Food and Recipes Appetizers Summer Appetizers and Party Food Classic Summer Potluck Recipes Like Grandma Used To Make By Zoe Denenberg Zoe Denenberg As a professional baker, Zoe Denenberg has spent the past two years traveling across the country—from Alabama to Hawai'i—working in farm-focused pastry kitchens. She has written about food, travel, and culture for Southern Living since 2019. See more of Zoe's work at https://zoedenenberg.wixsite.com/portfolio and follow her on Instagram. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 6, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Everyone knows that Grandma is always life of the party. We can never resist Grandma's homemade treats–from the dips and snacks she'd tide us over with until dinner, to the casseroles big enough to feed twenty. This summer, channel your Grandma's entertaining energy and try out some of these classic recipes. From fresh appetizers and hearty main dishes to decadent desserts, we've got you covered with a variety of courses and prep times. Short on time? Whip up a quick batch of fan-favorite Pimiento Cheese or a simple Ham and Noodle Casserole. Really looking to impress? Try to replicate Grandma's famous Heirloom Tomato Pie with Parmesean-Buttermilk Crust. Plus, we're revealing all the tips and tricks Grandma would never share (how did she get that chocolate cake to be so moist and fluffy, after all?). Not only will these big-batch dishes impress the crowd at any potluck, but they'll transport your guests right back to their own Grandma's kitchen. 01 of 41 Heirloom Tomato Pie with Parmesan-Buttermilk Crust Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer 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. 02 of 41 Classic Deviled Eggs Photo: Hector Sanchez 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. 03 of 41 Whipped-Cream Corn Salad Southern Living Recipe: Whipped-Cream Corn Salad Fresh corn is truly the star of this corn salad. In addition to fresh kernels, you'll need just a little bit of salt, pepper, and heavy cream to pull this recipe together, 04 of 41 Classic Fresh Field Peas Photo: Iain Bagwell 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. 05 of 41 Old-School Squash Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 06 of 41 Best-Ever Succotash Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely 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. 07 of 41 Classic Pimiento Cheese Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 08 of 41 Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad Hector Sanchez 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. 09 of 41 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey 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. 10 of 41 Classic Baked Beans Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Baked Beans These slightly-smoky Baked Beans pair well with anything coming off the grill. 11 of 41 Cocktail Meatballs Hector Manuel Sanchez 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. 12 of 41 Fresh Corn Spoonbread Photo: Iain Bagwell 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. 13 of 41 Shrimp and Okra Gumbo Southern Living 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. 14 of 41 Picnic Egg Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele 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. 15 of 41 Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke 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. 16 of 41 Ham and Noodle Casserole Jen Causey 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. 17 of 41 Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez 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. 18 of 41 Mama Mae's Ambrosia Southern Living 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. 19 of 41 Brined Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauces Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Brined Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauces This recipe explains why Grandma always kept a spare carton of buttermilk in her fridge. 20 of 41 Party Puffs with Ham Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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! 21 of 41 Cheddar Cheese Straws Lee Harrelson Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Straws These snacks may be unassuming, but your guests will be munching on these nostalgic cheese straws all night long. 22 of 41 Homemade Onion Dip Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall 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. 23 of 41 Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 24 of 41 Mac and Cheese with Ham Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine 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. 25 of 41 Tee's Corn Pudding Jennifer Davick 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. 26 of 41 Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall 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. 27 of 41 Our Favorite Buttermilk Biscuit Photo: Brian Woodcock 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. 28 of 41 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Grandma would never tell you, but she made her cakes so fluffy by adding mayonnaise. Now the secret's out. 29 of 41 Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Beth Dreiling Hontzas 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. 30 of 41 Banana Pudding Poke Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 31 of 41 Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Jennifer Davick 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. 32 of 41 Luscious Lemon Bars Southern Living 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. 33 of 41 Creamy Peach Icebox Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 34 of 41 7-UP Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: 7-UP Bundt Cake 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. 35 of 41 Peach Cobbler Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox 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. 36 of 41 Southern Buttermilk Pie Iain Bagwell Recipe: Southern Buttermilk Pie When your guests see this Classic Buttermilk Pie, they'll all want to skip straight to dessert. 37 of 41 Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge Southern Living 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. 38 of 41 Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies Caitlin Bensel 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. 39 of 41 Key Lime Pound Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake The bright, acidic flavor of key lime brings a pop of summer freshness to a classic, decadent dessert. 40 of 41 Coconut Cream Pie Southern Living Recipe: Coconut Cream Pie Packed full of nostalgic flavors, this pie tastes like the Southern summers of our childhoods. 41 of 41 Reunion Pea Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Reunion Pea Casserole Packed with lots of different summer veggies and tasty cheeses, this casserole's got a little bit of everything. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit