26 Summer Potluck Ideas (Recipes For Sunny Days)

Summer Potluck Ideas
Summer Potluck Ideas

Are you looking for a way to bring people together and celebrate the summer season? A summer potluck is a great way to do just that! Summer Potlucks are a great way to share delicious recipes with friends and family and create lasting memories.

Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, a picnic in the park, or a pool party, these summer potluck ideas will make your gathering a hit! From creative potluck salads recipes to refreshing summer desserts, you’ll find something for everyone. With some planning, you can make your summer potluck an event to remember.

Meatballs with Grape Jelly and Chili sauce

Meatballs with jelly and sauce recipe

What’s Special?

  • Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
  • Best Slow cooker Beef recipe
  • Goes well with a variety of side dishes including rice and pasta
  • Can also be cooked in a crockpot

Some of my recipes are those which I can cook in a slow cooker or crockpot. Because all I need to do is to throw all the ingredients in the cooker, and leave it on heat. My appliance does the rest.

The chili sauce makes these a bit on the spicier sides, so pair it up with a rather simple side of rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.

It is also one of those meals which require little preparation and can be stored in the freezer for later use.

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Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

What’s Special?

  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Dairy-free, Gluten-free, nut-free, low-calorie Paleo meal
  • Ideal for Potluck Dinners and celebrations
  • Goes well with a variety of rice-based side dishes or salads

Honey Lemon Pepper wings are the easiest meal you can pull off when you can think of nothing else.

Sweet and sour in flavor and crispy in texture, this recipe is going to be the next mouth-watering, tantalizing meal on your festivity table. It requires no fancy ingredients and no complicated cooking procedures.

Fry them, bake them, or just put them in the air fryer. The result is a classic meal ready within a few minutes.

This recipe is gluten-free, and dairy-free, as well as a nut-free lunch with low calories, and fits in your paleo diet menu. You can serve these Honey Lemon Pepper wings with a variety of rice dishes, salads, or as a side along with meat steaks or burgers.

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BLT Dip

BLT Dip

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 30 minutes
  • A perfect blend of cream cheese and cheddar cheese
  • Loaded with crispy bacon, ripe tomatoes, and fresh lettuce
  • Sandwich in dip form

BLT Dip is a total crowd-pleaser as it combines all your favorite ingredients to give out a perfect-tasting dish. BLT stands for a bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich. The specialty of BLT dip is a sandwich served in a bowl.

You can cover the bowl with crackers and inside the bowl is a creamy, cool dip, crispy bacon, shredded cheese, fresh lettuce, and juicy tomatoes in a creamy bite are present.

After adding up all the ingredients inside a bowl, you can whip them up to give a perfect flavor and taste all of its ingredients in every bite. These dips serve well with baked and fried summer dishes.

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Healthy Potato Salad

Dill Potato Salad recipe
Dill Potato Salad recipe

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 40 minutes
  • Plain Greek yogurt with Dijon mustard
  • A perfect mixture of red potatoes, celery, and red onion
  • Healthy substitute for traditional potato salad

Healthy Potato Salad, as the name indicates, is a healthy salad and contains different nutrients in a single dish. Reduced calories and fat used in this salad are the best while on a diet. It has perfect flavors of tasty ingredients such as red potato, red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, and celery. This salad is low in sodium and high in vitamins and minerals.

The light dressing of this salad adds a great flavor without being overly heavy. It has Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise which makes this dish healthier. Fresh parsley and dill add an extra layer of flavor with olive and vegetable oil.

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Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 55 minutes
  • Soft oatmeal bar base
  • Sweet strawberry jam filling
  • Topped with a crumbly oatmeal

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars are a delicious and nutritious treat that is both sweet and savory. These bars are a great way to get a healthy dose of protein and fiber while indulging in a sweet and delicious treat.

The unique combination of sweet and savory flavors makes these bars a truly unique treat. The combination of the strawberry jam and the oatmeal topping creates a unique texture and flavor not found in other treats.

These bars are also a great way to get a healthy dose of antioxidants from the strawberries and omega-3 fatty acids from the oats. These bars are excellent Summer putlock snacks for any time of day and serve best as a quick breakfast, lunch, or snack.

