Summer dinner parties are all about having a group of friends over, hanging in the backyard and indulging in at least 15 different dishes. While you probably have a few go-to potluck essentials in your collection, don’t you think your grandma’s potato salad recipe could use a little facelift? Here, 31 foolproof summer potluck ideas that are sure to impress, from barbecue sides to seasonal desserts. (I’m talking baked beans, cherry slab pie, macaroni salad and everything in between.) These recipes are easy enough for beginners to master in one go, a breeze to prepare ahead and just right for sweltering days and balmy nights.
31 Summer Potluck Ideas That Will Steal the Show
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Published May 16, 2024
John "Edge" Koladish/Katherine Gillen/Liz Andrew
1. Salami, Artichoke and Ricotta Pasta Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Running late for the neighborhood block party? Have no fear. This pasta salad takes just 20 minutes and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. (If you do have some lead time, it'll keep like a charm overnight in the fridge.)
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, vegetarian
Someone has to bring the quintessential potluck dish—but there’s no need to smother it in mayo. Lighten up the classic with a rice vinegar dressing that's tangy, refreshing and easy to prepare.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Don’t mess with the fussy lattice crust and round pie pans. Instead, throw a cherry pie together in a casserole dish for a big-batch dessert that guests can serve themselves. (The stone fruit is at peak deliciousness in the summertime, after all.)
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, no cook, crowd-pleaser
Three (uh, seven?) cheers for the party classic. Store-bought ingredients, like sour cream, canned refried beans, guacamole and salsa, make this assembly-only appetizer a cinch. You might want to make two batches just in case—it's gonna go fast.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Shh: This recipe starts with boxed cake mix, because sometimes you want a dessert that tastes good and looks pretty without taking an entire afternoon to make. You'll only need eight ingredients total to pull it off.
6. Chicken and Chicken Sausage Jambalaya
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly
This jambalaya is just as flavorful as the O.G., but it's made with brown rice instead of white and chicken sausage instead of andouille for a healthier spin. It's so hearty that you won't need to serve it with any sides (although a pitcher of lemonade or tea wouldn't hurt).
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
This essential summer bev is only five ingredients away. To pick a ripe watermelon, choose one that’s deep green on the outside with a cream- or yellow-toned ground spot. Give the ground spot a hard tap—if the sound is deep and hollow, you're in business.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, make ahead
"In the spirit of all the most delicious side dishes, it actually tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge," explains PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen. "I highly recommend making it a day ahead of your picnic. Keep it chilled over ice, so you don’t let that mayonnaise sit out in the sun for too long.
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, slow cooker recipe, beginner-friendly
Reason no. 164 to not pack your slow cooker away once the weather gets warm. A flurry of pantry staples (ketchup! vinegar! brown sugar!) make this seasonal gem as sweet and tangy as possible.
10. Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Think of this citrusy masterpiece as a Mexican spin on shrimp scampi. "Start by melting the butter and infusing it with black pepper, lemon zest and garlic," advises recipe developer Esteban Castillo. "After you let it bloom for a bit, add the shrimp with the shell on to make sure the sauce clings to every single crevice."
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Can't choose between crunchy, creamy salad and tender, comforting pasta? Go ahead and treat your potluck guests to both. The dressing is egg-free, thanks to buttery avocado holding down the fort.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, special occasion-worthy
You'll only need an hour to pull off this rendition on the Spanish staple. (Chalk it up to limiting the seafood to littleneck clams and shrimp for maximum convenience.)
13. Sweet Chili Peach Napa Slaw
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, vegetarian
“The sauce is inspired by a natural duck sauce that my family made at home,” writes recipe developer Natalie Keng. “I like using napa cabbage instead of regular cabbage because it’s lighter, better absorbs the sauce and is easy to slice into thin strips.” Roger that.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, one pan
This crowd-pleaser is as simple as assembling the sammies in a baking dish, warming them in the oven until the cheese melts and serving them to the hungry masses. Bonus points for adding roast pork to the handhelds for authenticity.
