We know that whatever the cook is painstakingly tending to on the grill or in the smoker will be the main event, but Man cannot dine on barbecue alone — so sides were invented. The sides are what take a big old slab of grilled meat (or veggies, of course) and turn it into a party. They provide relief from the flavors of the main course and should contrast nicely. They also should hold up well for a few hours outdoors. We’ve got the answers for when you need something to complement your main or something to take to someone else’s backyard gathering. These have quiet main-character energy, so while we won’t claim that they will steal the show, they will definitely hold their own.

Starting with canned pork and beans is a hack to jump-start your flavors, but Ree Drummond wouldn’t just stop there. She infuses her beans with a subtle heat from the jalapeño and deep smokiness from the bacon and chipotles, but also gets just the right balance of sweet and salty. A little crisp bacon topping gets everybody excited — it’s a good thing this serves a decent-sized crowd.

Southerner Tyler Florence brings you a potato salad that’s got every bit of oomph and personality he can cram in there. A super-creamy dressing is enhanced with chopped dill pickle and dill, hard-boiled eggs, scallions and mustard. Yukon gold potatoes are the ideal base to soak up all the wonderful flavors. Check out that hack: Florence uses one pot to cook the potatoes and the eggs simultaneously… why didn’t we ever think of that?

If you haven’t had a vinegar-based coleslaw, you’ll be stunned at how different it is. Super-light, super fresh, and ideally balanced between crunch and acidity. When a regular slaw just seems too creamy for whatever you’ve got planned, turn to this one.

This is Bobby Flay’s version of classic Mexican street corn, and it has all the elements that make it so irresistible. The corn is grilled in the husks, which gives them a smokiness without drying out the kernels. The ears get topped with a garlic butter, then salty Cotija and plenty of lime juice to bring out that sour-sweet that complements the corn so well.

Jeff Mauro throws his hat in the ring for the perfectly classic three-bean salad. His version is so incredibly fresh-tasting, it’s amazing that two of the three beans come out of a can. The trick is a shallot-y dressing with tons of fresh basil and parsley, and cooking those green beans until just crisp-tender.

Ina Garten knows how to do a jalapeño Cheddar cornbread. It’s not in-your-face hot, but more subtle, a little sugar in the cornbread balancing out the flavors. Cheddar and scallion are a nice pair to the chile, and a slice is just as good by itself with some butter slathered on it as it is among all the barbecued goodies.

You can shred broccoli just like cabbage — in fact, Molly Yeh uses the shredding disc on a food processor to do it. In this context, its flavor is similar to cabbage, but it adds such an interesting textural contrast. And of course, Molly can never resist pumping up the texture further, so you’ve got plumped currants, toasted sliced almonds and red onion, as well.

You gotta have macaroni salad — and this is decidedly not pasta salad, but macaroni salad. There’s something irresistible about those cold, springy elbow noodles in the classic creamy dressing that goes with all forms of barbecue so deliciously. That chopped celery is a must, and we love soaking the red onion first, to take away some of its spicy bite.

Jicama and watermelon make such an interesting team, both matching each other for juiciness but layering different textures. The jicama is firmer and holds its shape better, hence the thin matchsticks. Tons of freshly ground black pepper makes this both refreshing but with a hint of heat at the same time.

There’s definitely more than one way to potato salad, and this version, also classic in its own right, is not mayonnaise-based at all. Instead, it gets a warm bacon dressing to echo the salty bites of bacon mixed among all the potato. A little Dijon gives the dressing some zip, and the scallions finish off that potato-bacon combo perfectly.

Everyone will be asking you for the secret to such a tasty, yet classic coleslaw. Bobby Flay gives you two secrets, actually — mustard powder and celery salt, to really give it that special something. Like all good slaws, this one gets better the longer it sits.

Stewed collard greens couldn’t be more iconic on a barbecue spread. Kardea Brown’s version cooks up much more quickly than the classic. Crisping up the bacon first gives you a delicious topping, and you also get to cook the greens in the grease, for dynamite flavor.

Why is this baked bean dish from Sunny Anderson nunya business? Because no one needs to know how it comes together so quickly and simply! But you’ll love that combo of savory-sweet beans mixed with the heat and sweet of a mango salsa.

Everyone knows that any salad that involves ramen noodles will be the first to disappear (and if not, the first for you to raid in the fridge while you clean up, later). Molly Yeh gives it her own spin, with Chinese mustard and chile crisp for some real eyebrow-raising heat. Canned mandarins and toasted slivered almonds add so much texture and flavor.