Thanksgiving Potluck Dessert Ideas That Pack Well for Long Trips

When you have a long drive to get to a Thanksgiving get-together, some desserts will carry better than others.

A long car trip can wreak havoc on some desserts. You can either plan ahead by preparing desserts that travel well, or use a frozen dish and cooler to keep perishable desserts cold. Dishes that go in the freezer for several hours before use, such as the Pampered Chef Chillzanne line of dishes, can help to keep food cold and at a safe temperature for consumption for several hours.

Easy to Take Thanksgiving Desserts

Some tried-and-true holiday desserts are easy to take on a long trip, making them long-time holiday favorites.

• Cookies - Cookies, while not the most exciting dessert, travel well. Just layer cookies on a decorative plate or tray, wrap them securely with cellophane, and stick them wherever they fit in the vehicle.
• Sheet cake - Sheet cakes are long and low in shape. A layer cakecan end up tipping over or sliding apart during transport, but sheet cakes can stand up to a long drive.
• Brownies - Brownies can be cut and placed on a tray like cookies, or left in the pan and transported flat, like a sheet cake.
• Baked pies - Baked pies, think apple, cherry, and pumpkin, carry well on a long drive. Cream pies, however, only travel well on a long drive when something is provided to keep them cold. If you plan to serve whipped cream with the pies, that also needs to be kept cold.

Perishable Holiday Desserts and How to Pack them Safely

Some desserts can stand up to a long drive, but only when kept cold. Use both a cooler and a frozen container if possible.

• Fluffy pink stuff - Fluffy pink stuff can travel well, but is has to be kept cold. (Fluffy pink stuff is a light dessert, similar to glorified rice but without rice, made from 1 can of cherry pie filling, 1 container whipped cream, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup chopped pecans, and 1 can drained crushed pineapple all mixed together.)
• Gelatin mixed with fruit - If you are taking gelatin with fruit, make sure it stays very cold so it keeps its shape. Runny gelatin might taste okay, but it's not pretty.
• Fresh fruit chunks with yogurt dip - Mix a container of vanilla yogurt, whipped cream, and a can of sweetened condensed milk to make the dip. Either place the fresh fruit in an air-tight container, or take it with you and cut it when you reach your destination. If, however, everyone is waiting to eat, they might not like waiting longer for you to cut your fruit.
• Cream pies and cheesecakes - Make sure cream pies and cheese cakes are kept cold during a long drive. A cooler, a frozen dish such as a Pampered Chef Chillzanne, or both will work.
• Trifle - Trifles are usually pretty, with layers of cake, pudding, whipped cream, and sometimes fruit in a tall, glass bowl. Make sure, if you attempt a trifle, to wrap it carefully, secure the bowl inside of the cooler so it cannot tip, and keep plenty of ice in the cooler.

A little bit of extra preparation can make it easy to safely carry dessert to a Thanksgiving potluck. While you are busy planning ahead, you might also want to pack a busy bag to keep children entertained on the drive, and restock your emergency kit food. Main dish ideas that travel well might also be of interest to you.