Summer Recipe Roundup #recipe #food

Invited to a summer fete and not sure what to bring? Potlucks are awesome when you are a hostess {so long as people sign up for a certain type of dish in advance! There's nothing worse than not knowing what people are bringing and thinking great...9 bags of chips!} but when you are a guest, they can be overwhelming.

Clearly, you want to bring something delicious, but at the same time you probably don't want to spend a great deal of time or expense on your dish.

On the list to bring chips and dip? Up your game with this awesome Queso Blanco recipe from A Grande Life. Spicy and smooth, you won't regret taking this dip to the next potluck that you're invited to. Also...there are three steps to the recipe! Quick and easy!

Summer desserts can be a challenge with the soaring temperatures. Terrell Family Fun has a great recipe for pink lemonade cookies; a great flavor for summer, but used in an unexpected way!

The salad category on a potluck list can get a little boring. Greek, house and Cesar are the standards, but what about trying something new and equally yummy like this broccoli salad from Building Our Story?

And you can even trick your hostess into featuring healthy dishes at the potluck with these monster meatballs, recipe by me! Lean beef and oatmeal come together to create a healthier meatball, and you can certainly add in shredded vegetables for more flavor, texture and nutrients.

My favorite appetizer for a crowd is baked brie. It is one of those things that you can throw together really quickly, but is also really impressive in its presentation. This apple brown sugar baked brie that I created for Manilla is still a family favorite appetizer.

No matter what dish you signed up for, get creative!! Ditch the bag of chips and have fun!