My potluck specialty is Marionberry pie. I believe berry pie should taste like berries. Sweetening is 1/2 c. sugar mixed thoroughly with 1/2 c. corn starch for thickening. Mixed with the berries and the juice of a lemon to bring out the tartness of the berries. It's always a hit. If there are more than 6-8 people, I will take two pies.
A while back a trucker buddy was having a 50th birthday bash, and invited all his friends. A LOT of friends. I know that crowd. They get hungry, so I took an industrial strength Mac 'n Cheese. I have a huge 18 x 12 x 3 casserole, made a cheese sauce with 2 lbs of sharp cheddar, boiled the mac in ham broth, and chopped about 2 lbs. of ham into it. The casserole didn't survive the round of seconds. No leftovers. That's how you tell your food was a hit. No leftovers.
I do a great potato salad too. The secret is apple cider vinegar on the spuds before you ad the mayo, and don't overcook the spuds. I've had 10 lbs of potato salad disappear in an hour.
Thunder thighs are a good hot dish. Line a 6-pack cooler with foil. Marinade chicken thighs in hot wing sauce for 2-3 hours, then give them about 40 minutes on a covered grill. Load them straight off the grill into the cooler. They will stay hot for 3-4 hours. Pack paper towels or napkins, they are gooey. Do not take this to a picnic where there are dogs. Cooked chicken bones are not good for dogs, and people, particularly children, are careless around food.