Healthy Church Potluck Recipes Everyone Will Love

August 27, 2019
Next time you have a church potluck, bring one of these heavenly recipes to the fellowship hall. Try our healthier versions of classics casseroles, breakfasts, potluck salads, slaws and desserts that are sure to please the crowd.
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Deviled-Egg Macaroni Salad

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This pasta salad looks like the classic picnic side, but in one bite you'll know it's special. It holds all the incredible flavors of deviled eggs and is creamy too, thanks to mashed avocado and hard-boiled eggs. For the best texture, don't make this more than a few hours before you plan to eat it.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

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Turn classic chicken parm into meatballs with this easy load-and-go appetizer recipe with a cheesy surprise inside. Making meatballs for a party? Switch your crock pot to "warm" for serving all party long.

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Vinegary Coleslaw

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Forget mayonnaise-laden coleslaw. The bright, clean flavors in this version go well with everything from tacos to barbecue.

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Mama's Potato Salad

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Tossed with mayo, celery, hard-boiled eggs, onion and relish, this is one of the most simple and traditional potato salad recipes around. Sprinkling the still-warm potatoes with vinegar infuses them with more flavor than if you had added the vinegar to the dressing.

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No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake

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This no-bake cherry cheesecake is an easy summertime treat. This no-bake cheesecake recipe has omega-3-rich walnuts in the graham cracker crust and uses nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese in the filling to keep saturated fat in check. If you want a bright red topping, use sour cherries. Sweet cherries give it a more purple hue. To make gluten-free no-bake cherry cheesecake, use gluten-free graham crackers.

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Sheet-Pan Pancakes

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Pancakes are a weekend brunch necessity (mimosas, too), but making them for a crowd is time-consuming. Instead, bake four kinds of pancakes--peanut butter, chocolate chip, raspberry and blueberry--at once with this easy sheet-pan pancake recipe. Making several different pancakes in one batch means you can easily please your whole brunch party, including yourself!

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Wolf Pack Ambrosia

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Kids love this simple combination of fruit, yogurt and marshmallows--and they can even help by stirring it all together.

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Seven-Layer Fruit Salad

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Layering colorful chopped fruits in a straight-sided trifle bowl gives a refreshing fruit salad a stunning presentation. It's a company-worthy brunch recipe and would also be a star at any potluck picnic.

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Raspberry Jello

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We combine cran-raspberry juice with sparkling white grape juice to make a dazzling raspberry jello recipe. We like to add fresh raspberries to enhance the flavor but any small berry would work well too.

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Cinnamon Roll Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Here we take all the warm, delicious flavors of cinnamon buns and roll them into a cake smothered with a sweet cream cheese frosting. It's best enjoyed fresh out of the oven.

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Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Soft and satisfying, this chocolate chip cookie recipe incorporates toasted whole-grain oats and low-fat yogurt.

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Broccoli, Beef & Potato Hotdish

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This easy casserole, full of ground beef, roasted broccoli and topped with hash browns, was inspired by the classic Minnesota Tater Tot hotdish. Roasting the broccoli before adding it to the casserole gives the whole dish a much more complex and exciting flavor, but it's by no means necessary. If you want to keep it simple, skip roasting the broccoli (Step 2) and use 6 cups frozen broccoli, thawed, in its place (omit 1 tablespoon oil, as well).

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Vidalia Onion & Cucumber Salad

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For this old-fashioned Southern cucumber salad recipe, thin slices of cucumber and onion marinate just long enough to develop a touch of tanginess without any sharp bite. Serve with sweet dishes like barbecue to lend a refreshing balance.

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Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad

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Here's a healthy salad recipe to make at the height of summer when watermelon and cucumbers are at their juiciest and most flavorful. Feta adds the perfect creamy, salty, tangy edge, and mint makes this salad taste even brighter. This is one easy side salad you'll want to serve at all your summer BBQs.

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Tomato-Corn Pie

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Tomatoes and corn have a natural affinity for one another: the slight acidity of tomatoes balances the sweetness of the corn. Here they partner in a delicious quiche-like pie. The dough is very forgiving and bakes up into a sturdy shell that's great for just about any savory pie or tart. Perfect for a summer brunch or try it with a tossed salad for a light supper.

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Quick Pickles

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Here's a way to make better-than-store-bought pickles in under an hour. The secret is pouring the hot vinegar mixture over slices of cold, crisp cucumber. These pickles have the perfect balance of sour and sweet--though closer to a “bread and butter” taste, they still satisfy the vinegar-loving pickle crowd. In our humble opinion, there's no reason to ever buy another jar of pickles.

