5 Things Iowans Bring to a Church Supper Without Being Asked
Miss a church potluck in Iowa, and somebody will let you know about it.
Show up, and you’ll want to know what belongs on the table.
Here’s what Iowans bring along, whether or not anyone asks.
1. Ham Balls
Little Village, an Iowa City magazine, puts ham balls on the buffet at church potlucks, funeral luncheons and family reunions.
The recipes mix ground ham with ground beef or ground pork, then add a glaze of brown sugar, mustard and vinegar.
Some people link ham balls to Swedish heritage and others to Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors.
Still, its writer says nobody can tell you who formed the first ham ball.
2. Homemade Noodles
In 2016, members of St. Mary Parish made noodles in Riverside ahead of their Labor Day dinner and froze them.
The Catholic Messenger reported that 20 volunteers worked through 1,700 eggs and 75 pounds of flour in one session.
The volunteers worked in the catering headquarters of a couple who donate the ingredients and the space.
The frozen noodles were to be taken to the church on Labor Day and cooked in chicken broth.
Noodle making there is a 30-year tradition.
Noodle making is also a common tradition for parishes in southeast Iowa, with roots in Czech and German cuisine.
Proceeds from the dinner would pay for maintenance work on the parish’s 110-year-old church.
A 2007 Saveur recipe for noodles and gravy treats homemade noodles over mashed potatoes as another Iowa holiday tradition.
3. Rhubarb Pie
Rhubarb pie earned a place at church potlucks in Ames, and a columnist helped put it there.
Tom Morain wrote in a 2012 Des Moines Register column, republished in 2022, about the congregation at his church in Ames.
He persuaded several of its pie bakers that a good potluck needs rhubarb.
Somebody once scolded him for missing a potluck where a rhubarb pie had been baked for him.
The rhubarb often comes from a backyard or a relative’s garden.
If you’ve got a patch in the yard, you already have the main ingredient.
The Times-Republican ran a rhubarb pie column in May 2017, calling it rhubarb season in Iowa.
4. Jell-O Salads
Iowa Farm Bureau, in a 2016 piece by Darcy Maulsby, calls Jell-O a church supper and picnic mainstay.
It often shows up in dishes many people would call desserts, but locals call them salads.
If you’re wondering what counts, strawberry pretzel salad is an example.
Iowa State University’s historical recipes page lists a strawberry pretzel dessert from the May 2000 Iowa Stater.
5. Scotcheroos
Scotcheroo recipes often turn up in Iowa church cookbooks, according to Maulsby, who wrote A Culinary History of Iowa.
The bar is a mix of cereal, chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter.
The next time you need to bring treats to a picnic or potluck, you can whip up a batch.
Iowa PBS covered the first Scotcheroo SnackDown at the 2025 Iowa State Fair, where 48 contestants entered.
Church Cookbooks
If you’re wondering how far church cookbooks go back, Iowa State University’s library has digitized a 1953 one from First Congregational Church in Cedar Rapids.
Congregational Cuisine is a community cookbook compiled by the women of the church, with recipes for casseroles, salads, desserts and more.
The book was meant for club gatherings, church circles and community events.
Crawfordsville’s Harvest Supper
The report says the United Church of Crawfordsville averages around 50 people in Sunday worship attendance.
Crawfordsville is a town of fewer than 300 people.
If you went to the harvest supper, you would find a crowd about six times the size of a Sunday service.
The report calls the supper the congregation’s single largest fundraiser for its annual budget, 10 percent of which goes to mission.
At Crawfordsville, the women receive a freewill offering to cover the cost of the meal.
Donated Auction Goods
Some church suppers pair the meal with an auction.
The Crawfordsville report says the auction takes donated grain and homemade products such as pies.
The church secretary says one donor gives dirt and gravel every year.
People who attend church in neighboring towns come over to donate for the auction.
If you bid, you’re making a donation to the church.
At Christ United Methodist Church in Douds-Leando, a 2018 listing named a handmade quilt, an afghan, antique dishes and baked goods.
The Batavia United Methodist Church listing promised crafts and homemade baked goods.
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Free-Will Offerings
If you go to a church supper, you might find a free-will offering instead of a ticket price.
The 2018 listing for Packwood Christian Church said a freewill offering would be collected for the meal.
Richland United Methodist Church's turkey supper listing said free-will offerings would be accepted.
Others set a price: Bethany Lutheran Church in Iowa Falls charged $15 a ticket for its carry-out dinner on April 19, 2026.
Villisca United Methodist Church held a supper on November 5, 2025, with takeout and a free-will donation.
The Ruth Circle at Clarinda Methodist Church asked for a free-will donation at its April 12, 2026, dinner to fund local mission projects it sponsors.
Immanuel Lutheran Church in Titonka accepted free-will donations at its March 8, 2026, dinner, with proceeds supporting Exceptional Opportunities and Mosaic in Northern Iowa.
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