May 20, 2025
Potluck and Picnic-Perfect Dishes! Summer Home Cooking Everyone Will Love
Food Friends: Home Cooking Made EasyAbout this episode
Ever feel overwhelmed with what to bring to a potluck or summer picnic? Whether you’re heading to a park gathering or a crowded family reunion, choosing the right dish can feel weirdly high-stakes, especially when you want something portable, crowd-pleasing, and easy to make ahead. We’ve got you! We’re sharing all our tips and inspiration to ensure that your dish is the one people can’t stop talking about—the one that’s gone before you can even grab a plate! By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to make: Two easy sides that you can prepare in individual portions No-fuss desserts like a creamy no-bake blueberry cheesecake and a citrusy creamsicle pie How to make presentation, prep, and adaptability easier so your dish stands out and survives the buffet table Hit play now and walk into your next gathering with a dish that looks great, travels well, and was easy to make! Links Sides: Corniest corn muffins from Smitten Kitchen Mini pimento cheese balls Salads: Sonya’s rainbow salad recipe from her Substack Julia Turshen’s zucchini, red onion and pistachio salad with a preserved lemon vinaigrette Mains: The famous grinder TikTok sandwich with the salad part + how to assemble the sandwiches from the Country Cook , and a fully vegetarian version from I Heart Vegetables Slow cooker beef sliders from The Defined Dish, and a similar take on slow cooker beef with a Mississippi roast by Jenn Crippen for All Recipes Creamy vegetable casserole , aka Midwest vegetable casserole Foil packs of carnitas from Serious Eats for griddled tacos Desserts A slightly gussied-up version of a no-bake blueberry cheesecake from Natasha’s Kitchen, and an easy classic no-bake blueberry cheesecake made with whipped topping from All Recipes No-bake orange creamsicle pie made with orange marmalade from Every Day Pie, and a no-bake creamsicle pie with shortbread crust made with jello from I Am Baker *** Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084 For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here . You can also now find us on YouTube. Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes! We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @ foodfriendspod , or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com!