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. 05 of 23 Old-School Squash Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole 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. 06 of 23 Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Loaded Cauliflower Casserole 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. 07 of 23 Herbed Wild Rice Dressing Iain Bagwell Recipe: Herbed Wild Rice Dressing 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. 08 of 23 Cowboy Casserole Micah A. Leal Recipe: Cowboy Casserole 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, 09 of 23 Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks 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. 10 of 23 Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes 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. 11 of 23 Classic Okra And Tomatoes Southern Living Recipe: Classic Okra And Tomatoes 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. 12 of 23 Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese 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. 13 of 23 Harvest Salad Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Harvest Salad 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 14 of 23 Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding 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. 15 of 23 Wild Rice with Mushrooms Iain Bagwell Recipe: Wild Rice with Mushrooms 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. 16 of 23 Parker House Rolls Jaguar Sun Recipe: Parker House Rolls 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. 17 of 23 Okra and Chickpeas in Fresh Tomato Sauce Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Okra and Chickpeas in Fresh Tomato Sauce 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. 18 of 23 Black-Eyed Pea and Grain Salad Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kaye E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea and Grain Salad 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. 19 of 23 Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter Photo: Victor Protasio; Propr Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter 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. 20 of 23 Spicy Grilled Corn Salad Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan Recipe: Spicy Grilled Corn Salad 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. 21 of 23 Tortelloni-and-Grilled Vegetable Salad Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Tortelloni-and-Grilled Vegetable Salad 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. 22 of 23 Lemony Potato Salad Becky Stayner Recipe: Lemony Potato Salad A casual potluck isn't complete without classic potato salad. This lemony version is held together with a vinaigrette of simple olive oil, lemon juice, and dry mustard. 23 of 23 Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon Alison Miksch Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit