10 Favorite Cookout Side Dishes

You can do better than a bag of potato chips this summer. We’ve got fresh, seasonal salads; quick pickles; pasta dishes and the best dips. Here are 10 summertime sides ready for your picnic table or patio.

1. Fresh Tomato, Cucumber & Feta Salad

A quick take on the classic Greek salad, this version highlights delicious summer produce, including sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and colorful bell peppers. The dressing, a simple combination of Italian seasoning, vinegar, and good olive oil, is great for dipping pieces of bread.

2. Honey Sriracha Chicken Dip

This sweet and spicy dip is the perfect side for any game-day get-together or outdoor celebration. It features shredded chicken, cream cheese, Honey Sriracha Seasoning Mix, and green onions for a mouthwatering modern take on a classic summertime favorite. Plus, you can serve it up hot or cold in the 5-qt. (4.7-L) Serving Bowl

3. Southwestern Salad

Bring what everyone loves about tacos to an easy-to-transport salad. The grilled chicken and black beans make it hearty enough to be a meal or a zesty summer side salad. Serve it at a cookout in an insulated bowl, so the lettuce and veggies stay crisp and chilled outside from the time the party starts until the table is cleared and the burgers and sides are replaced with marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.

4. Korean Potato Salad

While potato salad might seem like a distinctly American dish, it’s commonly eaten as a side dish in Korean cuisine, possibly introduced by American soldiers during the Korean War. Spiralized red potatoes meet a rice-wine vinegar and mayonnaise dressing for an unusual take on the potato salad we know in the U.S. This version gets extra flavor from honey, chopped green onions, and spiralized seedless cucumbers scattered over the top.

5. Fruit Salad With Yogurt

There’s no better way to cool down on a hot summer day than with a bowl of creamy fruit salad. From fresh berries to ripe bananas, this refreshing fruit salad brings all the best flavors of summer right to your table. And, with our Cup Slicer, you can make this recipe at a moment’s notice for a delectable snack, side dish, or healthy dessert. 

6. Ambrosia Pretzel Salad

This delicious recipe is a fresh twist on a summer potluck classic—the ambrosia salad. Traditionally made with marshmallows, fruit, and whipped topping, our version takes the decadence one step further with the addition of cream cheese filling, shredded coconut and pretzels. Make this showstopping dessert in the 8″ (20-cm) Square Pan With Lid, which you can take with you and easily store leftovers for later.

7. Creamy Avocado Pesto Primavera

Put your herb garden to good use with this dish, which combines a classic basil pesto with creamy avocado. Combine the pesto with spiralized carrot, squash, and zucchini noodles, and add summer’s favorite tomatoes and crisp-tender broccoli. Add chicken to turn this side dish into a main course meal. Then, freeze the leftover pesto to use in future meals.

8. Mexican Street Corn Dip

Elote, a popular Mexican street food that consists of a fresh ear of corn coated in cheese and delicious spices, has been turned into a dip that’s the perfect summer side dish. Grill the corn, fresh jalapeno, and onion for maximum flavor, then chop and combine with the rest of the ingredients and warm for a creamy, spicy, satisfying side.

9. Fresh Tomtato Salsa

A bright salsa made with ingredients straight from the garden is perfect with chips, yes, but it’s also great on grilled chicken or fish. Combine tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and seasoning, then chop roughly together until it’s at your desired chunkiness.

10. Raspberry Tequila Sangria

Does sangria count as a side dish? We think so! This adults-only beverage is made for hot summer evenings on the porch. Combine raspberries, tequila, triple sec, and sparkling wine for this refreshing sipper; the recipe starts with a warm sugar syrup, so be sure to leave time for chilling in a pitcher.

