Great Recipes for Potlucks, Picnics, and Parties

By J.M. Hirsch and Carla Snyder
May 18, 2015
Take one of these irresistible dishes to a summer gathering or neighborhood party and bring home nothing but crumbs.
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Pumped-Up Mini Burgers

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Scaled down for little hands, these burgers deliver supersize taste, thanks to our mix of spices and sautéed onions. Make the patties with ground beef or poultry, then top them with our homemade chipotle mayonnaise (or leave them plain for picky eaters). 

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Root Beer BBQ Chicken

Credit: Photograph by Alexandra Grablewski
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Two grilling techniques make for one tasty dish. First, rubbing with a store-bought spice mix deeply flavors the meat. Then, basting the chicken at the end of the cooking time with our homemade, smoky sweet barbecue sauce creates a delectable glaze.

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Better Beef Kebabs

Credit: Photograph by Alexandra Grablewski
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Give your steak a makeover. Here, sirloin cubes are infused with a lemony marinade, then grilled on kid-pleasing skewers beside juicy cherry tomatoes. Serve the kebabs with store-bought hummus or our Yummy Hummus Sauce. 

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Puff Pastry Tart With Roasted Veggies

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This elegant yet easy dish has the broad appeal required of a great potluck offering. Kids will think it's just a fancy pizza while grown-ups will appreciate the medley of vegetables and cheeses.

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Almond Cake With Strawberries

Credit: James Baigrie
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A fruit-topped dessert makes a gorgeous center- piece for a Fourth of July gathering. Almond paste gives this cake a dense, nutty richness, and the hint of balsamic vinegar adds a special sparkle to the sweet strawberries.

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Mango Noodle Salad with Sesame Seeds

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Need a dish that's pretty, healthy, and scrumptious? Serve up this refreshing salad, which combines whole grain pasta, sweet mangoes, and an easy, Asian-inspired dressing.

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Roasted Potato & Pepper Salad With Cilantro Salsa

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A vibrant green salsa adds some zip to the creamy fingerling potatoes in this tasty side dish. Dark green poblano chiles add a bit of fruity heat; if your gang prefers things mild, simply omit them and the jalapeño and swap in bell peppers instead.

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Greek Salad Chicken Wraps With Tsatsiki

Credit: James Baigrie
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Wraps are a portable favorite for good reason: all the elements of a meal are bound up in one convenient package. Here, Greek flavors (lemon, mint, and feta) bring a brightness and tang to the mix, just right for a warm summer day. 

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Honey-Miso Nuggets

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Miso, a sweet and salty soybean paste, gives chicken thighs a big flavor boost. Find miso in the international foods aisle of the supermarket. You can also double our homemade marinade for these nuggets and reserve half as a dip. 

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Edamame Rice Salad

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Got leftover rice? We'll show you how to quickly transform it into a cool companion for our Honey-Miso Nuggets. Toasted sesame oil gives the salad a deep, nutty taste. 

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BBQ on the Cob

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Complete the perfect summer meal with a batch of crowd-pleasing corn. Grill the cobs over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.

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Smoky Caesar Salad

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Add the fiery taste of the grill to a classic salad, and you get a meal that appeals to both kids and grown-ups. For a bolder version of our homemade dressing, toss in a couple of anchovies. If you like, finish each salad with a sprinkling of shaved Parmesan. 

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Cilantro-Lime Bitty Burgers

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Fresh cilantro and a hint of citrus give these sliders a Southwestern flair that sets them apart from ordinary burgers. Kick things up a notch by topping your burger with cilantro sprigs. 

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Crunchy Endive and Apple Salad

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Taking its inspiration from the more familiar cabbage slaw, this version uses thinly cut endives, with crisp apples for a little sweetness. Heap it onto a slider or eat it on the side. Either way, it's a treat.

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Moroccan-Spiced Skewers

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Our dinner-on-a-stick recipe replaces traditional barbecue rub with a warm spice blend that includes cinnamon and cumin. The result is an exotic -- but not overpowering -- twist on chicken kebabs.

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Tomato-Cucumber Salad

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Skip the lettuce and let tomatoes and cucumbers play the starring roles. Lightly dressed with olive oil, fresh mint, and a dash of salt and pepper, this salad proves that sometimes less is more. No fresh mint for the salad? You can use fresh basil instead.

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