Best Side Dishes to Bring to Your Next Summer BBQ

August 27, 2019
Want to steal the show at your next summer cookout? Make one of EatingWell's quick and easy side dishes, including recipes for coleslaw, colorful fruit salad and sweet and spicy baked beans.
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Broccoli Salad with Bacon

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Classic broccoli salad, the perfect dish for a potluck, is updated with cauliflower, bacon and a sprinkle of crunchy sunflower seeds in this so-easy recipe that's sure to be a new picnic favorite.

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Caprese Zucchini Casserole

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A summertime favorite--zucchini casserole--gets an Italian spin in this delicious and healthy side dish with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. You can use zucchini or summer squash in this caprese-style casserole, or a combination of the two. A sprinkling of fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar just before serving brightens up the flavors. Serve with grilled or roasted chicken and some quinoa, rice or couscous to soak up the juices from the casserole for a satisfying and easy dinner.

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Vinaigrette Coleslaw

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If you prefer, make this salad with broccoli slaw mix instead of the coleslaw mix.

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Spinach & Strawberry Pasta Salad

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This simple pasta side dish combines sweet strawberries and creamy avocado with a tart balsamic vinaigrette. You can make the dressing ahead and keep it separately, tossing with the pasta salad just before serving. Make this salad even more special by adding crumbled feta or goat cheese.

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Spiralized Rainbow Carrots

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Spiralized carrots come together quickly in this simple lemony side dish. Don't have a spiralizer? Use a julienne vegetable peeler to create the carrot strands.

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Greek Potato Salad

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In this healthy potato salad recipe, a white-wine vinaigrette dresses the potatoes, tomatoes, feta and olives. Waxy potatoes, such as red and yellow, make the best potato salad because they hold their shape when cooked. Keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium.

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Spiralized Mediterranean Cucumber Salad

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Save time and spiralize crisp cucumber instead of chopping it for this easy, healthy vegetable side. Want to make it a meal? Just add grilled chicken, shrimp or canned chickpeas.

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Herbed Tomato Gratin

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Vegetable gratin recipes often have a crunchy breadcrumb or crouton topping. But summer tomatoes are too gorgeous to hide, so we tucked crusty cubes of bread underneath them instead. Plus, the bread soaks up all the juicy tomato goodness. If you can't find marjoram, fresh basil or oregano makes a good substitute.

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Orzo Chicken Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

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The creamy quick-blend dressing is just the thing to top this inspired Southwest pasta salad. Both can be made a day ahead.

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Antipasti Pasta Salad

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This Italian pasta salad recipe has all the flavors of antipasto--salami, Provolone and pepperoncini-- tossed together with a tangy vinaigrette and whole-wheat pasta. This healthy antipasti pasta salad is perfect for a light dinner. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

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Sweet & Spicy Baked Beans

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With heat from chipotles in adobo sauce and sweetness from brown sugar, this healthy stovetop baked beans recipe is a spicy twist on the classic. We slashed more than half the sugar and three-quarters of the sodium--and a few hours of cooking time--as compared to a traditional recipe. Serve at your next cookout or BBQ and be prepared for people to rave.

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Mexican Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

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Everyone will love this Mexican-inspired pasta salad recipe. We lighten up the creamy dressing with avocado for a healthier version of a picnic favorite.

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Kale Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

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The lightly sweet, creamy homemade poppy seed dressing takes this crunchy salad to the next level for a mouthwatering vegetable side dish or light lunch. Top with cooked chicken for a heartier meal.

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Purple Fruit Salad

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Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy plums, grapes and berries on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, green and orange) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.

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Watermelon, Olive, Caper & Feta Salad

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This sweet-and-savory fruit salad recipe is all about the quality of the watermelon: you want its flesh to be really sweet so that all the savory ingredients--the capers, the olives, the feta--shine.

