Potato Potluck
If you live in an area where a lot of neighbors are struggling — maybe you’re struggling — a baked potato potluck is an easy way to build community. If your neighbors are doing well, it’s a simple way to throw a party — pair it with a fundraiser or resistance-building activity.
How to do it:
To run an effective potluck (and avoid five bags of cheese) Sign Up Genius is a simple, free way to let people self-select from a list of options. Here are toppings to get started:
- Cheese, butter, sour cream
- Green onions / chives
- BBQ pork, smoked chicken
- broccoli, spinach, onions, mushrooms
- bacon or chorizo crumbles
- chili, sloppy joe topping, etc.
- More inspiration.
As the host, you provide the baked potatoes and drinks. Take a head-count and make sure you have enough potatoes. Aim for smaller/medium potatoes to reduce waste. Make sure there are enough for hungry people to take two. (Leftovers can be sliced to make oven-fries.) Large-scale cooking takes a little longer. This is a good guide.
If your neighborhood is struggling, this is a great way for everyone to have a festive yet cheap meal and get to know each other. If your neighborhood is doing well, this is an easy tradition to get started as a potluck or just a casual fall gathering. Make it a fundraiser for the food bank, or plan a community-building activity.
If you have a nearby tiny-village or other established community of unhoused neighbors, baked potatoes also travel extremely well. Ask if there is a hot meal program, and if so who organizes it. Consider sponsoring a dinner and inviting neighbors to assemble potatoes, wrapped in foil with labels (e.g. “bacon” or “vegetarian”) and a fork. Deliver while they’re hot and go home to leftovers.