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Grandma’s Potato Salad

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 40 minutes
  • Combination of boiled potatoes and pickles
  • Perfect mayonnaise and seasoning flavor
  • Starchy potatoes based with delicious flavor

Grandma’s Potato Salad is a classic dish passed down from generation to generation. It is a versatile side dish that serves well at any meal during the summer. It has mayonnaise and seasonings that give the salad a creamy and savory flavor.

The pickles, celery, and onion add crunch and tang to the dish. This salad is open to customization, you can add your favorite ingredients for a unique twist on the classic dish. The salad is so easy to make that it can be one of your favorite lazy summer dinner recipes. You can serve it as a side dish to a meal or a main dish for a filling lunch or dinner.

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Lemon Supreme Pie

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 50 minutes
  • Lemon tart and creamy filling
  • Buttery crust with perfect baking
  • Cream cheese and deep-dish pie flavor

Lemon Supreme Pie is a classic dessert that has been enjoyed for generations. It is a creamy, tart, lemon-flavored filling baked into a sweet, buttery crust. The unique feature of this pie is its combination of tart and sweet flavors. The lemon filling is made from a combination of sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and lemon juice, creating a creamy, custard-like texture.

The crust is usually a traditional short-crust pastry dough, although other crusts, such as graham crackers, can also be used. The pie’s topping is a meringue, made with egg whites and sugar and lightly browned on top. This pie is a great way to enjoy a classic dessert with a unique twist.

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Watermelon Cups

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 20 minutes
  • Watermelon slices
  • Fancy appetizer for summer parties
  • Topped with showcase cucumber

Watermelon Cups are a unique, fun, and convenient way to enjoy watermelon. They have watermelon halves cut and hollowed out for easy snacking.

These cups are a great alternative to traditional watermelon slices and offer various creative uses. They are easy to prepare and require minimal preparation and clean-up.

They are lightweight and easy to carry, and you can use them in different recipes ranging from salads to our favorite smoothies like Strawberry Banana Smoothie and Peach Smoothie. You can fill them with your favorite dip or topping to make a unique snack.

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Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Classic Creole dish
  • Flavors of okra, shrimp, tomatoes, and other veggies
  • Soup with a topping of rice

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo is a stew-like dish made with a dark roux, okra, tomatoes, onions, peppers, celery, garlic, and shrimp in a flavorful stock. The unique feature of Shrimp and Okra Gumbo is the combination of ingredients that give it a unique flavor and texture.

The okra provides a thickening agent to the soup, while the shrimp adds a unique sweetness and lightness to the dish. The combination of the okra and shrimp creates a unique, flavorful dish that is sure to please.

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Hot Dog Sliders

Hot Dog Sliders

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 30 minutes
  • Sliders with a hot dog, chipolata sauce, and ketchup
  • Full-apart sliders and crowd pleaser
  • Perfect taste of cheddar cheese and mayonnaise inside

Hot Dog Sliders are a fun and creative spin on the classic hot dog. They are smaller than regular hot dogs, usually about the size of a slider bun, and serve well on small buns or rolls.

The sliders can be topped with various toppings and condiments, making them a great snack or meal option. Hot dog sliders’ unique features are their portability and versatility.

They are easy to transport and make great finger food for a party or event. They are also easy to customize for different tastes, such as adding cheese and bacon for a more indulgent treat.

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Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 30 minutes
  • Skinless chicken thighs
  • Soaked in pineapple juice, and soy sauce
  • Marinated in a sweet and savory sauce with brown sugar

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken is a traditional Hawaiian dish often served at luaus and family gatherings. The chicken is then grilled over an open flame, creating a succulent and flavorful main course.

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken is unique in its use of pineapple juice to create a sweet and tangy marinade that creates a delicious flavor. Using soy sauce and brown sugar gives the dish a savory and umami flavor. These ingredients create a unique and flavorful dish that will surely be a hit at any Lūʻau.

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Macaroni Coleslaw

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 25 minutes
  • Classic macaroni salad with classic coleslaw salad combined
  • Creamy dressing with multiple veggies
  • Quick and easy side dish

Macaroni Coleslaw is a unique and delicious side dish that combines two classic dishes into one. This tasty dish features macaroni pasta and coleslaw, making it a great way to add variety to any meal.

The macaroni pasta is cooked in a creamy sauce and combined with coleslaw for a delicious combination of crunchy and creamy textures. If you want to skip macaroni, you can try this creamy coleslaw.

