There's nothing like a big old-fashioned summer potluck, spent with friends, family, or teammates! Summer foods are the most fun, and it's such a joy to make favorite recipes to share with hungry friends.
When it comes to classic summer potlucks, you know there are whole categories of tasty dishes that everyone hopes to see on the table. You need your macaroni salads, your fruity fluffs, some seriously cheesy casseroles, and a dessert table so full there's not room to squeeze on another thing.
We've got recipes for them all here, in this diving list of time-honored dishes that are just perfect for that next big summer potluck!
1. Fruit Pizza
With an easy sugar cookie crust, this festive fruit "pizza" is one everybody is going to want a slice of!
This is a great showstopper of a centerpiece for the dessert table, and it's deceptively easy to make. With those patriotic colors, this would be perfect for an Independence Day potluck!
Get the recipe here.
2. Macaroni Dill Salad
Is there anything more quintessential to a summer potluck than a good macaroni salad (or five)?
This one is made with tender macaroni noodles in a creamy mayonnaise and sour cream dressing. It takes just 10 minutes to prepare, and is packed with crunchy bits of celery, and plenty of dill.
Get the recipe here.
3. Fruit Salad For a Crowd
"Fruit Salad for A Crowd" is an easy make-ahead method for getting a huge fruit salad on the table--enough for a crowd, without breaking the bank.
When everyone's sweating from an epic round of whiffle ball or frisbee, this is cool, fresh treat will be just the thing. There's nothing more refreshing than a cool bowl of fruit salad!
Get the recipe here.
4. Carolina Caviar
A marinated mix of beans and field peas, fresh veggies, cilantro, and zesty Italian dressing are the staple ingredients of this well loved dish.
Depending on where you grew up, you may recognize this as Texas caviar, cowboy caviar, or something else entirely. Whatever you call it, it's a classic, and definitely deserves a spot on the potluck table!
Get the recipe here.
5. Tuna Macaroni Salad
It's not a summer potluck without multiple macaroni salads, so here's another great classic option for you!
This tuna macaroni salad with peas is loaded with fresh vegetables and protein for a kid-friendly pasta salad that’s perfect for a crowd. Tossed with a simple Greek yogurt and mayo dressing, it’s nice and light, and a great alternative for those who aren't mayo lovers.
Get the recipe here.
6. Asparagus Tartlets
Tasty little tarts are another classic potluck food, and we just love the idea of these delicate little asparagus ones!
Flaky pastry, a hidden pesto layer, and a perfectly creamy filling dotted with asparagus make these a decadent addition to the potluck spread.
Get the recipe here.
7. Mediterranean Bean Salad
Put a fresh veggie crowd-pleaser on the table, with this show-stopping Mediterranean Bean Salad!
This colorful dish is just bursting with fresh flavors and vibrant colors. Briny olives and feta bring it all together and red onions are sliced nice and thin for a hint of sweetness.
Get the recipe here.
8. Strawberry Fluff (with Jello and Pineapple)
Strawberry Fluff is a must-have on any summer potluck table! Surely, there's a rule about this.
This fluff salad with marshmallows includes fresh strawberries, canned pineapple and mandarin oranges, just like a fluff salad I remember one of our church ladies bringing to church picnics when I was a kid. This comes together quickly, and only needs an hour to chill, so you can even whip this together at the last minute!
Get the recipe here.
9. 1800's Devilled Eggs
If you really want to go old fashioned for your next potluck, how about this 1800's version of deviled eggs? (Or "devilled" as they were called at the time.)
Pulled straight from an 1800's cookbook, these are just delightful. The tang of the vinegar, that hint of spice from the cayenne, the familiar warmth of the mustard…it all just works. Next time I go to a church potluck, I’m bringing these.
Get the recipe here.
10. Creamy Potato Salad
Like macaroni salad and strawberry fluff, there's simply no way you can have a summer potluck without potato salad.
This is a truly classic potato salad recipe you'll find yourself turning to over and over again, all summer long.
Get the recipe here.
11. Meatball Casserole
How about a good hearty, cheesy casserole for that potluck table? This is the kind of dish that makes people want to go up for seconds!
Flavorful meatballs are sloshed in a delicious red tomato sauce and tucked in with abundant, gooey, melty cheese. This is comfort in a dish!
Get the recipe here.
12. Ambrosia Fruit Salad
This one goes next to the strawberry fluff on the dessert table, and it's another classic that's just a must-have.
Juicy chunks of fruit are tossed with crunchy nuts, marshmallows, and yogurt, for a playful dish that's sure to be gobbled up in no time.
Get the recipe here.
13. Seven Layer Salad
A seven layer salad recipe is also called an overnight salad because it can hold up without wilting overnight! Another classic on the potluck table, this is just a fun way to serve up a salad.
Truly, the magic of this is the fact that you can make it head and just have it ready to grab and go, but those colorful layers are pretty magical too.
Get the recipe here.
