If you've ever attended a gathering in the Midwest, then you've likely enjoyed some quintessential Midwestern salads. They're all about the pasta and potatoes (with some veggies sprinkled in), plus fruit salads that taste like dessert.
30 Midwestern Salads to Bring to the Potluck
Updated on Oct. 11, 2024
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Make-Ahead Hearty Six-Layer Salad
This salad is an all-time favorite. I reach for the recipe whenever I need a dish to pass. It is easy to make, can be assembled ahead of time and looks marvelous. —Noreen Meyer, Madison, Wisconsin
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Snickers Salad
Snickers salad may not be a traditional green salad, but it is a midwestern specialty. Bring this easy one-bowl dessert to your next potluck and watch it disappear!
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Grape Salad
This grape salad has it all: juicy grapes, creamy dressing, crunchy pecans and a sweet brown sugar topping. It’s kid-friendly and perfect for potlucks.
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Taco Salad for a Large Crowd
I made this huge taco salad to bring to a party and people were scrambling to figure out who made it. Needless to say I only brought home an empty bowl and the guests went home with a full stomach! Everyone loves this taco salad recipe. —Lisa Homer, Avon, New York
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Potluck German Potato Salad
This is a big hit at church potlucks. One man says he comes only so that he can eat my potato salad! —Kathleen Rabe, Kiel, Wisconsin
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Shrimp Pasta Salad
Shrimp pasta salad is creamy, crunchy and packed with tender shrimp. This protein-rich macaroni salad is perfect as a light lunch or a side dish for potlucks and picnics.
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Pea Salad with Bacon
My husband absolutely loves peas. My middle son isn’t the biggest fan, but he loves bacon. So I decided to combine the two, and it was perfect! This salad is an awesome side dish, especially for barbecues. —Angela Lively, Conroe, Texas
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Bacon Macaroni Salad
This pleasing pasta salad is like eating a BLT in a bowl. Filled with crispy bacon, chopped tomato, celery and green onion, the sensational salad is coated with a tangy mayonnaise and vinegar dressing. It’s a real crowd-pleaser! —Norene Wright, Manilla, Indiana
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Overnight Salad
This layered salad is a family favorite from a church cookbook I’ve had for 40 years. The bacon adds a fabulous crunch. —Mary Brehm, Cape Coral, Florida
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Crisp Waldorf Salad
This crunchy salad is a perfect side to accompany a heavy meal. With it’s light and crisp flavors, it’ll be the hit of the party.—Susan R Falk, Eastpointe, Michigan
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Easy Macaroni Salad
This hearty pasta salad is sure to please appetites of all ages—and it serves a lot of folks! —LaVerna Mjones, Moorhead, Minnesota
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Creamy Blueberry Gelatin Salad
Plump blueberries and a fluffy topping star in this pretty, refreshing salad that was my mother’s recipe. It was served at every holiday and celebration, and now my grandchildren look forward to sampling it at holidays. —Sharon Hoefert, Greendale, Wisconsin
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Grandma’s Spinach Salad
With all its fresh ingredients, this pretty spinach salad was my grandma’s favorite. Even my little ones like it (but don’t tell them spinach is good for them)! —Shelley Riebel, Armada, Michigan
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Merry Berry Salad
Dried cranberries, crunchy apple chunks and toasted almonds dress up this crisp green salad. It’s drizzled with a sweet-tart dressing that’s a snap to blend. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Frozen Cherry Salad
Pretty slices of this refreshing salad are dotted with colorful cherries for a festive look. The flavor is pleasant and not overly sweet like some frozen cherry recipes. Prepared in advance and frozen, it’s a treat that fits into many different menus. I serve it throughout the year. —Gail Sykora, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
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Overnight Fruit Salad
I first tasted this rich, old-fashioned fruit salad at my wedding reception many years ago. The ladies who did the cooking wouldn't share the recipe at the time, but eventually I got it. I've made it for many meals, and our daughters copied the recipe when they married. —Eileen Duffeck, Lena, Wisconsin
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Ramen Noodle Salad
For potlucks and picnics, this ramen noodle salad is a knockout. I tote the veggies in a bowl, dressing in a jar and noodles in a bag. Then I just shake them all together when it’s time to eat. —LJ Porter, Bauxite, Arkansas
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Potato Salad
