How to Pull Off a Beach Potluck Like a Pro

plus Peach Flatbreads Two Ways!

I spent the other night on the beach with my cousins and friends - backpack chairs, a Crate and Barrel collapsible table, the ocean breeze, and an easy meal I prepped over a couple of days. It was low-key, relaxed, and absolutely lovely. If you’ve ever wished you could bottle up summer evenings, this is how to do it: organize a beach potluck.

Here’s how I make it work (and still have energy to enjoy it):

My Beach Potluck Strategy

1. Only bring what you can carry. This keeps it simple. We all walk to the beach from my house, so I plan a meal that packs light and still feels thoughtful.

2. Divide and conquer. We typically do a potluck, but this time since I was hosting house guests, my cousin helped me prep all the food and my friend brought the wine.  Everyone brings his/her own water bottle.

3. Plan over a few days. I prep some elements early so I’m not cooking everything at once. A vinaigrette one day, dessert the next (I actually made the vinaigrette and cake a week in advance and froze both!), salad greens another day, then everything gets cooked and packed on the day-of.

Beach Packing Essentials:

• Backpack chairs or low beach chairs

• Table-in-a-Bag

• Disposable containers for eating out of (less cleanup and keeps sand out of food)

• Pre-moistened paper towels or wipes

• Trash bags (can be anything like a grocery produce bag or a paper grocery bag etc + napkins + flatware)

• Lightweight large wood salad bowl and tongs (I brought one of my good bowls to the beach, but I am considering ordering something cheap like this or this literally just for beach dinners)

• Melamine plate for the Caprese salad (Crate and Barrel discontinued the one I have, but it’s similar to these)

• Bamboo tongs for Caprese and appetizers (technically disposable, but I’ll wash and reuse. All the high-end caterers use them. They are the best!)

• Cups for wine

• Mini olive oil + mini tin of flaky salt (always needed!)

• Portable speaker for tunes

• Layers for when the temp drops

A Menu That Travels Well: To repeat myself, we walked to the beach so we couldn’t bring everything + the kitchen sink.  Also a factor is what the group likes to eat.  I had one guest with Celiac, so other than some crackers, everything was gluten-free. We are also not over-the-top big eaters. I had all the components in either Zwilling reusable Fresh & Save bags or deli containers which I always have on hand for prepping ingredients for shoots, classes and/or larger entertaining. It would not have been practical or doable to bring everything in glass containers. 

Appetizers: I keep this light so we don’t fill up on a meal before the meal.  Usually it’s things like crudites and a dip or two, guacamole, salsa and chips, and/or nuts, cheese, and charcuterie.

• Marinated olives + roasted artichokes (I pat dry, roast at 425 with olive oil oil, salt and pepper for 20-25 minutes)

• Tzatziki + grilled vegetable salsa (recipe coming soon)

• Crackers and chips

Main Course:

• My Chopped Grilled Vegetable Salad (great room temp!) with grilled or rotisserie chicken pre-cut in bite-size pieces (all components in bags, dressing in a jar - toss at the beach before serving)

• Caprese salad with tomatoes and peaches (all components in bags - assemble and season before serving)

Dessert:

• Tahini banana pudding in cups (stay tuned, it’s coming soon!)

• Chocolate-zucchini cake

• Watermelon slices (delicious with lime and flaky salt and/or Tajin)

Pro Tips to Make It Easy:

• Double up containers. If you’re worried about leaks or melting, use nesting containers with a layer of foil or parchment in between.

• Cooler trick for hot temps: Freeze a few water bottles and toss them in to keep everything cold. Then drink them as they thaw.

• Pack it in, pack it out. Trash bags are a must. I always bring two.

Beach potlucks are one of the simplest pleasures of summer—casual but special. If you’ve never done one, this is your sign. And if you have, I’d love to hear what you always bring. Other favorites of mine are pasta dishes served at room temp, grain-based salads with legumes, Tell me your favorite beach dinner dish—I’m all ears!

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This week, I’m sharing a flatbread recipe I’ve been making on repeat and two different ways. It’s elegant enough for entertaining but simple enough for a weekday lunch.