30 Delicious Recipes For Any Bring Your Own Plate Event
Are you looking for some delicious dishes to bring to your next potluck or Bring Your Own Plate event? Look no further! We’ve put together 30 delicious recipes that are perfect for any occasion. From fruity summer salads to classic Italian pasta and budget-friendly slow cooker meals, there’s something here everyone will love.
These recipes offer a delicious assortment of flavors, nutritious ingredients, and easy-to-follow instructions. So what are you waiting for? Get cooking so you can show off your culinary skills at your next gathering!
It’s great to be invited somewhere for a dinner party or event, but when someone asks you to ‘Bring A Plate’ the mind goes blank. What should you bring?
Luckily, we are here to help. We’ve compiled a list of 30 of our favourite ‘Bring A Plate’ fallbacks, from finger food to favourites at potluck dinners to delightful desserts. There are recipes to our favourite versions of each option, so you have no excuses!
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Bring Your Own Plate: Finger Food
Why not liven up your next get-together by trying out a fun and easy finger food buffet? When you Bring Your Own Plate, the possibilities are endless! Make it healthy or sweet, salty or savory – let your imagination go wild! Show off your culinary prowess with creations like homemade sliders, pita chips with dip, or even bite-sized applesauce muffins.
You can also create unique snacks using food decorating techniques like edible topping icings or colored sugars. A finger food buffet is sure to leave everyone satisfied, and it’s also a simple and budget-friendly way to entertain friends!
1. Spring Rolls/Rice Paper Rolls
Whether you choose to deep fry these little babies or serve them as rice paper rolls full of fresh and colourful ingredients, they are a winner. Start with this Vegetarian Rice Paper Roll recipe, but feel free to add chicken, beef strips, or prawns!
2. Chicken Wings/Legs
Easy to hold and easy to eat, chicken wings or chicken drumsticks are great finger food, and always a hit with kids and adults at any event. The ones we love are these Oven Roasted Orange Chicken Drumsticks, or these Honey Soy Chicken ones.
3. Sliders
Sliders, a.k.a. mini hamburgers, are a simple way to bring something super cool to your next ‘bring your own plate’ event. While they aren’t traditional sliders, we love these Mini Hot Dog Sliders.
4. Mini Quiches
Mini quiches are so flexible and so easy to throw together if you’re short on time. The ones we love are our Mushroom and Bacon Mini Quiche, and our Chicken And Capsicum recipe.
5. Dips
We could probably do an entire post just on the enormous variety of dips you can bring to a party. If you’re overwhelmed at the choices, we recommend an Eggplant Dip, or a colourful Beetroot Dip.
6. Sausage Rolls
If you’ve never made your own sausage rolls before, let us tell you that they are so easy to put together— they are surely an ideal pick for ‘bring your own plate’ events. Some of our favourite recipes include basic Homemade Sausage Rolls, and the yummy Chicken and Vegetable Sausage Rolls.
7. Sushi
Sushi gets a bad rap for being complicated, but it really isn’t when you put all the different parts together. It’s great for ‘Bring a Plate’ events, and we like these Summer Sushi Rolls.
8. Devilled Eggs
Devilled Eggs are probably one of the ultimate ‘bring your own plate’ recipes, and they’re really easy to do with minimal planning. The recipes we like best are the classic Devilled Eggs, and the Sweet Chili and Bacon variety.
9. Cob Loaf
Is it really a party if nobody brings a Cob Loaf? These yummy dips have heaps of variations, but we are fans of the Tex Mex Cob Loaf Dip and the classic Spinach Cob Loaf Dip.
10. Mini Pizza
Pizza is great, but make it finger food and it’s even better. Use our fantastic 2-Ingredient Greek Yoghurt Pizza Dough recipe, and top with whatever takes your fancy!
Bring Your Own Plate: Potluck Favourites
The beloved potluck has come a long way! Instead of the traditional paper plates and plastic utensils, imagine arriving with your own plate — it’s much better for the environment and can spruce up the table with some style.
Bring-your-own plates are gaining popularity as they increase sustainability while allowing you to showcase your favourite dishes. Potlucks now provide the perfect opportunity to flex your creative muscles when creating new recipes and turn it into a competition to see who can come up with the tastiest combination!
With a little effort and creativity, you’ll have everyone talking about your dish long after the potluck is over.
11. Quiche
Quiche is such a simple recipe, and always a winner because it can be served hot or cold and offers variety and flexibility. We suggest trying our Autumn Asparagus and Bacon Quiche for something different.