14. Grape Salad
This easy grape salad recipe combines fresh grapes, a sweet cream cheese mixture, and crunchy pecans, in a creamy fruit salad that's dearly loved by many.
I always love it when people bring a bowl of plain fresh grapes to serve alongside this, for the kids who don't want to try something with sauce, but just really do want those grapes. Plain and dressed, served side by side is a great combination.
Get the recipe here.
15. Classic Cole Slaw
There has to be cole slaw to go with those burgers and meatballs! Here's a southern-style cole slaw recipe, with a dressing that's the perfect balance of creamy, tangy and sweet.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and grain-free, so it's a side dish everyone can love!
Get the recipe here.
16. BBQ Baked Beans
BBQ baked beans are always a favorite dish in the summer, and the familiar sweet and tangy flavors of these barbecue beans will bring you right back to those childhood church picnics.
This is one of those dishes that you might want to make a double-batch, because everyone will want some!
Get the recipe here.
17. Lemon Bars
Not that we've filled the main table with macaroni salads, fluffs, and bean, how about some classic treats for the dessert table?
Sweet and tart at the same time, these lemon bars really are a beloved classic! Fresh lemon juice provides bright citrus zing, layered over top of a buttery shortbread crust. These cheerful yellow squares definitely brighten up any bake table!
Get the recipe here.
18. Snickerdoodle Cookies
What's a classic dessert table without big, soft, classic snickerdoodles?
These homemade snickerdoodle cookies are perfectly soft, chewy and sweet. Rolled in cinnamon sugar, as all good snickerdoodles should be, they bake in less than ten minutes, so they're quick and easy to make!
19. Strawberry Heaven On Earth Cake
This light and luscious heaven on earth cake is an easy, light treat that everyone will love.
Filled with pieces of angel food cake, a creamy vanilla pudding layer, and strawberry pie filling, every bite is a delight! This is sure to be a hit on the dessert table!
Get the recipe here.
20. Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can't have a treat table without chocolate chip cookies!
Here's a chocolate chip cookie recipe that's filled with a triple chocolate combo of white, dark and milk chocolate.
These are sure to delight everyone who thinks they want "just a chocolate chip cookie", but what they really deserve is this chocolate chip cookie!
Get the recipe here.
21. Perfect Yeast Doughnuts
There is simply nothing like a simple, perfectly-made raised donut, that's been fried to golden perfection. A church potluck was the first place I ever encountered delicious homemade donuts, and I'll never forget it.
These are so light and airy in the center, yet surrounded by a thin, perfectly crisp exterior that's delightfully coated in sweet granules of dusting sugar. Everyone is going to want one of these!
Get the recipe here.
22. Cherry Bakewell tart
This delightful spin on a traditional Bakewell tart recipe certainly merits a place at the sweets table. It features a sweet shortcrust pastry shell, filled with fresh cherries and frangipane, and topped with slivered almonds.
If you're a fan of Linzer cookies, the flavor combination here will be a familiar and beloved one.
Get the recipe here.
23. California Lemon Pound Cake
With a perfectly dense-yet-delicate crumb, this zesty California lemon pound cake is like a taste of pure sunshine.
Sure to delight everyone, lovers of all things lemon will especially swoon over this one. Lemon cake is a such a staple on potluck dessert tables, and this recipe is sure to be a hit.
Get the recipe here.
24. Peaches and Cream Cheesecake
It's always a joy to walk up to the dessert table and discover a cheesecake or two! This Peaches and Cream Cheesecake is the one I'd go for!
It's a simple recipe that really celebrates the flavors of fresh peaches. With a creamy, no-bake cheesecake filling, and a classic graham cracker crust, this easy dessert is simple to make, and can be stored in the fridge until picnic time!
Get the recipe here.
25. Blueberry Pie
Pies are another favorite on the dessert table, and since so many church picnics happen right in the midst of prime blueberry season, how about a perfect, classic, blueberry pie?
This recipe features a flaky, buttery crust filled with a juicy blueberry filling. Just looking at that gorgeous pie makes me me want a slice right now. It's bound to disappear in a snap if you bring this one to the picnic!
Get the recipe here.
21 Bake Sale Favorites Nobody Can Resist
Bake sale goods need to check off a trifecta of requirements. They need to look amazing, be sturdy enough to transport, and most of all--be decadently delicious.
We asked some of our favorite food writers what they'd bring, if they were asked to donate baked goods for the big fundraiser, and this luscious list of recipes is the result.
Every option here is a winner, from classic snickerdoodles, to thick and squishy whoopie pies, to perfectly irresistible cupcakes.
20 Fruit Pies Perfect for Every Summer Shindig
Nothing welcomes warm weather back like a cookout with friends, and bringing out a beautiful pie made with fresh fruit or berries, offers a perfect finale.
Here's a lovely list of no-fail fruit and berry pie recipes that are fun to make, and sure to please!
Anna Chesley
Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
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