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Carrot Dog Pigs in a Blanket

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Carrots replace cocktail wieners in this healthy update of pigs in a blanket. Soaking the carrot "dogs" in a smoky marinade is the key to giving them that hot dog flavor, for a vegan app meat-eaters will love too. Serve with dipping sauces like honey mustard or ranch dressing to take these to the next level.

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Slow-Cooked Baked Beans with Bacon

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It's easy to purchase baked beans in a can, but making your own in the slow cooker results in a rich and deliciously flavored side dish that you'll feel better about serving to guests.

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Broccoli-Bacon Salad

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A picnic favorite, this salad combines broccoli, water chestnuts, cranberries and just a little bacon for delicious results. Our version has plenty of creaminess without all the fat. Make it once and it will become a regular on your backyard barbecue menu.

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Sheet-Pan Eggs with Spinach & Ham

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Making a big batch of eggs has never been easier with this one-pan oven-baked eggs recipe. Whether you are making brunch for a crowd or just want to meal-prep healthy breakfasts for the week, you'll have 12 servings ready in just 45 minutes.

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Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

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This light and tangy lemon meringue cheesecake gets tons of citrus flavor from lemon juice and zest, as well as a layer of lemon curd between the cake and the fluffy meringue topping. It would be the perfect dessert for any spring or summer party, though we'd happily eat this treat year-round.

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Zucchini Banana Bread

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Shredded zucchini and mashed banana complement each other and ensure that this wholesome loaf stays nice and moist. The banana adds sweetness to this quick-bread mashup for just the right flavor without too much added sugar.

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Cranberry-Orange Punch

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This gorgeous fruity punch is perfect for any party--serve it on its own for a fun mocktail that will please kids and adults alike. Or, set out optional alcoholic mix-ins, like tequila and/or vodka, for a mix-your-own cocktail station.

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Zucchini, Corn & Egg Casserole

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This healthy casserole is essentially a crustless quiche, brimming with fresh summer vegetables. Bake it up for an elegant summer brunch or a casual backyard barbecue.

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Creamy Grape Salad with Candied Walnuts

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Traditional grape salad recipes are loaded with sugar and fat, but we made this creamy grape dessert salad recipe healthier by using reduced-fat cream cheese instead of full-fat cream cheese and using half the sugar called for in classic recipes. Bring this healthy grape salad recipe to a potluck and watch it disappear in moments.

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Classic Deviled Eggs

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We love the taste of dill relish in the filling of this deviled egg recipe, but if you like a sweeter deviled egg‚ opt for sweet relish instead. Our secret to healthy, creamy deviled eggs with fewer calories is to swap out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt.

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Gluten-Free Fudgy Teff Brownies

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Whole-grain teff flour (made from a tiny ancient grain) has a nuance of cocoa flavor to start with, making it a natural choice for brownies. These gluten-free brownies are moist and satisfying, intensely chocolaty and have a tender texture.

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

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This creamy, refreshing cucumber salad is an easy side dish for any summer BBQ. Bright dill and white-wine vinegar add fresh tartness to cucumbers and red onions. Enjoy this salad the day you prepare it so the ingredients don't turn watery.

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Quick Broccoli Slaw

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Use up unused broccoli stems by making your own broccoli slaw instead of using the bagged slaw in this easy potluck favorite. Trim and peel the stalks with a vegetable peeler, then cut 3 cups of matchsticks with the julienne blade on a mandoline or by hand.

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Nutty Pimiento Cheese Balls

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These bite-size pimiento cheese balls from Jamie and Bobby Deen are a huge hit with kids (of all ages). They're the perfect appetizer to bring to a summer picnic. Jamie and Bobby share a passion for great home-cooked food with a Southern flair with their celebrity-chef mom, Paula Deen. These brothers are following in their mom's footsteps with their own TV shows, books and website. Our favorite part of what they're up to: healthy makeovers of some of Paula's recipes! Recipe adapted from The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up, by Jamie & Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark (Ballantine Books, 2011).

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Roasted Corn Cheese Dip

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Inspired by queso fundido--melted Mexican cheese dip--this corn and warm Cheddar cheese dip is great with toasted baguette.

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Slow-Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

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This creamy, crowd-pleasing dip comes together with ease in your crock pot. Leave it in the slow cooker all party long to keep it warm for serving with perfect, melty cheese in every bite. Whole-wheat bread and raw veggie dippers allow you to dig in without the guilt.

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Easy Peach Cobbler

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This easy peach cobbler uses canned peaches to speed up prep time. A fluffy, tender cake envelops the tender peaches, creating an incredibly simple fruit dessert you can enjoy year-round.

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Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

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You'll never want to eat roasted cauliflower any other way once you try this tasty recipe. Bacon, sour cream and sharp Cheddar cheese coat good-for-you cauliflower in deliciousness for an easy side that will make everyone actually want to eat their vegetables.

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