40 Classic Summer Potluck Recipes Like Grandma Used to Make

Recipe: Heirloom Tomato Pie

This stunning, colorful, and savory pie will be the star of your summer potluck spread. If you're looking for a quicker fix, feel free to use refrigerated pie crust, but we recommend pairing this pie with an unforgettable homemade Parmesan-Buttermilk Crust.

Recipe: Classic Deviled Eggs

If you're on appetizer duty, this classic dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Feel free to spruce your eggs up with extra seasonings or toppings, like garlic or crumbled bacon.

Recipe: Classic Fresh Field Peas

Brighten up the summer potluck spread with this light, fresh pea dish. You can also choose to forgo the ham and bacon drippings to please a vegetarian audience.

Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole

Nothing says "summer cookout" like a classic squash casserole. Plus, with a base of fresh squash, we think this dish qualifies as healthy.

Recipe: Best-Ever Succotash

It may be a bold claim, but we're willing to say that this succotash is simply the best ever. With a colorful confetti of corn, tomato, and okra, this dish is a staple at all our summer cookouts.

Recipe: Basic Pimiento Cheese

No party is complete without a bowl of pimiento cheese. For an extra kick of spice, add one finely chopped, de-seeded jalapeño to your pimiento cheese mixture.

Recipe: Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad

Don't mess with the classics. Combining the staple ingredients of potatoes and mayo with fresh lemon juice, diced jalapeño, and hard boiled eggs, this potato salad is perfect for picnics.

Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham

On some summer days, it's just too hot to turn on your oven. This chilled Macaroni Salad with Ham is the perfect no-bake solution.

Recipe: Baked Beans

These slightly-smoky Baked Beans pair well with anything coming off the grill.

Recipe: Cocktail Meatballs

Nobody can resist a tray of hot, saucy cocktail meatballs. Be sure to bring a carton of toothpicks so guests can help themselves to this party-favorite appetizer.

Recipe: Fresh Corn Spoonbread

Fresh chives, parsley, and thyme add a nice herbaceous flavor to this cornbread, and yogurt makes the bread's texture thick and creamy.

Recipe: Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

There's no better potluck party trick than bringing out a big pot of gumbo. This easy one-pot dish makes twelve servings and, to make it portable, can easily be served in mugs.

Recipe: Picnic Egg Salad

Feel free to double this recipe for a big batch of egg salad. Minced radish adds a nice crunch to this classic summertime dish.

Recipe: Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

With turkey, bacon, and cubed Texas toast, this casserole has everything we love about Kentucky's famous sandwich in crowd-pleasing form.

Recipe: Ham and Noodle Casserole

With extra flavor from canned cream-of-onion soup and chive-and-onion cream cheese, this casserole is anything but boring. Plus it's oh-so-easy to throw together for a quick potluck fix.

Recipe: Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole

Every Southern Grandma has a poppyseed casserole recipe in her entertaining repetoire. This vintage dish is a great make-ahead option and can be stored in the freezer until you're ready for the party.

Recipe: Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Ambrosia Salad may be famed as a winter holiday treat, but this fresh fruit salad will delight your crowd all year long.

Recipe: Buttermilk-Hot Sauce Brined Chicken

This recipe explains why Grandma always kept a spare carton of buttermilk in her fridge.

Recipe: Party Puffs with Ham Salad

Ham salad never goes out of style. These stunning party puffs will add some color to your potluck spread!

Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Straws

These snacks may be unassuming, but your guests will be munching on these nostalgic cheese straws all night long.

Recipe: Homemade Onion Dip

To this day, my nana still has this dip on her table for every holiday, no matter the season. It's not a party without it.

Recipe: Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes

Put a fresh spin on Grandma's favorite chicken salad with these simple stuffed tomatoes. They're perfectly portioned and only require five ingredients.

Recipe: Mac and Cheese with Ham

Nobody can resist Grandma’s mac and cheese. Even the pickiest of eaters are sure to swoon over this simple casserole.

Recipe: Tee’s Corn Pudding

When you're serving a crowd, grilling a bunch of corn on the cob can just be too complicated. This spoonable corn pudding brings out the sweetness of corn in a party-friendly dish.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

We love any excuse to break out the slow-cooker. Start these greens in the morning and leave them to cook low and slow all day long.

Recipe: Our Favorite Buttermilk Biscuit

Homemade biscuits are an essential part of any summer potluck. Slice these biscuits in half to make mini sandwiches or serve them all on their own for a crowd-favorite side.

Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Grandma would never tell you, but she made her cakes so fluffy by adding mayonnaise. Now the secret's out.

Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

No potluck dessert spread is complete without a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Guests won't be able to resist this nostalgic classic.

Recipe: Banana Pudding Poke Cake

When tasked with baking for a crowd, sheet cake is our go-to solution. We love this creative, mess-free take on Grandma's favorite banana pudding recipe.

Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

If your childhood summers didn't include a warm slice of Grandma's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, you're seriously missing out. Here's your chance to try this beloved Southern classic.

Recipe: Luscious Lemon Bars

Grandma would never show up to a party empty-handed, and these lemon bars are a go-to solution for a crowd-pleasing, portable dessert.

Recipe: Creamy Peach Icebox Cake

This icebox cake is as easy to make as it is delicious. We use both peach preserves and fresh sliced peaches to get a lovely, concentrated peach flavor.

Recipe: 7-UP Bundt Cake
Recipe: Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe: Sugared Lemon-Lime Zest

Before baking powder became a widely-used leavening agent, amateur Southern bakers used soda pop as their secret ingredient. This retro Soda Cake will take you right back to Grandma's kitchen.

Recipe: Easy Peach Cobbler

Raise your hand if this is just one of those desserts that you can't live without. Replicate Grandma's famous peach cobbler with this easy recipe– and don't forget to top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie

When your guests see this Classic Buttermilk Pie, they'll all want to skip straight to dessert.

Recipe: Mamie Eisenhower’s Chocolate Fudge

To ensure that everyone will get a taste of this beloved dish, cut your fudge into bite-sized pieces. Or just double the recipe.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

This isn’t just a holiday dessert– we’re baking these classic peanut butter kiss cookies all year round. They’re an irresistible party treat that’ll transport you right back to Grandma’s kitchen.

Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake

The bright, acidic flavor of key lime brings a pop of summer freshness to a classic, decadent dessert.

Recipe: Coconut Cream Pie

Packed full of nostalgic flavors, this pie tastes like the Southern summers of our childhoods.

Recipe: Reunion Pea Casserole

Packed with lots of different summer veggies and tasty cheeses, this casserole's got a little bit of everything.