Meet The Viral Creator Thats Rating Potluck Dishes

As we enter prime potluck season, when home cooks bring their own creations to holiday parties and get-togethers, there’s a supervising pair of eyes that social media users everywhere might feel the influence of.

Content creator Shaiie has amassed a following of than four million users acrossInstagramand

with her comedic reviews of individual potluck contributions gaining popularity over the past year. Shaiie’s signature style of humor will make you laugh out loud, no matter how many of her reviews you’ve already watched, while also making you second-guess that lone bag of chips you brought to Friendsgiving last year.

Her Instagram bio states that you’ve arrived at “the potluck court room,” and that’s exactly what you’ll witness in each video. As she reacts to clips of home cooks sharing their potluck dishes, Shaiie is exacting in her reviews, often using dramatized language loosely inspired by the justice system to praise (or critique) each offering.

Her proclamations are obviously tongue-in-cheek. Instead of passing literal judgements, Shaiie has established her own comedic vocabulary for reflecting her opinions on what makes an excellent potluck item.

If she loves your contribution, she might declare that you deserve “the keys to the city, darling. And your prosecutor and his witness get a two-week, all-expenses-paid trip to Jamaica.” But if the dish you bring isn’t up to snuff, Shaiie may pronounce that “the officer who charged you will get a raise.”

She doesn’t just mete out awards or punishments to the home cooks themselves; the creator often extends these to a selection of fictional characters in her courtroom, such as your Uber driver, lawyer, the prosecution, and any witnesses.

Of course, during a time when food prices are rising and access to ingredients is in question for many households, Shaiie’s playful potluck “rules” don’t apply to everyone, and they might be different than the standards you expect from a potluck.

But if you’re able and want to bring a dish to a communal feast this year, the creator has some helpful guidelines for how to ensure you, your lawyer, and your Uber driver are all given the keys to the city.

For Shaiie, what you take to a potluck is about the thought and care behind the item and less about the specific food you choose to bring. She tells Food & Wine that “A good potluck dish is something that is easy to share, travels well, and doesn’t need a lot of last-minute fixing.

“It should still taste great even after sitting out for a bit — things like baked pastasdesserts, or hearty comfort foods. And honestly, the best potluck dishes are usually the homemade ones — you can always taste the effort and love that went into them.”

Overall, Shaiie finds that “the golden rule is to be considerate and communicate.” If you’re hosting, let everyone know well in advance that the party will be a potluck so they have enough time to prepare, and make sure you share how many diners will be in attendance.

The reviewer notes that presentation and portion size matter too; make sure you bring enough to feed everyone. If you’re short on time, don’t stress, bringing a beverage is absolutely fine by Shaiie’s book.

She notes that “a bottle of wine, a homemade punch, or even a creative mocktail mix adds a lot to the experience. As long as it’s coordinated with ice (if a drink requires ice) and there is enough for everybody, it’s a thoughtful and appreciated contribution.”

The creator places especially high value on sharing foods that are personal, which means your family recipes are than welcome and might even earn you a metaphorical all-expenses-paid trip to Jamaica.