15. Instant Pot Boston Baked Beans
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Soak the beans overnight in cool water, or opt to shorten the prep time by soaking them in hot water for an hour instead. Either way, they'll taste like they've been simmering all day long.
16. Shrimp Boil Skewers with Corn, Sausage and Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein
Behold: a mess-free shrimp boil. Once the skewers are grilled to perfection, all you need to do is lay newspaper across your picnic or patio table, dump them on top and let your guests have at it.
17. S’mores Cookies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, kid-friendly
Skip the campfire (especially if there are kids at the party) in favor of these s'mores cookies that come together without the help of an open flame. "A melted marshmallow and chocolate drizzle lend those camping vibes, no tent or scout skills required," asserts Gillen.
18. Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
A few secret ingredients make this summer potluck idea uniquely delicious. Rosemary is worked into the easy galette dough, balsamic vinegar brightens the fruit filling and sour cream offers tang to the whipped cream.
19. Peaches-and-Cream Ice Pops
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
While you could wait around for the ice cream truck, making summer ice pops is so much more fun. The key is roasting the fresh peaches before turning them into filling; this intensifies their natural sweetness.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Ready to impress at the cul-de-sac summer potluck? This recipe is crunchy, savory, sweet and spicy. Serve it with a two-ingredient honey-chili sauce that will make your guests ask for the recipe.
21. Red Potato Salad with Creamy Cashew Dijon Dressing and Dill
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Chances are, someone else is going to bring a standard potato salad. But this twist with cashew dijon cream (which is dairy- and egg-free, BTW) is sure to take the spotlight.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Not a chef but put on dessert duty? This foolproof peach cobbler, complete with biscuit topping, is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and, of course, not stress out the cook. Pair it with vanilla ice cream (but you already knew that).
23. Three-Ingredient Hearts of Palm and Bacon Bites
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
You may not know it yet, but you're kind of obsessed with hearts of palm. They're crunchy and toothsome, but mild enough in flavor to pair with just about anything. Now, wrapping them in bacon? That's plain ingenious.
24. Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto and Goat Cheese
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Ambitious Kitchen blogger member Monique Volz turns the elote into a drool-worthy pasta salad, complete with cilantro pesto and creamy goat cheese. It's a great way to use up all that fresh summer corn you snagged at the farmers market.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Make this beef-based taco salad up to four days before the party, then just top it with chips on your way out the door so they don't get soggy too quickly. Pass the sour cream, please.
26. Lemony Grated Zucchini Salad with Tomato, Olives and Feta
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, make ahead
Want to set your “pasta” salad apart? Swap the noodles for spiralized zucchini. (And start with the store-bought kind to save yourself some prep—your guests won't know the difference.)
27. Browned Butter Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Bye, dinner rolls. These muffins pair fabulously with everything from chicken wings to potato salad. Even better, they can be made up to two days ahead and stored in an airtight container until serving time.
28. Deviled Brussels Sprout Salad
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegetarian, make ahead
Serve up deviled eggs in an entirely new way at the next potluck: in a dressing over a Brussels sprout salad. The rest is pantry staples, like mayo and hot sauce.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
These adorable chicken quesadillas are fabulous finger foods for a gathering with tons of kiddos. They get most of their flavor from easy canned chipotles in adobo.
30. Carrot, Cabbage and Kohlrabi Slaw with Miso Dressing
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, make ahead
Shake up traditional coleslaw by using unexpected ingredients like kohlrabi and miso. It'll be just as refreshing, but ten times as exciting. (Thanks for the inspo, Coterie member Katie Workman.)
31. Persian-Style Eggplant and Yogurt Dip
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
You can never go wrong with bringing a dip to a potluck, but Liz Harris’s eggplant and yogurt dip with turmeric and mint is guaranteed to stand out. Plate it with crackers, pita chips, sliced cucumbers and radishes.