12. Potato Bake
Cheap and cheerful, the potato bake is a great ‘bring your own plate’ events’ dish. Did you know you can make one in your slow cooker? Check out our Slow Cooker Potato Bake recipe to see how!
13. Lasagne
A winner with kids and adults, lasagne is great for events where you need to bring a plate because you can make it the day before and just heat it when you arrive. We think our Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne is a twist on the classic.
14. Casserole
You can’t beat the casserole for variety and hearty flavour. These can feed an army with little work from you— surely the best option for ‘bring your own plate’ events. We recommend our Cheesy Damper-Topped Chicken Casserole, or our Frugal Sausage Casserole.
15. Salad
For something fresh and flavourful, a salad is a great choice. These are easy to make for a large group, and we have heaps of recipes to share. Start with this Delectable Ham, Pear and Parmesan Salad, or our Watermelon Salad!
16. Pasta Bake
Pasta bakes aren’t just good for using up leftover pasta, they’re also fantastic for ‘Bring A Plate’ occasions. Consider a Slow Cooker Pasta Bake, or an interesting Macaroni Seafood Pasta Bake.
17. Mild Curry
Many Australians love a good curry, but it’s smart to keep it mild if you’re sharing with many. Our Slowcooked Chicken and Chickpea Curry, or our Frugal Slowcooked Curried Sausages, are both good choices.
18. Pie
There is so much variety when it comes to pies, it’s no surprise they’re an Australian favourite. We suggest a Shepherds Pie, a Chicken Pot Pie, or (our fave) an Impossible Pie!
19. Fried Rice
Fried rice is super simple and always a fantastic hit at group events and especially for ‘bring your own plate’ events. We love our Home Made Special Fried Rice, or our super popular Very Veggie Fried Rice.
20. Pizza
Pizza is a firm favourite with us, because pretty much everyone loves it and it’s not hard to make. Try our Gourmet Pizza Dough, or our Greek Style Lamb Pizza, for something different.
Bring Your Own Plate: Sweets
Who doesn’t love bringing their own plate of sweets to a party? Bringing your own plate of goodies is one of the best ways to show off your culinary skills. Not only will you impress everyone, but you’ll also reduce single-use plastics, as guest will be able to take second helpings right away instead of having more plates delivered.
Plus, you’ll be able to customize your plate however you’d like with all sorts of delicious treats – from cupcakes and brownies to doughnuts and éclairs! It’s an easy way to add a personal touch to a special occasion that all your guests are sure to appreciate.
21. Muffins
Sweet morsels that are easy to make and easier to eat, muffins are perfect for a ‘bring your own plate’ events. Our favourites are Banana Muffins, or Choc Orange Muffins.
22. Turnovers
Turnovers are the absolute best option if you’re left making your dish a little too late. These Apple Turnovers take about 30-40 minutes to do, and the recipe can be easily doubled to feed more!
23. Baked Donuts
You don’t want to be messing around with a vat of oil, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have doughnuts. Try these Vanilla and Cranberry Baked Doughnuts, or these Spiced ‘Almost Healthy’ Vanilla Doughnuts.
24. Cheesecake
We are constantly blown away by the sheer volume of cheesecake variety out there, which makes it a great bring-along dish. Have a look at this Decadent Vanilla Bean Cheesecake or this Baked Oreo Cheesecake Slice.
25. Fudge
SAHM loves a good fudge, and our recipe collection sure has a few earmarked. They’re ideal for sharing, particularly our Rocky Road Fudge (a hit with kids) or our Choc Mint Fudge (fancier than it appears).
26. Cake Pops
For those who really want to impress at their next ‘Bring a Plate’ event, cake pops really do make an impression. If you aren’t sure how to make them, check out our How To Make Cake Pops article!
27. Brownies
There’s so much more to brownies than meets the eye, and we should know because we’ve eaten so many. For BYO plate events, we love these Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies, and these Can’t F*ck It Up Chocolate Brownies.
28. Fruit
Think it’s not that fancy to bring fruit to a ‘Bring a Plate’ event? You’ll think again when you see this incredible Watermelon Cake!
29. Cake
Speaking of cake, why not bring one the next time you have to attend an event with food. A classic Moist Chocolate Cake always goes down well, as does a Hummingbird Cake.
30. Truffles
Truffles are yummy and so easy to put together. They’re great for bring your own plate events if you want to prep the night before and are served chilled. Our favourites are Chilli Chocolate Truffles, and Gingerbread Truffles.
