46 Side Dishes For Your Memorial Day Cookout
These are no ordinary side dishes.
Pair your barbecue and burgers with a few of our tastiest summery side dishes for Memorial Day.
Whether you're hosting a backyard barbecue, cook-out, or sit-down meal, we have plenty of delicious sides dish ideas for your Memorial Day get-together. From spicy corn-on-the-cob to pasta salads, coleslaw, and baked beans, we have a side for every palate. These dishes will perk up your buffet (instantly!) with an infusion of fresh produce, colorful ingredients, and fantastic summer flavors.
These sides are easy to prep and make the most of your favorite fresh and juicy seasonal produce. They will have even the unlikeliest of dinner guests returning for seconds, guaranteed.
No matter the setting, these recipes will slot into your party plan seamlessly. Feel free to mix and match our favorite Memorial Day side dishes to create your own personalized holiday menu, and go ahead and add them to your dinnertime lineup all summer long.
Related: 62 Grilling Recipes For An All-Star Barbecue
Sautéed Squash And Zucchini
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Squash and zucchini are the ultimate summer veggies, and this recipe is an easy and simple way to highlight them in peak season. Ready in just 15 minutes, this sautéed squash and zucchini mix makes for a quick crowd pleaser.
Strawberry-Spinach Salad
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Strawberry season is in full effect, and this strawberry and spinach salad shines a spotlight on them. The sweetness from the strawberries, kick from the vinaigrette, and tang from the blue cheese creates a beautiful balance of flavors. This salad takes just 15 minutes to make and feeds 10, so it's perfect for a gathering.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Take advantage of asparagus in their peak season with this prosciutto-wrapped asparagus recipe. This dish couldn't be easier to make and can be prepped the day before to make for a simple side at your Memorial Day get-together.
Fritos Corn Salad
Jessica Furniss
Don't just use Fritos to dip—use them in dip with this Fritos corn salad. Perfect for a last-minute crowd pleaser, this recipe takes less than 15 minutes to whip up and can be served with chips, veggies, or anything else out on the table.
Broccoli Cornbread
Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Jasmine Smith; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
While this isn't your typical Southern cornbread, its simplicity and versatility are perfect to serve at a gathering. With a variety of simple ingredients like Jiffy corn muffin mix and one secret ingredient that make this dish irresistibly fluffy, this recipe might be your new go-to for a
Ultimate Veggie Kebabs With Smoked Sausage
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
If you've already got the grill going, throw on these beautiful veggie and sausage kebabs. Drizzled in a vibrant herb sauce, the chimichurri inspired dressing adds a bright pop of flavor to these charred veggie skewers made with whatever veggies you have on hand.
Grilled Baby Eggplants With Tomato-Corn Relish
Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Add these delectable baby eggplants to your grill at the cookout for a bright and spicy side dish. The savory chili-garlic oil rubbed on the baby eggplants make these an irresistible snack that are perfect light bites for all to enjoy.
Zesty Corn-And-Squash Salad
Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray
Nothing says summer like corn and squash, so this salad is a perfect way to welcome in the season. Bright in color and flavor, the zesty lime dressing brings out the fresh flavor that is sure to be enjoyed by everyone at your gathering.
Roasted Pepper-Tomato Salad With Crispy Black-Eyed Peas
Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray
You can't go wrong with a tomato salad, but you can always put an elevated spin on the classic. This recipe features roasted bell peppers and crunchy black eyed peas that make for a uniquely delicious side dish.
Cucumber-Tomato-Avocado Salad
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If you need a last-minute side dish that doesn't lack in flavor, this cucumber-tomato-avocado salad is a fantastic option. Made in just 10 minutes, the combination of flavors from the veggies, cheese, and zesty dressing is a burst of satisfying flavors.
Sweet And Fiery Pepper Bruschetta
Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Andrea Fanning
Bruschetta is an Italian favorite among many Southerners, and this recipe adds a spicy kick that's perfect for a cookout. Fresno and Serrano peppers combined with honey, capers, and cheese makes for a unique and impressive side dish.
