Hosting a Summer Potluck Party: 10 Easy Recipes

One of the easiest ways to bring friends, family and neighbors together this summer? Throw a potluck party! It’s minimal effort for everyone involved. As the host, you just need to start a shared online doc and ask guests to sign up to bring a dish. And it’s always fun to see what appetizers, entrees and desserts everyone will show up with.

How to Organize a Potluck

You’ll likely be setting up outside, in the front or backyard if the weather is nice. (Fingers crossed!) Here are a few tips and tricks to set up for your summer potluck party:

1. Create a Potluck Sign Up List

This is possibly the most important tip to have a successful summer potluck. A potluck checklist! The nature of a potluck itself is a fun and spontaneous activity you can do with family and friends. However, in order for everyone to participate, they should all be aware of what foods they should bring. You want to make sure you have a complete dinner for everyone to enjoy. By making a potluck list, you can ensure that everyone does their fair share, are not eating all the same items, or are not missing out on certain foods because of dietary restrictions. Give your guests categories to choose from so you don’t end up with a potluck that’s full of bags of chips and grocery store cookies.

2. Make Sure You Have Drinks

When people think of a potluck, they often neglect drinks because their mind immediately goes to food. To ensure your potluck has enough drinks assign individuals to bring drinks of different types. Making sure you have enough booze, water, and alternative drinks will make your summer potluck one to remember.  

3. Remember Serving Utensils

Remind potluck-guests to bring along a serving utensil for their dish, since you likely won’t have enough to go around. For a sustainable option, ask attendees to bring their own silverware. For easy clean-up, pick up some plastic forks, knives and spoons.

4. Label the Dishes

This is especially important so people with allergies can tell what they can and cannot have (and so everyone will know what that dish from Aunt Margaret actually is). This is also a fun opportunity to make it pretty (see step 1): you can also provide place cards and markers so guests can get creative drawing a fun label for their dish when they arrive.

5. Pack and Bring Food That Travels Easily

Nobody likes being anxious about food spilling in their car while they drive to a friend's house. To prevent any spills from happening, bring an easy to travel dish to a potluck. This makes it easier for you to travel with and for your friends to eat. It can also help if you bring smaller portions with you, that way you aren’t taking a whole restaurant with you to the potluck. Remember, if the potluck sign-up list works well, you shouldn’t have to worry about bringing too little. 

Here are 10 of Cabot’s Best Potluck Recipes for Your Party

1. Summer Cheese Board

The perfect way to start a potluck is with some great appetizers. This Summer Cheese Board is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser-made easy with Cabot Cracker Cuts.

 2. Baked Ricotta Dip

Warm, creamy, cheesy and easy to make - this hot ricotta dip will be a hit with family and friends. Put your own spin on it with optional add-ins or toppings. This is equally good served at room temperature after baking. Serve with sturdy toasted crostini or sliced bread.

3. Street Corn Salad

Move over boring side salads. Spice up your salad game with this perfect combination of spicy, creamy and zesty flavors. Our Cabot Greek Yogurt in the dressing provides tang as well as protein making this a memorable side dish or main course.

4. Buffalo Chicken Dip

Made with decadent rotisserie chicken, tangy hot sauce, and two types of creamy Cabot cheese, this recipe is easy to prepare and sure to be a hit! Serve it with chips, crackers, celery sticks or sliced bell peppers for a perfect dipping combo.

5. Tzatziki Pasta Salad

A host of our favorite summer veggies are the feature of this pasta dish, along with creamy Tzatziki dressing made with Cabot Greek Yogurt. Option: Add chicken for an even heartier version. (This is one of our most popular potluck ideas!)

6. Southwestern Pasta Bake

Southwestern pastas are always a hit with adults and kids alike, but our recipe delivers even more flavor, with a wonderful combination of ground turkey, Cabot's New York Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, garlic, jalapeño, fire roasted tomatoes and various spices. 

7. Five Mile Farm’s Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip

You can make a delicious Spinach Artichoke Dip in only two hours with only five ingredients (salt and pepper are not included) and a slow cooker! Put chopped spinach, marinated artichoke hearts, Cabot Cream Cheese, cubed Cabot Horseradish Cheddar, cubed Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar, salt, and pepper in a slow cooker to make 6–8 servings of spinach artichoke dip.

8. Tomato and Cheddar Sliders

From camping to cookouts, on the grill or in your toaster oven, our Tomato Cheddar Sliders are the ultimate, versatile summer meal. The combination of Cabot's Seriously Sharp Cracker Cuts with juicy, ripe tomatoes make these cheesy, pull-apart sliders irresistible and perfect for feeding a crowd.

9. Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Baked macaroni and cheese has long reigned as the quintessential comfort food. It’s the perfect dish for a family dinner or potluck picnic, and will bring a smile to any face after a long day. This recipe, featuring a simple how to make video, uses award-winning Cabot cheddar cheese and a crunchy breadcrumb topping for a richer, more satisfying flavor than you would get from a name-brand boxed package.  

10. White Pizza with Basil & Monterey Jack

White pizza might sound fancy, but it's actually the ultimate customizable potluck showstopper. Our creamy blend of ricotta, Greek yogurt, and melty Monterey Jack creates the perfect canvas for any toppings your crew brings along. Just pack pre-cooked pizza crusts and fire up the grill for that deliciously crispy finish—it's interactive, delicious, and guaranteed to be the dish everyone talks about!