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Church Ladies’ Favorite Potluck Recipes: Side Dishes

We are continuing in the Church Ladies’ Potluck series this week. A few of the best potluck side dishes some of the ladies have made are featured here.

A collage features three delicious potluck side dishes, one with a serving missing, alongside a plate of green beans and meat, labeled "Potluck Side Dishes." Website: homewithgraceandjoy.com.

There are so many options when it comes to side dishes for potluck meals. These are just a few of our regulars.

Potluck Meals

Who doesn’t love a good potluck meal? Most potlucks give you such a great variety of food, that they not only reach many people with their different tastes, but each person gets to have many of their favorite foods, all in one meal. 

Our Monthly Church Potlucks

A long table is covered with trays of fried chicken, sliced bread, salads, and various dishes—some of everyone's favorite potluck recipes. People are gathered at the far end, chatting in a casual indoor setting with wooden floors.

Our church plans a potluck meal once a month.  It is always set on the third Wednesday of the month.  There is something about a country church and the ladies who cook the meals – they are great cooks!

I have also seen that they can take me back to my childhood in a flash with some of the vintage recipes. It is funny how as the times change, you forget certain meals.

If you have read my posts or know me at all, you know that I am all about tasty but easy recipes, in fact, the easier the better!  This week’s shared recipes are all easy side dishes. I hope you enjoy!

Church Ladies’ Favorite Potluck Recipes Series

I want to showcase some of these delicious recipes and the ladies who make them. Last week’s post was all about the church ladies’ favorite salads. This post shares some of the easy side dishes from our last church potluck. You can also find the church ladies’ favorite Main Meals and their favorite Desserts

This Week’s Potluck Side Dishes

1 – Glazed Carrots (Yvonne Rollins)

These carrots are tender and sweet. What a great way to get some Beta-carotene in your diet!

A clear glass bowl filled with glazed baby carrots sits on a white surface, with a spoon resting in the bowl. Perfect for potluck side dishes, a tan and pink box on the right displays the text "Glazed Carrots".

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place carrots into a large saucepan, and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork. (8 – 10 min.)
  2. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
  3. Melt butter in the same pan; stir brown sugar, honey, salt, and pepper into the butter until mixed well.
  4. Add the carrots back to the pan and stir until carrots are glazed with the sauce. Cook about 5 more minutes.

2 – Macaroni & Cheese (Sylvia Brewer)

This Macaroni & Cheese is very creamy and cheesy. This was the first time Sylvia had brought this dish, and it was a big hit!

A glass baking dish filled with baked macaroni and cheese, topped with melted cheese, sits on a light background—perfect for potluck side dishes. The text "Macaroni & Cheese" appears above, and "www.homewithgraceandjoy.com" is at the bottom.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions.
  2. While hot, add cheese.
  3. Combine the rest of the ingredients and add to the macaroni.
  4. Bake 30-45 minutes at 350.
  5. You can add more cheese to the top after baking if desired.

3 – Corn Casserole (Mine by Granny Grace)

This is one of my favorite recipes that my grandmother passed down to me. It is super easy and so delicious. It has just a touch of sweetness in it. To me, it is the perfect side dish. I could actually eat this one as the main course!

A white casserole dish with a partially eaten cornbread casserole sits on a dark table, surrounded by decorative pumpkins and greenery—perfect among potluck side dishes. Text reads "Granny Grace's Corn Casserole." A folded green napkin is nearby.

Ingredients

I love handwritten recipes! The picture is blurry, but this one is in Granny’s handwriting on a scrap of paper.

A handwritten recipe titled “Corn Casserole” on lined paper sits on a beige cloth with decorative fringe, surrounded by green faux leaves—an inviting addition to any potluck side dishes lineup. The recipe lists ingredients and instructions in cursive writing.

Instructions

  1. Stir all of the ingredients together.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees until firm (30 – 45 Minutes)

4 – Au Gratin Potatoes (Jay Sikes – He is not a “Church Lady,” but he has great recipes!)

