45 Easy Potluck Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
June 01, 2012
Credit: Andy Lyons

We've got great easy potluck recipes for sides, main dishes, salads and desserts to serve at the your potluck dinner or picnic.

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Soy-Ginger Pulled Pork with Tangy Sesame Slaw

Credit: Andy Lyons
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Your crew will love this Asian twist on classic pulled pork. If you're feeding a crowd, swap the sesame buns for slider rolls, and you'll get twice as many sandwiches.

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Hash Brown Casserole

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An all-time reader favorite, this creamy hotdish is a guaranteed hit at potlucks. (In fact, you may want to make two pans!)

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Sunny Broccoli Salad

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A Cleveland reader makes this potluck salad the day ahead and refrigerates the dressing and vegetables separately. When it's time to serve it, she tosses everything together. Bacon, sunflower kernels and raisins make a crunchy and flavorful side dish.

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Chicken and Corn Hash Brown Bake

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This comfort food hotdish offers a new twist on the usual hash brown casserole. Try it for everyday meals as well as potlucks!

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Greek Orzo Salad

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Olives and feta give salty punch to this pasta salad from Surdyk's Liquor and Cheese Shop in Minneapolis.

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Ricotta and Parmesan Spread

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Fresh herbs season this ridiculously simple spread from BelGioioso Cheese in Wisconsin. It keeps well in the fridge and is delicious with cherry tomatoes or other vegetable dippers, as well as crackers or baguette slices.

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Stuffed Party Pinwheels

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Our recipe actually makes two different kinds of tortilla spirals-one flavored with curry powder, the other with garlic and herbs.

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Green Bean Tabbouleh

Credit: Blaine Moats
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This is a perfect salad to take to a picnic or potluck since it is best at room temperature.

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Mexican Biscuit Casserole

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This taco-flavored main dish is a potluck favorite from a Fargo, North Dakota, reader. Serve it with tortilla chips so your guests can scoop and eat.

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Dilly Chickpea and Radish Salad

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Think of this as a welcome update on three-bean salad, with radishes and celery adding color and crunch to wholesome garbanzo beans. It travels beautifully and is great for potlucks and picnics.

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Salted Caramel, Chocolate and Peanut Cracker-Stack Bars

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These fantastic potluck bars come from Patrice Hurd of Bemidji, Minnesota. She won the grand prize in a Best of the Midwest® Recipe Contest. Patrice says they're a twist on her grandmother's cracker bars. They cut beautifully and brim with salty-sweet-nutty-chocolately flavor.

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Roasted Tomato Pasta with Mozzarella

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Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls, and plenty of herbs and spices add color and flavor to this bountiful pasta salad. Sprinkle fresh basil on top.

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Asian-Style Chicken Salad

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Curly noodles, almonds, sesame kernels and rice vinegar blend in this crunchy, tangy salad from a West Des Moines, Iowa, reader.

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Light and Layered Taco Dip

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Ground turkey, reduced-sodium and light ingredients, and a confetti of crisp, colorful veggies make this potluck staple more nutritious than a typical layered dip-but every bit as tasty.

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German Potato Salad

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Serve this old-fashioned potluck dish warm.

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Our Own Dream Cookies

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It's not easy satisfying everyone, but this cookie from the Midwest Living® Test Kitchen tries to meet the challenge! It's packed with oatmeal, chocolate, peanut butter chips or vanilla chips and nuts.

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Triangle Ranch Scalloped Corn

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Diced green chile peppers give this baked and cheesy potluck dish character with some hotness. We like the crunch from the saltine crackers, too. The recipe comes from Triangle Ranch Bed and Breakfast in western South Dakota, where guests enjoy hearty meals prepared by B&B owner Lyndy Ireland.

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Oven-Barbecued Chicken

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Oven-baking the chicken makes this recipe a breeze for any time of the year, and homemade barbecue sauce is always a hit. Serve with rolls and slaw.  

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Tropical Tomato Salsa

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Try this sweet, colorful salsa-made with tomato, mango and melon-over chips, fish or chicken.

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Broccoli Grape Salad

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Juicy grapes and crunchy broccoli blend sweet flavors with savory, salty bacon. The side-dish salad recipe comes from the Triangle Ranch B&B in South Dakota.

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Blueberry-Almond Bars

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Fruit fillings complement the sweetness of other bar cookie ingredients. Blueberry-Almond Bars was a grand champion award recipe at the Marshall County Fair's annual Blueberry Bake-A-Rama in Plymouth, Indiana. Lori Van Der Weele combined blueberries, butter, white baking pieces and almonds for this winner.

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Pizza Pasta Skillet Casserole

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A blanket of gooey cheese and the oven-crisped pepperoni make this casserole a guaranteed kid pleaser. Of course, you can switch up the ingredients as easily as the toppings on a pizza. Classics like sweet pepper, black olives and sausage are all fair game-but we'd hold the anchovies!

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Mexican Polenta Pie

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Great for a potluck or family dinner, this 12-serving casserole combines polenta with ground turkey, spices, black beans, tomatoes and Monterey Jack cheese.

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Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad

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Shredded chicken makes this gorgeous salad hearty enough to serve on its own for dinner.

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Very Berry Triple Fruit Pie

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More than 4 cups of berries make this pie extra juicy. Be sure to let it cool completely before you slice it. And don't forget the vanilla ice cream! The recipe comes from Covered Bridge Farm in Forest Lake, Minnesota. 

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Bonanza Bean Dip

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Lime- and jalapeño-spiced guacamole adds a kick to layers of refried beans, cheese, tomatoes and onions. Serve seasoned tortilla chips on the side.

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Classic Potato Salad

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This creamy potato salad is full of tender new potatoes, sweet pickles, crisp celery, and chopped hard-cooked eggs.

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Tortilla-Black Bean Casserole

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Layer a tomato-bean mixture, cheese and tortillas for a casserole with south-of-the-border flavor. Let each guest top their portion with chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, green onions, olives and/or sour cream.

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Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

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This easy-to-make layered cheesy potato dish pairs well with pork chops or ham.

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Calico Bean Bake

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This recipe blurs the line between baked beans and chili. It's great for feeding a crowd.

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Spinach Artichoke Dip

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Jazz up purchased spinach-artichoke dip with just three extra ingredients.

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Zesty Three-Bean Salad

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Combine kidney beans, garbanzo beans and frozen sweet soybeans (edamame) with red onion, cilantro and lime juice for a fresh twist on three-bean salad.

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Marbled Cream-Cheese Brownies

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Swirl a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla into rich brownie batter for this classic twist on a chocolate treat.

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Pepper Jack Corn Casserole

This dead-simple and totally delicious casserole is a homey addition to any weekend meal, potluck or even a holiday spread.Pepper Jack Corn Casserole

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24-Hour Tex-Mex Salad

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Layered salads, popular in the 1970s and 1980s, are making a comeback. Assemble this easy potluck salad in either individual jars or a clear salad bowl, dressing and all, then refrigerate.

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Potluck Pleaser Chili

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Beverly Gardner or Franklin, Illinois, lets her Bavarian-Austrian heritage show with added vinegar, sour cream and lots of sugar. Our heat rating: ! (Mild, Not Wild)

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Buffalo-Style Chicken Fingers

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Add to your potluck buffet with this neat-to-eat chicken breast variation of chicken wings. Dunk them in bottled blue cheese dressing.