Perfectly Portable Foods to Bring for the Holidays

Maybe the best part about the holidays — besides spending time with family, of course — is the food. But sometimes, getting your favorite annual dish from your home to the gathering can be a bit of a balancing act. Literally.

While you could chance it, transporting certain foods can get messy fast, adding stress to what is supposed to be a cheerful day. Avoid losing a battle to gravity with these delicious and portable foods to bring to your holiday get together.

Starters

It’s safe to say that soup is out as a traveling appetizer option due to its propensity to spill — unless you have a slow cooker with a locking lid (but even then, be wary). There are still plenty of starters that’ll stay stable on the way to your destination.

Every table needs bread, and freshly baked rolls are easy to make, shareable and a breeze to transport right in the pan you made them in with a stretch lid on top.

Dip is also a great appetizer that’s easy to take with you, and the options are pretty much endless. There’s spinach and artichoke dip, jalapeno popper dip, caprese dip, buffalo chicken dip and so many more. To make your dip easier to transport, you could choose to make it in a disposable foil pan, so you don’t have to worry about getting your baking dish back at the end of the night. (Even better: choose one that comes with a lid.)

Some sort of puff pastry appetizer, like apricot and gruyere cheese puffs from Cooking in my Genes, is an easily portable food that can be placed into a large food storage container with a secure lid and taken on the road.

Mains

If you’re contributing a main course to the meal, leave anything elaborate to the host and opt for something that’s sturdy (won’t spill) but not super heavy (and therefore cumbersome to maneuver.) Think casseroles, potatoes, macaroni and cheese and gratins — all of which can be made ahead of time in their transport dish or foil pans and then topped securely with plastic wrap and aluminum foil for safe arrival at your destination.

Duchess potatoes are a fresh spin on mashed potatoes with their beautiful rosette presentation, and because they’re baked into shape, they should be a cinch to transport. As far as casseroles, any kind can work as long as it’s fully cooled before you get on the road. This sweet potato casserole from Spend With Pennies has over 2,000 five-star reviews and takes only 45 minutes to assemble and bake. If you’re a one-bowl recipe type of person, this cornbread casserole has your name on it.

For baked mac and cheese, try this recipe from Mom On Timeout, which uses three types of cheese and is finished with a top layer of crispy breadcrumbs.

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Desserts

There’s always room for dessert in our bellies, but maybe not in our vehicles. Try to veer away from anything tall, like cookie towers or multilayered cakes as they can be tricky to transport without damage. Cookies not assembled high and single-layer cakes are fine, as they can be packaged securely with either a zip-close bag or a snap-lock cake carrier, respectively.

Pies are OK — but not any pie. As with the casseroles, make sure the pie is fully baked and sturdy. A pie that’s underbaked or has a liquid texture is going to be a nightmare to transport, so choose something like a pecan pie or crumb cake over chocolate cream pie or other cream-topped varieties.

Cheesecake is a perfect middle ground as it tends to hold its shape quite well, once it’s cooled. Keeping any cheesecake in its springform pan with a tight covering over the top is a great way to safely transport and provides an easy reveal come dessert time.

Drinks

If you’ve been tasked with being this year’s mixologist, don’t fret about lugging all the beverage ingredients separately. You can assemble any drinks ahead of time by multiplying the ingredients by how many people will be at the function so that you have it properly proportioned. Add everything to a sealable container (even a soda bottle would do) and gently swirl to mix. This way, once you get there, all you have to do is pour each individual cocktail or mocktail instead of mixing each drink one by one. Saving time, for the win.

PS: If you or your guests plan to imbibe, make sure everyone has a safe ride home.

What are your tips for transporting food for the holidays? Let us know in the comments!

Sarah Vincelette

Based in Rhode Island, Sarah has been a copywriter and content producer with AAA Northeast since 2021. When she’s not scouring the best spots for all things food and drink or whipping up her own versions of tasty meals, you can often find her in the garden, planning her next trip or sipping on (another) hot coffee.