Originally published https://blog.pamperedchef.com/entertaining/10-favorite-cookout-side-dishes/?pws=sharonjacobson











9 Salads for the Summer

9 Salads for the Summer

Julie Daly had asked me to blog about side dishes or salads for the summer. I was going to work on this, but then realized Pampered Chef had beat me to it.  So here is their collection of 9 salads for this summer -- https://blog.pamperedchef.com/food-drink/9-salads-made-for-summer/

Salads are much more than just a bowl of lettuce. This summer, spice up a lunch or dinner salad with mixed textures, fresh herbs, and creative touches like grilled fruit. Make a light but filling salad for an easy office lunch or a quick dinner when the family’s busy schedule brings everyone home late.

1. Grilled Peach Salad

Pork is meant to be paired with fruit, and this recipe lets you grill both the tenderloin and sliced peaches for a lovely contrast. Sweet butter lettuce is the perfect backdrop for chopped pecans and crumbled goat cheese. The salad is finished with a light honey, thyme, and red wine vinaigrette that has depth from browned butter and is quick to shake together at home.

2. Skinny Caesar Salad With Grilled Romaine

Crunchy romaine lettuce gets two treatments in this salad: Half the lettuce is served cold and fresh while the other half gets flash-grilled to a charred finish. Top with a light dressing, add asparagus and zucchini, and garnish with homemade croutons.

3. Mediterranean Salad With Hummus Dressing

Packaged hummus mixed with lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley make a great dressing for this warm salad. Grill and press the chicken for a perfect sear, then mix it with sliced red peppers, onion, Greek seasoning, and a melange of hearty greens including kale, chard, and baby spinach. Canned artichoke hearts and cannellini beans add heft to this perfect main dish salad.

4. Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad

Creamy avocado, spicy arugula, and easy sliced deli smoked chicken come together for a light but satisfying spin on a caprese salad. You’ll recognize the tomatoes, snipped fresh basil leaves, and mozzarella balls as the classic components of caprese. Here, they’re reimagined as a summery main dish.

5. Summer Fruit & Spinach Salad

Enjoy the flavors of summer with this easy and delicious salad. Studded with fresh berries and citrus, this light dish is the perfect addition to any brunch or bridal shower, or quick and easy dinner.

6. Power Kale Salad

Super healthy kale meets spiralized zucchini noodles in this big salad, which has lots of options for toppings, including grilled chicken or salmon, seasonal tomatoes, or pomegranate seeds. Shake up a quick dressing—a lighter, lemony take on the classic Caesar— and let it sit on the hearty greens for a minute to soften them before serving.

7. Strawberry Spinach Salad

This sweet summer salad is the perfect combination of fresh spinach, strawberries, sliced almonds, and cucumber tossed in a creamy poppyseed dressing! It has all the flavor, texture, and deliciousness you need for a potluck in one bowl. You can quickly make it in the morning in an on-the-go serving bowl and bring it to your friend’s backyard barbecue or family picnic later in the day. 

8. Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad

This restaurant-worthy salad is chock full of delicious steamed summer vegetables like corn, zucchini, tomato, and sliced green beans. Season the grilled chicken with a smoky barbecue rub, and chop crispy bacon for added texture. Arrange the ingredients in a large serving bowl for a lovely presentation before drizzling it with a creamy buttermilk dressing and tossing it together.

9. Southwestern Salad

This salad gets a creamy kick from ranch dressing whisked with lime juice, fresh jalapeño, and taco seasoning. Blend the dressing with the classic ingredients of Tex-Mex—black beans, corn, red pepper, grilled chicken, and black olives—for a satisfying salad that’s easy to like.

 

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Salad Revelations

It was a simple request which inspired this blog. I chose to ask each person present in our house one evening to contribute to the creation of dinner. One person was asked to cook the steaks and burgers. I made a southwestern potato hash and I asked the other two people to create a salad. Sounds simple, right? After all we all know what a salad is. What was interesting was some of the discussion which pursued as they were choosing what kind of salad to make and what to put in the salad. It got me thinking about what exactly is a salad. Is there A definition of what A salad is?
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