At one time when I was passionate about creating fusion dishes and mingles, I made this macaroni coleslaw. Just the regular macaroni salad, except that it only has cabbage and carrots as vegetables. This is a perfect vegetarian recipe for the upcoming vegetarian potluck.

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Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 1hr
  • Open-faced sandwich with roasted turkey
  • Topped with creamy mornay sauce
  • Comfort food to satisfy an appetite

The Kentucky Hot Brown casserole is a unique dish from Louisville, Kentucky. It is an open-faced sandwich made of roasted turkey, bacon, and cheese baked in a casserole dish and topped with a creamy Mornay sauce. If you want to try a vegan option, try this Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole.

The dish is baked in a casserole, making it easy to prepare. It is a hearty, satisfying dish with perfect flavors of roasted turkey, salty bacon, and creamy mornay sauce with melted cheese.

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Sweet Tea Concentrate

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 20 minutes
  • Concentrated from sweet tea
  • A mix of sugar and tea in cold water
  • Real sugar cane flavor without food colors

Kentucky Sweet Tea Concentrate is a unique product because it is a concentrated sweet tea used to make a large batch of tea quickly and easily. Kentucky Sweet Tea Concentrate is added to cold water and stirred; this makes it an incredibly convenient and economical way to make large batches of tea.

Kentucky Sweet Tea Concentrate has all-natural ingredients, including real cane sugar, and no artificial flavors or colors. These ingredients make it a healthier and more natural option than many other sweet tea products.

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Pina Colada Fruit Salad

What’s Special?

  • Total time taken: 15 minutes
  • Tropical fruit salad full of flavors
  • Pineapple, coconut, and mango blend
  • Tossed with pineapple-infused dressing.

Pina Colada Fruit Salad combines tropical flavors such as mango, pineapple, and coconut; they create a unique flavor profile that is both sweet and creamy.

It has a pineapple-infused dressing that adds a tangy sweetness to the salad, which helps to bring out the sweetness of the tropical fruits. You can enjoy this salad as a side dish with a topping of ice cream or yogurt.

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Avocado Salad

Avocado Salad (6)

What’s Special?

  • Total Time Taken: 15 minutes
  • Avocado, Jalapeno mix
  • Onion and vinegar blend to add flavor
  • Perfect with tacos, chips, and taquitos

Avocado Salad is perfect if you want to make something quick. This dish gives you the flavors of your favorite veggies, including; tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and white onion.

One of the specialties of avocado salsa is that it is naturally whole30, vegan, paleo, and keto-friendly potluck meal. You can use this salsa during your diet, and it helps you stay fit. You can enjoy this salsa with crackers, chips, tacos, etc.

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Cocktail Meatballs

What’s Special?

  • Total Time Taken: 40 minutes
  • Old-school party appetizers
  • Frozen meatballs with grape jelly and chili sauce
  • A sweet and spicy combination of apricot and sriracha

Cocktail Meatballs are one of the best holiday appetizers for Summer Putlock. They have the perfect combinational flavor of sweet and spicy meatballs cooked inside the perfect grape jelly and chili sauce. The flavor is ravishing due to the unique combination of ingredients.

The specialty of keeping the beef together is to add the egg into the meatball mixture blend, and the balls don’t lose their shape when they mix into the captivating and delicious sauce.

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Peanut Butter and Chocolate Terrine

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Terrine

What’s Special?

  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • A classic summer dessert
  • Best for potluck parties and celebrations

An ice cream cake is not the only cold dessert to serve at parties! Try the Peanut Butter and chocolate terrine and I bet you will indulge yourself with the treat. It’s cold, delicious and so hearty!

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Fried Chicken

Gluten-free Fried Chicken

What’s Special?

  • Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Everyone’s favorite snack item
  • Best for outdoor pool parties and potlucks

When there is a potluck meal plan, someone must bring a large box of fried chicken. Because no outdoor picnic or potluck is complete without it.

A small mingle in this classic recipe is that they are fried first and baked later, to get the ultimate crunch and texture.

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Grilled Veggie Platter with Balsamic Glaze

Grilled Veggie Platter with Balsamic Glaze

A simple yet healthy recipe that lets you provide quality and freshness on your dining table. The best thing is that you can grill your favorite veggies, whatever you like, and present them on your platter.

