The Kitchen's Easy Side Dish Recipes for a Summer Cookout
Round out your alfresco feast with these go-to sides and salads featured on The Kitchen.
Honey-Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad
The secret to making this bright, colorful salad in a hurry is starting with store-bought rotisserie chicken. Jeff Mauro tosses it with pasta and adds a sweet-smoky dressing for crowd-pleasing results.
Get the Recipe: Honey-Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad
BBQ'd Cauliflower
Say goodbye to the boring steamed cauliflower you've always known. Here the vegetable is coated in a deeply smoky rub and BBQ sauce, and then cooked whole on the grill. To serve, cut it up and present with a creamy ranch sauce.
Get the Recipe: BBQ'd Cauliflower
Korean-Style Succotash
If you can’t find doenjang, which is a Korean-style soybean paste, white miso will work well. You’re looking for something to add a bold umami flavor.
Get the Recipe: Korean-Style Succotash
Bacon and Egg Potato Salad
Not just for breakfast anymore, the combo of bacon and eggs stars in this top-rated potato salad. The secret ingredient is a blob of whole-grain mustard, which adds a tangy bite to the creamy dressing.
Get the Recipe: Bacon and Egg Potato Salad
Classic Coleslaw
The key here is to let the cabbage to marinate for a few hours before serving so the flavors have a chance to marry.
Get the Recipe: Classic Coleslaw
Grilled Watermelon Salad with Sweet and Spicy Vinaigrette
The sweet and spicy flavors of this salad come from a honey-hot sauce vinaigrette that’s tossed with arugula and berries. For an extra sweet crunch, Kardea includes caramelized pecans!
Get the Recipe: Grilled Watermelon Salad with Sweet and Spicy Vinaigrette
Shishito Peppers with Chili and Lime
This spicy side dish can be made in only 15 minutes! Keep it in mind for a quick-fix app too.
Get the Recipe: Shishito Peppers with Chili and Lime
Naanzanella Salad
Dress up a classic Panzanella salad by using Naan bread — an Indian-style flatbread — instead of the usual rustic Italian loaf! Maneet tosses hers with a lemony yogurt and an herby chutney for a burst of tang.
Get the Recipe: Naanzanella Salad
Greek Chicken and Orzo Pasta Salad
Katie mixes classic Greek salad ingredients like tomatoes, cucumber and feta to bring new life to the usual pasta salad. Hers is a heartier dish because there are chunks of juicy chicken.
Get the Recipe: Greek Chicken and Orzo Pasta Salad
Sour Cherry Bulgur Salad
If you’ve never had bulgur before, it’s a whole grain that looks and tastes pretty similar to couscous. Here it’s tossed with seasonal cherries and feta for a tangy bite.
Get the Recipe: Sour Cherry Bulgur Salad
Salt Potatoes with Butter and Chives
You can’t go wrong with Jeff’s four-ingredient buttery potatoes.
Get the Recipe: Salt Potatoes with Butter and Chives
Summer Couscous Salad
Similar to pasta in both shape and texture, pearl couscous forms the base of this fuss-free side dish, studded with tender zucchini and creamy goat cheese.
Get the Recipe: Summer Couscous Salad
Sunny's Easy Peachy Jalapeno Cornbread
The sweet canned peaches and the spicy jalapeño pepper are baked right into Sunny’s Peachy Jalapeño Cornbread. Glazed with a combination of butter and fresh lime juice, this easy side dish can be made in under an hour.
Get the Recipe: Sunny's Easy Peachy Jalapeno Cornbread
Peach, Bourbon and Bacon Baked Beans
Katie upgrades the usual baked beans by adding a sweet-smoky combo of peach preserves and crispy bacon to her cookout-ready side dish.
Get the Recipe: Peach, Bourbon and Bacon Baked Beans
Sunny's Easy Apple Slaw with Apple Jalapeño Dressing
Slaw is a summer staple, and Sunny gives the classic recipe a new twist with a sweet and spicy topping.