Creamy Corn Jalapeño Poppers
Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Andrea Fanning
Jalapeño poppers are a Southern staple at any cookout, and this recipe gives them a tasty, summery twist. Sweet summer corn, creamy mozzarella, and savory miso team up to add rich flavor and tame the heat of these zippy peppers for a crowd pleasing dish.
Creamy Broccoli Slaw
If you want to make something a little different than classic coleslaw, give this crunchy broccoli slaw a try this year.
Baked Beans
No cookout is complete without a casserole dish full of baked beans. This recipe calls for canned pork and beans to help them come together easily.
Classic Grilled Corn on the Cob
Put your best plate forward by adding this fantastic corn-on-the-cob recipe to the mix.
Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
Mac and cheese got a summer makeover with the addition of bright roasted tomatoes.
Summer Orzo Salad
This salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week after it's prepared, so it's a great make ahead option.
Best Deviled Eggs
Stacy K. Allen, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
We've perfected the process for making the best deviled eggs for a crowd.
Macaroni Corn Casserole
Two cookout classics come together in this cheesy dish.
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Think of this casserole as a potluck-friendly version of a classic baked potato.
Quick Pickled Slaw
You can pull this recipe together from start to finish in just 15 minutes.
Deviled Egg-Potato Salad
If you just want to bring one dish to the Memorial Day cookout but can't decide between deviled eggs and potato salad, this easy-to-transport side is the recipe for you.
Whipped-Cream Corn Salad
Just three ingredients (plus salt and pepper) come together to create this beautiful corn salad.
South Carolina Slaw
A traditional Carolina slaw has a tangy dressing of vinegar and sugar, not mayo. This one serves up a hint of sweetness with apple cider vinegar, blunted by dry and Dijon mustards.
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
If you're heading to a cookout, you may want to double (or triple!) this easy recipe.
Texas Caviar
Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
While this recipe calls for quite a bit of chopping, there's no cooking required.
Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese
You can't go wrong with this family-favorite mac and cheese.
Texas-Style Baked Beans
These made-from scratch baked beans get their flavor from bacon drippings, barbecue sauce, dark beer, and plenty of seasonings.
Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
For best results, we recommend tossing this salad together right before serving so the watermelon and cucumber juices don't water down the vinaigrette.
Tomato-Herb Panzanella
You'll want to make sure you allows at least 30 minutes for this dish to sit at room temperature before serving.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
We made this recipe with bowtie pasta, but it can be made with other shapes if you prefer.
Heirloom Tomato Pie
This tomato pie is sure to be one of the first things to disappear from your Memorial Day spread.
Spicy Grilled Corn Salad
Mix up this colorful, easy side. It's so good, you'll have a smile with every spoonful.
Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad
Make sure to make this recipe a day in advance, as it will be better once the flavors have time to sit together.
Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad
Hector Sanchez
You'll be shouting hallelujah once you have a bite of this side dish. (It's great with barbecue!)
Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole
It wouldn't be a summertime get-together without this summer squash- and corn-filled casserole.
Field Pea and Pasta Salad
A lively mix of pasta and field peas make a fresh and flavorful Memorial Day side dish.
Classic Succotash
Don't forget about this Southern side, a celebration of fresh produce and unforgettable flavors.
Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad
Scoops of this cool and creamy side will balance out any Memorial Day menu.
Classic Coleslaw
There's nothing fancy about this coleslaw recipe, which is precisely what makes it so good.
Sesame, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad
This is no mere salad. It's an explosion of colorful, delectable produce. Try it, and thank us later.
Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham
This salad recipe, sent in by Keva Colston of Baton Rouge Louisiana, was published in the June 2007 issue of Southern Living and quickly garnered many favorable reviews and comments from readers.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
A cooling creamy salad is always a perfect pairing.
Southern Cornbread Salad
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Salad is a wide-ranging term in the South, and while this one might not include lettuce, it's still a delicious cookout side.
Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad
This salad celebrates three of the major highlights from the summer farmers' markets: corn, peaches, and tomatoes.
Loaded Potato Salad
Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Kelsey Moylan; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke
This recipe is make-ahead magic—it's even better when you prepare it in advance and let the flavors meld.
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Read the original article on Southern Living.
