If you’re invited to any kind of summertime potluck or barbecue, have no fear! We have plenty of delicious and easy side-dish ideas for you to bring to the party. They’re simple, delicious, and will have everyone asking you for the recipe.

Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad is a staple side-dish that’s perfect for picnics, BBQ’s, and all other meals in general. Try this Bruschetta Pasta Salad that you can make with local Okanagan tomatoes, garlic, and onions, or this Mexican Street Corn Pasta would be perfect with locally grown corn, jalapenos, and cilantro.

You can make a pasta salad with your favourite flavours and whatever seasonal ingredients are available, and therefore make a big batch fairly inexpensively! An all-around win.

Potatoes

Potatoes go great with just about any main dish, they’re locally grown and inexpensive, and there are so many ways to make them!

For a perfect potluck dish, try these Twice Baked Potatoes packed full of cheesy goodness, or these “ugly delicious” Smashed Baby Potatoes. You can even jazz up the traditional potato salad with this recipe for Roasted Potato Salad – it’ll change your whole outlook on potato salad!

One-bite wonders

Finger food is always a hit at a BBQ because who doesn’t love grazing and trying a little bit of everything?! These pescatarian-friendly Smoked Salmon Crostinis from Fraiche Nutrition come together so simply, and these 4-ingredient Watermelon Feta Bites are full of summer flavour.

Bonus: neither recipe uses the oven #beattheheat!

Dressed-Up Veggies

Vegetables just taste better in the summer because they are so fresh! Here in the Okanagan, we can get so much incredible local produce too, that a simple vegetable side dish can really be a shining star in any meal.

This Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus is always a crowd-pleaser (and so easy to make) and you’ll love these Green Beans with Goat Cheese and Shallots. Even simpler are these Garlic Roasted Carrots, which only use 5 ingredients. For best results, use as many local products as possible!

Grains

For some filling, healthy one-bowl wonders, try a grain "salad!" Like this Cumin Lime Black Bean Quinoa Salad from Oh She Glows that you can amp up with any of your favourite vegetables (like red peppers, tomato, corn, cilantro, or red onion). Another great option is the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Tabouli Salad made with bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber, and lots of parsley — and these are all locally grown veggies too! 

Bread

Any kind of homemade bread is a special treat and a perfect addition to a potluck. Try these Cheddar Chive Scones (they’d be epic at a Lobster Boil!) or this Easy Homemade Foccacia that you can make with herbs from your garden.

If you’re not into making bread from scratch, then this Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Loaf is the one for you – just dress up a store-bought loaf of bread and voila! Decadent.

#TreatYoSelf and your friends to some amazing food at your next get-together. To make any meal extra delicious, support your local farmers, grocers, and artisans at every opportunity!

Kelowna born and raised, Keddy Pavlik of TheTreatLife has been passionate about the local food scene basically since birth. If she's not in the kitchen, you can probably find her at the farmer's market or taking pictures of food. Photo Credit: Jordana Dickson.