This homemade potato salad recipe doesn’t have many ingredients, so it isn’t as colorful as many that you find nowadays. But Mama made it the way her mother did, and that’s the way I still make it today. Try it and see if it isn’t one of the best-tasting potato salads you have ever eaten! —Sandra Anderson, New York, New York
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12-Hour Salad
This recipe was Mom’s scrumptious scheme to get her kids to eat vegetables. She never had any trouble when she served this colorful crunchy salad. Mom thought this salad was a real bonus for the cook since it must be made the night before. —Dorothy Bowen, Thomasville, North Carolina
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Veggie Chopped Salad
My husband’s aunt gave me this recipe back in the ’80s, and it’s been a staple at our house ever since. I like to make it a day ahead because some time in the fridge makes it even better. Be sure to save yourself some leftovers, too. —Madeline Etzkorn, Burien, Washington
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Cucumber Salad with Miracle Whip
Cucumbers are my very favorite garden vegetable, so I use this recipe often. I got it from a friend years ago. I’ve heard this refreshing dish keeps very well in the refrigerator, but it goes so fast around our house, I’ve never found out for myself. —Karen Ann Bland, Gove, Kansas
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Broccoli Cranberry Salad
Growing up, I never liked broccoli, but I’m hooked on this salad’s light, sweet taste. It gives broccoli a whole new look and personality. —Jessica Conrey, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Molded Strawberry Salad
This refreshing salad has two layers – a pretty pink bottom that includes sour cream, and a ruby red top with strawberries and pineapple. For years, Mom has included this salad in meals she prepares for our family. —Gloria Grant, Sterling, Illinois
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Creamy Pineapple Fluff Salad
Guests of all ages will gravitate to this traditional “fluff” salad, chock-full of pineapple, marshmallows and cherry bits. —Janice Hensley, Owingsville, Kentucky
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Lime Gelatin Salad
Looking for a festive dish to light up the buffet? This pretty green gelatin salad is eye-catching and has a delightful, tangy flavor. —Cyndi Fynaardt, Oskaloosa, Iowa
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Orange Gelatin Pretzel Salad
Salty pretzels pair nicely with the sweet fruit in this refreshing layered salad. It’s a family favorite that is a slam-dunk at potlucks. —Peggy Boyd, Northport, Alabama
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Seven-Layer Gelatin Salad
Here’s an eye-catching salad that my mother makes for Christmas dinner each year. You can choose different flavors to make other color combinations for specific holidays or other gatherings. —Jan Hemness, Stockton, Missouri
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Hot Spinach Apple Salad
With a light sweet-tangy dressing, the spinach doesn’t wilt and the apples retain their crunch. We serve this salad with homemade bread. —Denise Albers, Freeburg, Illinois
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Red-White-and-Blue Berry Delight
Loaded with fresh strawberries and blueberries, this luscious JELL-O is perfect for any Fourth of July celebration! —Constance Fennell, Grand Junction, Michigan
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Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
This macaroni salad mixes the cooked egg yolks into the mayonnaise dressing to give it that classic deviled egg taste. If other veggies you like, such as sweet red pepper or carrots, are in your macaroni salad feel free to stir them in. —Taste of Home Test KitchenMidwestern Salads FAQ
What is a Midwestern salad?
A Midwestern salad can be just about anything. It can include any combination of complementary ingredients, chopped up and tossed into a bowl—usually with a creamy dressing. Typically, Midwestern salad recipes stick to affordable, accessible, everyday ingredients with flavors that are widely considered to be traditional and crowd-pleasing. They’re more akin to the vintage salad recipes you find in an old-fashioned church cookbook rather than modern or fancy twists (like this prosciutto, pear and burrata salad) that take advantage of trendy, specialty ingredients.
Can salad be served as a dessert?
In the Midwest, salads don’t have to be green (unless it’s this creamy pistachio salad). Midwestern salads are just as likely to be served as a light, healthy first course as they are to be served as a sweet treat. Fruit-flavored gelatin, frozen whipped topping, marshmallows, canned fruit and chopped candy are fair game in Midwest desserts that act as salads.
How do I keep Midwestern salads cold at a potluck?
While locals know how to cook cozy Midwest comfort foods and recipes to help survive Midwest winters, they also know a thing or two about keeping their Midwestern salads perfectly chilled during the hot, humid days of summer. Try these secrets for keeping food cold like serving in smaller portions, keeping food in the shade or this viral TikTok hack for keeping food cold outside. You also might want to invest in a new cooler if yours isn’t big enough for all your potluck food.
