With Memorial Day just a few days away, the time is now to start planning your holiday weekend menu. No matter if you'll be hosting a neighborhood celebration or simply enjoying a cookout with your family, you'll likely be firing up the barbecue for the first time this season and breaking it in with smoky grilled chicken, cheesy hamburgers and all-American hot dogs. When it comes to side dishes, however, think beyond such classics as pasta and potato salads, and try a vegetable-based option instead. Broccoli salad is easy to make in a hurry, and it's a crowd-pleasing addition to potluck picnics; the secret to most recipes is letting the fresh flavor of broccoli shine and only enhancing it with complementary ingredients. Check out Food Network's top-five broccoli salad recipes below to find traditional and dressed-up takes on this go-to favorite.

5. Broccoli and Mozzarella Salad — Made with just a handful of ingredients, Sandra's five-minute dish is a next-level take on the caprese salad. Her version calls for frozen broccoli florets, mini mozzarella balls and juicy cherry tomatoes.

4. The Neelys' Broccoli Salad — "This is a way of getting away from just the traditional salads," Pat says of his five-star creation, mixed with decadent bacon and crisp red onions.

3. Fresh Broccoli Salad — Alton's broccoli-tomato salad is dressed with a simple lemon-mustard vinaigrette instead of a mayonnaise-laced topping, making it a better-for-you version of classic preparations. Click the play button on the video below to watch Alton make it.

2. Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad — Ready to eat in only 25 minutes, the centerpiece ingredients of Melissa's top-rated salad — broccoli and cauliflower — are enjoyed raw, so the dish is a cinch to prepare.

1. Trisha's Broccoli Salad — Trisha's big-batch salad serves up to 10 people, so it's a best bet if you're entertaining a crowd. She combines blanched broccoli with an array of textures, like crisp bacon, chewy raisins and crunchy sunflower kernels, before chilling it for an hour so the flavors can marry.