picnic

20 Potluck Side Dishes for the Classic Summer BBQ

This list of my top 20 classic potluck side dishes are he favorites everyone at your summer cookout will love and are easy to make and to take.

It’s summer, when you’re very likely to be invited to a backyard bbq, or hopefully even host one yourself. Summer’s main dish offerings for a crowd can be pretty standard fare with baby back pork ribs, burgers, and hot dogs likely taking center stage. Where things can go wily in summer cooking’s Wild West is in the side dish area of the party game. There’s so many options, how do you choose what to bring to a potluck?

This list of make-ahead, classic potluck side dish recipes is made up of all the old-time favorites I’ve shared here on the blog that still top my list of those I most often crave. While it’s fun to show off your amusingly inventive recipe creations, sometimes it’s best to just go with the classics, the tried-and-true, the favorites you know everyone at the party will love.

I’m sure I’ll be adding more to this list as the summer goes on, but for now, you know I’ll be sharing these sides on my summer picnic table, and hope you will too.continue to the recipe… about 20 Potluck Side Dishes for the Classic Summer BBQ

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

Nothing says summertime eating like a serving of the best, classic, old-fashioned, creamy macaroni salad with eggs and crisp vegetables dressed in a simple and creamy but still light mayonnaise dressing for any picnic, potluck, or barbecue.

Sometimes you just don’t mess around with the classics. While some might look at this macaroni salad recipe and think it’s too simple (where’s the twist? what makes it special? shouldn’t it be harder than this?) that’s exactly why it’s a time-proven favorite.

While I’ve always been a fan of potato salad (my mom’s potato salad recipe is THE BEST!) it’s taken me years to come around to macaroni salad. The reason being is that every time I tried one, it was never a good one. They were either too dry, too plain, or too heavily loaded with a goopy, flavorless mayo dressing that coated the macaroni like oil on a dipstick and likely came from a pre-packaged box from the deli counter—yes! That stuff usually comes from a box!

There’s nothing worse than that acrid taste of fake mayo macaroni salad. You know. You’ve been there.

But, this old-fashioned macaroni salad is everything those others were not. First off, it’s homemade—toss the box! It’s simple but well-seasoned. It’s dressed just right with a tangy but light mayo dressing. And the pasta is neither clumpy nor starchy, but smooth and satisfying with every bite.

I really do love this salad but I’m going to defer to my husband on this one, who as a self-proclaimed macaroni salad connoisseur did attest, “Honey, this is still the best macaroni salad I’ve had. Ever.”continue to the recipe… about How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pawsatch Snow Dogs

There’s no time like any time to load up a bun with vinegar sauced Pulled Pork Sandwiches with a tangy North Carolina sauce. Especially when there’s a few dogs in tow.

School’s back in session and even though most of us are wishing we didn’t have to say, “See you next year,” to the youthful delights that late night’s basking under the stars can bring, I hope you created some amazing memories to add to the bank of best moments in time.

Because we sure did.

Our forever memories bloomed this past July when we made our way to 10,000 vertical feet in Utah’s Uintah National Forest with 32 dogs who would be leading us on the adventure of a lifetime. So when Smudge is asked what her favorite part of summer was, it’s been an easy answer, “I spent the summer with my cousins and we went to Sled Dog Camp.” Because isn’t that what every kid does in the summer?

With her two cousins visiting for nearly a month, summer consisted of hardcore bonding time, and while a trip to Yellowstone, the Amusement Park and water slides galore were certainly fun, I know what’s going to rule in my girl’s world: Anything that involves a dog.

So when Mimi and Papa wrangled an overnight dog sled trip with Pawsatch Snow Dogs, the cousins were beyond excited. Almost as excited as those snow dogs being hooked to the line and ready to run.

I mean, who couldn’t love a face like this? Meet Chewbacca, 120 pounds of furry adventure.

continue to the recipe… about Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pawsatch Snow Dogs

Baked Potato Salad and a Canyon Cookout

This restaurant favorite gets a home-style makeover for a crowd in my Baked Potato Salad with bacon and cheese.

Sometimes you just have to break out of the norm. Make a break from Groundhog day and do something a little different, change things up and give them a little twist.

Like 99.95% of every single person I know, I can get into a rut. A funk. A little too much of doing things the same way just because that’s the way I do it.

Last week I was totally uninspired. I had just returned home after a week of visiting my sister where I had dutifully assigned deadlines to my calendar and outlined my to-do list with tasks at hand. And yet I could not for the life of me not get up the gumption or enthusiasm to tackle them and cross those pesky running agenda items that kept racing through my mind off of the quickly becoming redundant list. I moved from one task to the next, never fully realizing my goals. I needed a change up in the old routine, and with several out of town trips looming on the horizon, I had to get a new ‘tude quick.

continue to the recipe… about Baked Potato Salad and a Canyon Cookout

Stetson Chunky Potato Salad

If I had my druthers—which I often do—I’d skip the traditional main protein (chicken or meat) and instead go for a selection of side dishes. I’d much rather have a taste of this and a bite of that, a smattering of tastes to satisfy my undecided thanks to so many options cravings.

When I shared my Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing recipe I mentioned I’d be sharing a few new recipes with you this summer. Potato salad is one of my all time favorites, and lucky for me, there are plenty of options out there. Mayonnaise based, olive oil based, some with pickles, some with herbs and more, more, more. I may never run out of recipes and flavor combinations to try.

continue to the recipe… about Stetson Chunky Potato Salad

Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing

Who is ready for summer? Who is ready for summer fun? And summer trips? And who wants to go on trip with me and a few other bloggers to see where the food on our tables actually comes from? I’ll fill you in on that opportunity right after this potato salad fills you up. Memorial Day conjures up a serious craving for barbeques and deck time. Which translates to grilling and potato salad for most any red-blooded American. And even a few border straddling Canadians. It’s the start of summer so let’s ring it in right.

This recipe is an adaptation of one my sister in law makes for nearly every BBQ feast at their house. While Chad is busy pulling his smoked salmon or ribs out of the smoker, Audrey has usually whipped up a simple, roasted potato salad that is supremely delish.

G Dawg and I were craving something similar last weekend when we had a few friends over for eats and sips. With a few errant strips of bacon languishing in the fridge, he got all inspired to create a riff on Audrey’s recipe, sans the mayo. Why no mayo? Probably because we’re a house divided on mayo/Miracle Whip preference and he didn’t want me giving my two cents on what tastes better. However I did lend my opinion on his recipe documentation skills as he scribbled his notations on a napkin. He’s a mad scientist in the kitchen with no time to dawdle around looking for paper.

Napkin notations or not, his potato creation was spot on: Create a hot bacon dressing to be soaked up by crispy, roasted, bacon spruced potatoes. Inspired it was, leftovers it was not. These babies went fast and hard and happily so.

To ring in barbeque and picnic season, I’m going to be featuring several of my favorite potato salads perfect for every occasion from canyon cookouts to luncheon main dishes. There’s so many options you’ll be potato-sized in no time.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing

picnic

20 Potluck Side Dishes for the Classic Summer BBQ

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pawsatch Snow Dogs

Baked Potato Salad and a Canyon Cookout

Stetson Chunky Potato Salad

Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

Fresh and Easy Vietnamese Noodle Salad

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