Potluck Carriers That Stopped Me From Ruining Food in My Backseat

I used to balance a plate of deviled eggs on my passenger seat and pray at every red light. The filling would smush, the eggs would slide — never again.

My old method was wrapping a 9x13 dish in a towel and hoping for the best. Spoiler: the towel never held and my car smelled like baked ziti for a week.

Frosted cupcakes are basically transport nightmares. I once brought a batch to a school bake sale and every single one looked like it had been sat on.

Foil over a dish does basically nothing for heat. I learned that the hard way when my supposedly hot dip arrived lukewarm and congealed.

Nothing ruins a veggie tray faster than driving with it uncovered. Carrot sticks rolling under seats, ranch dipping into places ranch should never go.

Carrying a pitcher of lemonade in a car is an act of pure chaos. I ruined one set of floor mats before I smartened up.

Forgetting serving spoons is my signature move. I once served a casserole with two forks taped together — not my proudest moment.

Pies are the most stressful thing to carry. One sharp turn and your meringue looks like modern art — and not the good kind.

Mayonnaise-based salads sitting in a warm car is a food safety horror story. After one sketchy potato salad incident, I got serious about cold transport.