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Grilled Asparagus

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Grilling is a simple and fast way to cook asparagus that yields a delicious result every time. Trimming off about one inch of the asparagus yields the best flavor--the ends are tough and hard to chew.

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Traditional Greek Salad

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Called horiatiki, this lettuce-free salad made up of tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, olives and feta is one of the most popular Greek dishes. It is traditionally served with bread, not pita.

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Almost Chipotle's Guacamole

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Make guacamole at home that tastes just like it came from Chipotle--but don't worry, our version won't be "extra"! This deliciously fresh guac is perfect for topping burrito bowls or tacos, or serve as an appetizer or healthy snack with tortilla chips and veggies.

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Quick Broccoli Slaw

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Use up unused broccoli stems by making your own broccoli slaw instead of using the bagged slaw in this easy potluck favorite. Trim and peel the stalks with a vegetable peeler, then cut 3 cups of matchsticks with the julienne blade on a mandoline or by hand.

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Three-Herb Potato Salad

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In this healthy and creamy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces half of the mayo and we keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. The herbs give this potato salad a fresh and bright flavor. Feel free to experiment with your favorites.

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Grilled Corn & Carrot Giardiniera

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In this spicy-sweet marinated vegetable recipe, harissa and jalapeño lend quite a bit of heat, so adjust to your taste. Serve the giardiniera with grilled chicken or steak, or on top of your favorite salad for a vinegary bite.

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Carrot & Radish Slaw with Pickled Onions

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Cutting vegetables into long thin strips--a technique called julienning--rather than shredding them gives this healthy slaw recipe a marvelous, crisp texture. You can cut the vegetables by hand, but a mandoline will save you a lot of time. If your radishes still have the greens attached, reserve them and use as a garnish.

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Brussels Sprout Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

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Slicing Brussels sprouts thinly creates the perfect texture for this raw salad that's made even more flavorful thanks to a little bacon. This easy side dish is perfect for a potluck.

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Orange Fruit Salad

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Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy melon, clementines and mango on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, purple and green) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.

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Little Gem Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese & Herb Dressing

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Little Gem lettuce is like a cross between romaine and butterhead. It's perfect for making an updated take on the wedge salad in this healthy recipe. If you can't find Little Gem, use half a romaine heart for each serving. You can order Point Reyes Original blue cheese online from pointreyescheese.com or substitute another raw-milk blue cheese.

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Broccoli, Chickpea & Pomegranate Salad

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Simple steps give this broccoli salad recipe a more nuanced flavor: soaking the onion tempers its bite and toasting the cumin enhances its aroma. Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish.

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Green Bean & Shallot Salad

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This easy Asian green bean salad recipe gets a deeply savory flavor from shallots and fish sauce. Part of the reason is time: after it's made, the dish is left at room temp for 20 minutes to allow the green beans to absorb more flavor. Serve with grilled chicken or shrimp.

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Spiralized Zucchini & Summer Squash Casserole

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If you don't have a spiralizer to make this healthy zucchini noodle casserole (aka zoodles), use a vegetable peeler to make long thin strips of the squash and zucchini, stopping when you reach the seedy center. Just a few minutes under the broiler gives these ricotta-and-basil-filled nests a light golden top.

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Green Bean Salad with Feta Dressing

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Briny feta, tangy buttermilk and fresh herbs combine in a yummy dressing for steamed green beans in this healthy side dish recipe. Serve with grilled chicken, pork or steak for an easy dinner.

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Grilled Summer Vegetable Salad

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Enjoy this healthy and simple grilled vegetable salad recipe alongside anything else you feel like throwing on the grill. Or toss it with pasta and plenty of Parmesan and call it dinner.

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Shark Watermelon Fruit Bowl

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Take a bite out of summer fun with this friendly fruit shark. It's sure to be a hit at baby showers and birthday parties alike. For the fruit basket filling, use any fresh, in-season fruits your guests will love. Cantaloupe, stone fruits like peaches and plums, and even orange segments will work well.

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