I love it when Jay experiments with recipes. This Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe was a result of one of those experiments this summer. It is a delicious potato casserole that everyone will love!

A glass baking dish filled with cheesy au gratin potatoes, perfect for potluck side dishes, surrounded by an autumn-themed border with leaves, acorns, and text reading “Au Gratin Potatoes” and “www.homewithgraceandjoy.com.”.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Layer some of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a sprayed baking dish.
  2. Add a layer of sliced mushrooms and onions on top of the potatoes, and season well.
  3. Warm the butter and soup together on the stove to make a creamy sauce.
  4. Add a layer of the soup mixture and then add cheese to the top.
  5. Start over with the layers, using all of the ingredients and ending with the cheese on top.
  6. Bake in a 350 degrees preheated oven for 45 -60 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender and the top is golden brown.

5 – Black Eyed Pea Casserole (Also from my grandmother, Grace)

My grandmother used to make this a lot when we would have big family meals. It is so easy to throw together, and everyone loved it.

Black eyed pea casserole

You can find this recipe and all of the details at the link here. It is easy and so delicious! I have started making it for New Year’s Day also.

6 – Sweet and Savory Green Beans with Bacon (Yvonne and I both make this one.)

I got this recipe from a friend of mine (Emily), at of all things – a potluck at school! It is the perfect side for a potluck.

This is the perfect mix of sweet and savory! See the link here for the full recipe and all of the details.

Clever Tips and Products for Your Next Potluck

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Other Delicious Potluck Side Dishes to Consider

Some of the best side dishes are just vegetables, cooked and seasoned. This is by no means a complete list, but some of these delicious side dishes could become your go-to recipes for potlucks.  They are super simple.

I hope some of these easy potluck side dishes and ideas will be helpful at your next potluck gathering. Please share your favorite side dish for potlucks or the one you tend to make all the time.

If you want to join our next potluck meal at church, we would love to have you! I promise that you won’t be disappointed! The food is always great, but the best part is the people.

I would love to have you join me each week as we look at faith, food, and family. Remember to follow along next week to see all of the main dishes the ladies have shared.

recipe food quote

Other Favorite Potluck Recipes

Part 1 in the Series – Salads
Easy Coconut Corn Side Dish
Best Secrets for Your Dish to Win the Next Potluck – This post has a great recipe on it, but she also shares so many great tips and ideas (creative ones) for your next potluck.

Until next time,

A delicate circular floral wreath encircles the message "have a grace & joy-filled day—controlling the tongue!" with the name "susan" below, all depicted in soft brown and green

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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Matthew 5:6

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23 Comments

  1. I needed this list so much, Susan! We are headed back to our hometown this weekend and are having a potluck-style fall festival at my aunt’s house and I had no idea what to bring. They signed me up for dessert but I am definitely going to bookmark this post so I can have it at the ready the next time we meet. It’s a huge help! Hugs, CoCo

    1. I’m glad it will be of help. As far as a dessert is concerned, the Pumpkin dessert you shared last week looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Have fun at the Fall Festival!

  2. So many tasty side dishes! I love a good potluck!

  3. I love pot luck meals at church or work. There are so many tasty dishes that are shared. I like all of your choices.

  4. I am all about easy recipes! I want to make Granny Grace’s Corn Casserole, thanks!

  5. So many great side dishes Susan. I love the corn recipe from your Granny still in her handwritting. So precious. I am saving this to try it. Thanks for sharing.

    1. I hope you love it as much as I do. It always brings back such great memories!

  6. Estelle Forrest says:

    Granny Grace’s Corn Casserole looks so very tasty. Thanks for sharing on SSPS, hope to see you again next week.

    1. I hope they enjoy them. I bet they have a lot they could share as well!

  7. Congratulations, Susan! This post was one of the most-visited at the Will Blog for Comments #13 linkup. It will be spotlighted there all week! You’re welcome to save the “this blog post was a featured favorite” image there to share here with your readers, if you like.

  8. Miz Helen says:

    We enjoyed featuring your awesome post this past week on Full Plate Thursday, 694. Thanks so much for sharing with us and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

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