With the onion, mushrooms, red peppers, and squash, this recipe is something you can present within a few minutes.

The balsamic glazing makes the tender and crispy vegetables taste incredible with each bite. If you love grilled vegetables in summer, this will be your ready-to-go recipe any time of the day.

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Mango Salsa with Tortilla Chips

Mango Salsa

Crispy and heavenly recipe is here with mango flavors with tortilla chips. Just bring the mango, chopped jalapeno pepper, and lime juice. This mango salad is the best version to enjoy the juicy and refreshing flavors of the mango.

The best thing is that not many ingredients are needed for this recipe. Only mango and seasonings can fill your mouth with sweet and savory flavors at the same time. Refreshing!

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Summer Berry Salad with Citrus Dressing

Summer Berry Salad with Citrus Dressing

This summer, do you want to try something refreshing but unique? Summer berry salad with citrus dressing is something that you can never resist.

Juicy berries with goat cheese, sliced almonds, baby spinach, and creamy lemon vinaigrette dressing can make the person forget the world.

Kids love berries, so if they request something refreshing, surprise them with the berry salad. Top the salad with citrus dressing and feel its salty, sweet, and satisfying flavors.

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Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Pineapple teriyaki chicken skewers taste heavenly when tossed in the teriyaki sauce. The recipe is loaded with fresh pineapples, peppers, and red onions.

Whether holding a weeknight dinner party or any other, just grill the pineapple, onions, tomatoes, and chicken slices into the barbecue sticks. The smokey flavor is something you will never forget.

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Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Feta and Dill

Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Feta and Dill

Cucumber and tomato salad with dill and feat cheese perfectly combine the delicious ingredients. Its colorful appearance is something that attracts everyone. So delightful and refreshing with every bite.

Use the cucumber, tomatoes, onions, dill, feta cheese, and some seasonings to bring out the best flavors. The dish belongs to every picnic party or celebration get-together. So, just grab the ingredients and try something extraordinary to maintain your health.

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Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Glaze

Caprese Skewers

A potluck party ahead and you can’t think of anything? Here is an easy, quick, and health-boosting recipe. Cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil make these skewers a fantastic and lip-smacking appetizer.

Fix them in lunch boxes, or make them for a cool, refreshing lunch on a hot summer afternoon! The recipe doesn’t drench you in sweat while you are in the kitchen.

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Veggie Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad with Veggies and Cheese

Veggie Pasta Salad is one of those quick lunch fixes when you have time for nothing else.

You can also utilize your leftovers as well as add as many veggies into this as you like. It is a versatile and customizable meal option.

Pair it up with your Grilled Beef Steaks or Baked Chicken, or enjoy it as it is.

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Here are more recipes for potluck party ideas

What to bring to Easter Potluck

Best Potluck Casseroles

Easy Mexican Potluck Dishes

Easy Potluck Side Dishes

Summer Potluck Ideas

26 Refreshing Summer Potluck Recipes For Sharing

Adalynn Ward
Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, a picnic in the park, or a pool party, these summer potluck ideas will make your gathering a hit! From creative salads to tasty desserts, you’ll find something for everyone.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Servings 3 persons

Ingredients

  • Meatballs with Grape Jelly and Chili sauce
  • Avocado Salsa
  • Cocktail Meatballs
  • BLT Dip
  • Healthy Potato Salad
  • Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
  • Grandma’s Potato Salad
  • Lemon Supreme Pie
  • Watermelon Cups
  • Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
  • Hot Dog Sliders
  • Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
  • Macaroni Coleslaw
  • Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole
  • Sweet Tea Concentrate
  • Pina Colada Fruit Salad
  • Potluck Fried Chicken
  • Frozen Peanut Butter and Chocolate Terrine
  • Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Glaze
  • Veggie Pasta Salad

How to Make?

  • Select any dish from these summer potluck ideas and open it on a new tab.
  • Note down all the ingredients that you need for the dish.
  • Make sure that all the ingredients must be fresh.
  • Follow the instructions to make your favorite summer dish.
  • I hope you have made the dish you want to make to make your summer cool and enjoyable. Don't forget to give us your feedback.

Nutrition

Serving: 1dishCalories: 120kcal
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Hello!! My name is Adalynn I love to eat, travel, and eat some more! I am married to the man of my dreams and have a beautiful little girl whose smiles can brighten anyone’s day!