Amanda and Merrill wrote up a nice feature on Potluck dishes in the NY Times last year: http://www.nytimes.com...

In the summertime, Maque Choux http://www.food52.com/recipes... is my favorite thing to bring. It's always a hit, and it goes so well with anything grilled.

Frozen baby lima beans.
Just lightly defrost them or blanch them, you want them a bit firm, al dente.
Cool them well.
Add some chopped red onion.

Make a dressing of Olive oil, red vinegar, oragano, thyme.
Dress the beans and season very lightly with salt and pepper.
Store in the 'fridge overnight.

Before you go..add chopped parsley and feta cheese. Adjust salt if needed, don't add too much salt for the initial marinade as you'll be using feta cheese at the end.
Serve chilled or room temp.

(fancy: use Fava Beans instead of lima beans).

Tuna, cabbage, cilantro, cucumber pasta salad
Carrot ginger sesame salad
Sushi roll rice salad
Eggplant, tomato, feta & mint gratin (room temp or warm)
Zucchini, tomato, Parmesan gratin (room temp or warm)
Corn salad with tomato and roasted chiles

for dessert,

Chocolate custard tart
cobbler or crisp (peach, straberry/rhubarb)

Sangria

let me know if you want any recipes/directions

This has been my potluck recipe of choice ever since I made it for the first time...
http://www.food52.com/recipes...

Thank you everyone! Every comment helped a lot.

What I bring for potluck usually depends on the settings. How long do I have to travel? When I get there, do I have refrigeration? Is there a way for me to heat up the food? Stove? Oven? Microwave? Is this an outdoor or indoor event? Any dietary concerns? Will finger food be more suitable for the event? I know that is a lot to consider, but that helps me decide what dishes will work for the event and what won't. It's a good starting point for me in narrowing down what to bring.

It also depends on your audience. We all like wonderful stuff here; things that might be unfamiliar in a potluck audience. (in some situations).

The biggest "Hits" for pot luck things for me are things that a 8 year old would eat.
Not a foodie 8 year old.

For example. And this trash food..a taco salad. with prepared stuff.
Ground beef, a packet of taco seasoning. Cook.
Drain and mix with chopped lettuce...and a bag of fritos.
Dress with some catalina bottled dressing right before serving.

Yup, it's trash food..but frankly it disappears in a pot luck far faster than any 'high class' food. Yes, you can make 'healthy' crowd pleaser pot luck food..simple classics, like deviled eggs, corn/black bean salads, Slaws, Potato salad, Cold pasta salads. Etc..etc.
The key to a pot luck (if you're playing to a crowd) is not make it challenging.
It's a pot luck--not you being on 'stage'. YMMV depending on the crowd your playing to: above all Know Your Customers. Make them happy..you can slide in some 'good stuff' without being all 'high class'..but sometimes people just love simple tasty 'unhealthy' recipes...using bottled stuff..etc.

Sam--YMMV?

@lorigoldsby
Your mileage may vary.