Potluck sign-up sheet
A sign-up list sized to your guest count, so you get sides and salads instead of five bags of chips. Pick your party and guests, then print it or copy it into the group chat.
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Festidy's plan adds an invitation with an RSVP link that asks guests about allergies, a dated checklist and a schedule for the day.
Make my party planHow we calculate
- Dishes (a rule of thumb of ours, not from a survey): at a table with several dishes, each guest takes small helpings of each. A side or salad feeds 10 to 12 people that way, a main 8 to 10, bread 12 and a dessert 10 to 12. Lines = guests x helpings, divided by what a dish feeds, rounded up. The sheet stops at 60 guests; past that, a caterer does more good than a sign-up.
- Helpings a guest takes, as Friendsgiving / holiday and other / game day / birthday: main 1.25 / 1.25 / 1.5 / 1.25, sides 3.5 / 3 / 3.5 / 3, salad 1.5 / 1 / 0.5 / 1, bread 0.75 / 0.75 / 0.5 / 0.5, dessert 2 / 1.5 / 1 / 1.
- Check: for 16 guests at Friendsgiving this gives 5 sides, 2 salads and 3 desserts, the same mix as Festidy's Friendsgiving guide, which counts rolls with the sides.
- If you make the main: your dish is the first line, and guests only fill the extra mains. If guests bring it, at least one main is on the sheet.
- Drinks: 2 in the first hour, then 1 an hour, the planner's grown-up amounts. A house party runs 3 hours, so 4 drinks a guest. A line is a case of 24, about 6 guests' worth.
- Ice: about 2 lb a guest, from the planner. A line is two 7 lb bags, about 7 guests' worth. Double it on a hot day (85°F or more).
- Plates and cups: 2 plates, 2.5 cups and 3 napkins a guest, from the planner, with one line for every 20 guests.
- Hot and cold food: food shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep cold food at 40°F or colder and hot food at 140°F or hotter. Source: FoodSafety.gov.
Last updated October 21, 2026. Free, no sign-up.
Tips for a potluck that works
- Set the lines before you invite. A guest who sees "Side, for 10 to 12" picks a side. A guest who sees an empty page brings chips.
- Ask for the dish name and the allergens. Put a card by each dish listing nuts, dairy, gluten and eggs. Festidy's RSVP asks guests about allergies, so you know before the day.
- Plan the oven and the outlets. Ask who needs the oven or a slow cooker outlet, and write "hot", "cold" or "room temperature" next to each dish.
- Hand out serving spoons. Ask every guest to bring one, and keep a few spares.
- If kids are coming, ask for fruit with grapes cut in half, and skip whole nuts and popcorn on the snack table.
Questions
What should be on a potluck sign-up sheet?
One line each for mains, sides, salads, bread, desserts, drinks, ice, and plates and cups, with the number of lines set by your guest count. Add a line for the guest's name, one for the dish and a note about allergens.
How many dishes do I need for a potluck?
For 16 guests at a Friendsgiving where you cook the turkey: 1 extra main, 5 sides, 2 salads, 1 bread and 3 desserts, plus 3 cases of drinks, 3 lines for ice and 1 for plates and cups. That is a rule of thumb: about 3 dishes for every 4 guests.
How much food per person at a potluck?
Plan about 1 lb of food a guest, Festidy's amount for a grown-up meal. At a potluck that arrives as small helpings from several dishes, so ask for a dish that feeds 10 to 12 rather than a full tray each.
How do you organize a potluck so there is no repeat?
Put the lines on a sheet before you invite anyone, and cap each kind of dish. Share it as text in the group chat, so guests claim a line first. Once a line has a name, it is taken.
What should the host make for a Friendsgiving potluck?
The host usually makes the turkey or main, and often the drinks and ice. Guests sign up for sides, salads, bread and pies. Choose "I'm making it" above and your main is already on the first line.
How many drinks should guests bring to a potluck?
About 4 a guest for a 3-hour party: 2 in the first hour and 1 an hour after. That is a case of 24 for every 6 guests, with a non-alcoholic choice, plus about 2 lb of ice a guest.