Get the Recipe: Sunny's Easy Apple Slaw with Apple Jalapeño Dressing
Make Your Own Watermelon Grill
Check out this "hot" new twist on summer fruit salad: A simple, crowd-pleasing food craft turns the average fruit salad bowl into a super cool watermelon grill.
Make Your Own Watermelon Grill
Double Potato Salad with Pesto
Jeff Mauro’s pesto potatoes are topped with crunchy crushed chips for that second dose of spuds — and a welcome bit of textural contrast.
Get the Recipe: Double Potato Salad with Pesto
Shoestring Carrot Fries
Classic potato fries are great — obviously! — but try switching things up with these crispy carrots. They’re dusted with fresh mint and orange zest before serving.
Get the Recipe: Shoestring Carrot Fries
No-Cream Creamed Corn with Applewood Smoked Bacon
Warm side dishes are less typical at outdoor cookouts, but corn is a staple. Step up your corn game and surprise your party with this easy bacon creamed corn (without cream). Cooking pureed fresh corn juice on the stove for about five minutes forms a thick pudding that substitutes for heavy cream.
Get the Recipe: No-Cream Creamed Corn with Applewood Smoked Bacon
Grilled Cabbage, Zucchini and Radicchio Coleslaw
Marcela likes to grill her coleslaw fixings before tossing them with the dressing so they take on a subtle char and smoky flavor.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Cabbage, Zucchini and Radicchio Coleslaw
Colorful Veggie Pasta Salad
Get the Recipe: Colorful Veggie Pasta Salad
Grilled Corn and Poblano Potato Salad
Get the Recipe: Grilled Corn and Poblano Potato Salad
Creamy Greek Orzo Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Get the Recipe: Creamy Greek Orzo Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Sunny's Easy Grilled Ratatouille
Get the Recipe: Sunny's Easy Grilled Ratatouille
Tomato and Bocconcini Caprese
Get the Recipe: Tomato and Bocconcini Caprese
Cilantro Pesto Pasta Salad
Get the Recipe: Cilantro Pesto Pasta Salad
Succotash Salad
Get the Recipe: Succotash Salad
Sunny's Warm German Potato Salad
Get the Recipe: Sunny's Warm German Potato Salad
Sunny's Quick Corn and Pico Salad
Get the Recipe: Sunny's Quick Corn and Pico Salad
Grilled Corn with Ancho Chile Butter
Get the Recipe: Grilled Corn with Ancho Chile Butter
Jicama Coleslaw
Get the Recipe: Jicama Cole Slaw
Nunya Business Instant Rice and Pesto
Get the Recipe: Sunny's Nunya Business Instant Rice and Pesto
Heirloom Tomato Panzanella
Get the Recipe: Heirloom Tomato Panzanella
Accordion Potatoes
Get the Recipe: Accordion Potatoes
Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Get the Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Spicy Spinach Panzanella
Panzanella was made for the summer. Sunny’s version packs a little heat with pickled jalapeno slices added to a quick vinaigrette that is poured over baguette cutes, baby spinach, black olives and heirloom tomatoes.
Get the Recipe: Sunny's Spicy Spinach Panzanella
Orzo Salad
This fresh, light and colorful Orzo Salad makes for the perfect summer side dish that can be brought along to cookouts and picnics without the worry of it getting ruined in the heat.
Get the Recipe: Orzo Salad
Baby Spinach and Watermelon Salad with Feta and Pistachios
You can never go wrong with watermelon and feta. For a simple salad, add the combo to a bed of baby spinach and top with the crunch of chopped toasted pistachios.
Get the Recipe: Baby Spinach and Watermelon Salad with Feta and Pistachios
Grilled Barbecue Potato Salad
What’s summer without a little potato salad? Give the classic side dish an upgrade with grilled potatoes and a KC-Style Chipotle BBQ Sauce.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Barbecue Potato Salad
