We rounded up some of the best products for packing food and bringing it to a potluck or party—because sometimes plain old plastic wrap just won’t do.
If you’ve been invited to a holiday potluck, figuring out what you’re going to make is only the beginning. You also need to transport it to the party in one piece, ideally still warm—or cold, if it’s meant to be. Whether you’re making cookies, cakes, or casseroles (or dip, deviled eggs, or drinks), these are some of the best products for transporting your food to a secondary location—without ruining all your hard work.
Related Reading: Holiday Party Etiquette to See You Through the Season
From casserole carriers that keep your scalloped potatoes warm to pie-protecting boxes so not one crimp comes to harm, and even a couple cute containers you can pack with leftovers for lucky guests, these will ensure everything travels well.
Fancy Panz To-Go Casserole Carrier Set, 2 for $40 on Food52
Food52
Making your casserole, brownies, vat of mac and cheese, or sheet cake in one of those disposable aluminum pans makes cleanup so easy, but they’re admittedly not as pretty on the table, nor as sturdy as a glass or ceramic pan. These casserole carriers are designed to keep your flimsy aluminum pans secure and gussy them up at the same time—simply pop out the clear lid to serve your masterpiece straight from the carrier-covered pan. These come in two sizes (10-by-12 and 8-inch square) and multiple colors (including green, red, charcoal, and white), and are also available on Amazon in even more shades.Buy Now
Picnic Time Insulated Potluck Casserole Tote, $34 each on Food52
Food52
This insulated carrier lets you leave your house with a piping hot dish that’s ready for the table when you get there. A real lifesaver if your host is short on oven space (they will be—and they will be thankful to have one less dish to wrangle and reheat)! There’s an upper section where you can stash utensils (with elastic loops to keep them in place) and smaller sides or other accessories. But if you’re bringing two casseroles (show-off), this two-tier insulated casserole tote will keep them both warm at once.Buy Now
Hamilton Beach Insulated Slow Cooker Carrier Bag, $14.99 on Amazon
Hamilton Beach/Amazon
Whether you’re contributing Crock-Pot dip, butternut squash soup, a warm slow cooker cocktail, or anything else you make (or can heat up) in a Crock-Pot, this carrier will keep it nice and toasty in transport; it fits slow cookers from 4 to 8 quarts.Buy Now
Aglahome Christmas Cookie Boxes, 20 for $18.99 on Amazon
Aglahome/Amazon
If you’re bringing your famous Christmas cookies, classic cookie tins are pretty easy to transport, but if you don’t want to have to bring anything back home with you, consider these paper boxes with festive snowflake designs instead. You might want to tape the edges down just in case things shift in transport.Buy Now
PieBox Pie Carrier, $35 on Food52
Food52
You didn’t know you were missing a box for pies in your life, did you? Made out of sturdy, unfinished pine, the PieBox will keep your 9-inch beauty from crumbling. Spring for the extra leather strap ($28 on its own or $55 when bundled together with the box) to help carry your pecan pie to Grandma’s house; you can never be too safe. And if you’re not a big pie fan, think about putting the CakeBox, CookieBox, and/or BiscuitBox to use instead.Buy Now
VonShef Snap and Stack 2-Tier Cupcake Carrier, $29.99 on Amazon
VonShef/Amazon
Cookies, cakes, and pies will happily welcome cupcakes onto the dessert table too, and a tiered cupcake carrier is non-negotiable if you’re transporting anything over a half dozen. This snap-together, snap-apart carrier is great for storing in a small apartment and you can also use it for dinner rolls, or anything else you don’t want to get smushed.Buy Now
Wilton 10-Inch Cardboard Cake Box, $4.84 at Walmart
Wilton/Amazon
If “investment pieces” aren’t your thing when it comes to baking (see: PieBox and CakeBox above), look to these cheap, disposable cake boxes to transport your dessert instead. They’re fairly sturdy and make any cake or pie look like it came straight from a bakery.Buy Now
Ball 16-Ounce Mason Jars, 12 for $10.99 at Target
Ball/Target
If you’re bringing something on the smaller side—like your famous pickles or chow chow for the relish tray, or maybe homemade Irish cream—the classic mason jar is the best way to go. It’s cheap (so it won’t matter if you don’t get it back), and more importantly, it won’t leak in your bag or over your holiday party outfit.Buy Now
Snapware Snap ‘N Stack 2-Layer Deviled Egg Holder, $14.10 on Amazon
Amazon
This may not be the prettiest deviled egg platter around, but what really matters is that (a) there’s no chance of losing your grip, and (b) you can fit a full dozen eggs in here, or 24 halves. As the name implies, you can snap and stack even more container layers together if you want to make a bigger batch of eggs—never a bad idea, because these always go fast.Buy Now
Samshow Insulated 4-Bottle Wine Carrier with Corkscrew, $23.99 on Amazon
Samshow/Amazon
Not assigned to bring anything but the wine? Make sure it stays chill (and avoid taking up valuable fridge space) by packing it in this insulated tote bag that holds four bottles. It also includes a corkscrew that attaches under the lid in case the house wine opener gets misplaced or you just can’t get into the kitchen with all the commotion.Buy Now
Rosti Mepal Microwaveable Nesting Storage Bowls, 4 for $62-$72 on Food52
Food52
These are fantastic for storing leftovers (especially since the shallow design easily slides into short crisper drawers and tight freezers), but we’re keeping them above the leftovers line because they’re also great for bringing dips and sides that are served at room temp or just need a quick nuke to reheat. The lids are airtight and leak-proof for safe travels, and the colors are gorgeous enough to fit in at even the swankiest soiree.Buy Now
Bonus: Leftovers
Prep Naturals Meal Prep Containers, 30 for $15.99 on Amazon
Prep Naturals/Amazon
If your concern is transporting leftovers, whether you stockpile these from your favorite Chinese restaurant or order them in bulk online, these classic to-go bowls are great for reheating food in the microwave. Since they’re disposable, you can send home extra ham and potatoes with guests and not have to hound them for your meal prep containers next week. If you’d rather cut back on waste, though, there’s always Pyrex!Buy Now
Retro Holiday Paper Take Away Cups with Lids, 6 for $4.99-$5.99 at World Market
World Market
Somewhere between those two options lie these compostable paper containers with charming holiday designs. The mint green ones at left are medium size, while the red containers at right are larger (quart-size), in case you’re feeling more generous with the spare sweet potato casserole.Buy Now
For more tips, tricks, and recipes, see our Ultimate Christmas Guide and visit our Holiday Headquarters.
Related Video: How to Make Your Sugar Cookies Sparkle
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