This Italian Pasta Salad is always a hit with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, sweet peppers, olives and artichokes. A bit of everything bagel seasoning really adds a special touch to this potluck favorite.
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Corn Salad with Avocado
This Corn Salad with Avocado is so flavorful with cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and a honey lime dressing. Serve it fresh for summer BBQ’s for an easy side dish that will be a new family favorite.
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Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
This Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint is simple and refreshing for hot summer days. A bit of honey and lime adds to the sweet, watermelon flavors with a topping of feta and fresh mint leaves.
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Loaded Potato Salad
This Loaded Potato Salad is a great, easy side dish for your summer barbecues. It tastes like biting into a potato skin with a sour cream and ranch dressing mixture and that coveted bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion topping.
I’m super picky about my potato salad. I can’t stand store bought potato salad that tastes like nothing but mayonnaise with the occasional chunk of onion or pepper. I usually end up throwing half the container away, so I’m not sure why I even bother. Potato salad is really not that hard to make. You don’t even have to peel the potatoes for this recipe. The hardest part is really rinsing them off and cutting them up..no big deal.
This recipe is extremely versatile. You can add extra seasoning or even substitute regular dressing for Chipotle ranch. I love the extra bit of spiciness it adds but find this version to be more kid friendly. My daughter seems to find a dash of pepper to be “spicy”. If you want this to be more like the texture of a potato skin, you could even roast the potatoes instead of boiling them. However, turning on the oven when it is in the 90’s outside isn’t always super appealing.
You can make this recipe healthier in a few different ways. Light sour cream or light ranch dressing can be substituted without missing the regular flavor. Greek Yogurt can also be used in place of the sour cream. I don’t eat beef or pork, so I substituted regular bacon for this flavorful, natural turkey bacon from Target.
This Loaded Potato Salad will be on my 4th of July menu along with some of my other favorite side dishes. This Pasta Salad is loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, kale and feta cheese…so good! An Easy Fruit Pizza is always a hit and can be made patriotic by just using strawberries and blueberries. A Watermelon Margarita Slush bucket gets made the day before and won’t cut into fun time for the holiday. A Fuzzy Navel Peach Sangria is everything you ever wanted in a cocktail. Lastly, Red White and Blue Jello Shots are so fun and can be made for adults or without alcohol for the kids.
MORE TO LOVE
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- Sun-dried tomato and Kale Pasta Salad
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- Broccoli Slaw Salad
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- Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff
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- Easy Fruit Pizza
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- Red White and Blue Jello Shots
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- Red White and Blue Pina Colada
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- Watermelon Margarita Slush Bucket
Loaded Potato Salad
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
40 mins
This Loaded Potato Salad is a great, easy side dish for your summer barbecues. It tastes like biting into a potato skin with a sour cream and ranch dressing mixture and that coveted bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion topping.
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
American
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Red Potatoes; large diced
- 6 strips bacon; cut into small chunks or crumbled
- 3 tbsp. green onion; thinly sliced with white side of onion removed
- 1 tsp. dried dill
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1/2 c. ranch dressing
- 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
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Add a pinch of salt to the pot and boil potatoes around 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
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Prepare bacon per package instructions and cut into small chunks.
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Drain potatoes and run cool water over them. Allow potatoes to cool and pat dry with paper towels.
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In a large bowl add potatoes, ranch, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dill. Lightly stir until combined.
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Add bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion; reserving some for the topping if desired.
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Lightly stir and top with leftover toppings.
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Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
You can make this recipe healthier in a few different ways. Light sour cream or light ranch dressing can be substituted without missing the regular flavor. Greek Yogurt can also be used in place of the sour cream. I use turkey bacon in place of regular.
Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts
This Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts is the perfect holiday side dish or an easy meal with the addition of chicken. It gets topped with blue cheese crumbles and a homemade, Creamy Apple Cider Vinaigrette dressing.
This is hands down my favorite kind of salad. I’m in love with the mixture of textures and the added sweetness from the apples, candied walnuts and cider dressing. If blue cheese isn’t your jam, feel free to substitute with a feta cheese. The salad is truly amazing with either one!
I prefer to make a quick, skillet version of candied walnuts to add an extra bit of crispiness and sweetness. There is no need to get out that cookie sheet and spend 45 minutes turning nuts. That kind of thing is enough to drive me nuts! Brown sugar is easily dissolved in the skillet with a pinch of cinnamon and salt until melted. Add the nuts and stir them until coated and transfer them onto parchment paper to dry. The hardest part of this process is trying to avoid eating all of them before they are put in the salad.
Let’s talk about the salad dressing for a second. I’m totally obsessed with Panera’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad dressing. It is so sweet, tangy and bursting with apple flavor. I honestly, made 3 different versions until I was satisfied with the result. A bit of plain, Greek Yogurt gets added for a slightly creamy texture along with a generous amount of honey for sweetness. I found the honey to combine with the other flavors more seamlessly than using sugar or maple syrup. A bit of Dijon mustard adds a slight bit of tangy flavor to balance out the sweetness. If you don’t have a salad dressing shaker, a mason jar with a lid will work just fine to get everything nicely shaken up.
The arrival of November, means its time to start planning your Thanksgiving menu (yikes). Save time my making your mashed potatoes in a Slow Cooker. Try something new and exciting with this Salted Caramel Sweet Potato Casserole. An Apple Cider Moscato Sangria or Pumpkin Spice White Russian pair wonderfully with any holiday menu.
MORE TO LOVE
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- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
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- Fancy Mac and Cheese
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- Slow Cooker Garlic Asiago Mashed Potatoes
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- Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Vegetables
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- Salted Caramel Sweet Potato Casserole
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- Broccoli Slaw Salad
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- Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
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- 20 Thanksgiving Desserts
Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts
Prep Time
10 mins
This Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts is the perfect holiday side dish or easy meal with the addition of chicken. It gets topped with blue cheese crumbles and a homemade, Creamy Apple Cider Vinaigrette dressing.
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
American
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 6 oz. bag of baby spinach
- 1 whole Granny Smith Apple; thinly sliced
- 1/2 c. dried cranberries
- 1/2 c. candied or roasted walnuts
- 1/4 c. blue cheese crumbles
Creamy Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing:
- 1/3 c. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 c. honey
Candied Walnuts
- 1 c. walnuts
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tbsp. water
Instructions
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If using Candied Walnuts, heat a small skillet on medium-high eat. Add the walnuts and periodically stir for around 3 minutes until fragrant.
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Transfer the nuts to a plate. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, water, and salt to the same skillet. Stir until brown sugar is dissolved and add the vanilla. Add the walnuts and stir until coated; remove from the heat.
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Transfer walnuts to parchment paper in a single layer.
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Prepare the salad dressing: add all ingredients for the salad dressing to a container with a covered lid; shake until combined.
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In a large bowl, layer the baby spinach, apple slices, walnuts, blue cheese and cranberries.
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Drizzle with the salad dressing and lightly toss before serving.
Broccoli Slaw Salad
This Broccoli Slaw Salad is perfect for summer holidays and BBQ’s and is super easy to make. A mixture of broccoli, raisins, almond and carrot slivers, radicchio and your favorite slaw dressing gets tossed together and chilled before serving.
This easy recipe was a huge hit with the whole family. You can make slaw dressing from scratch or purchase ready-made at the store. The ingredients can be changed up a bit to your desired taste. Fresh grapes could be switched out for raisins and red cabbage could be used in place of radicchio as desired.
This dish adds great pops of color to your meal and is so simple to throw together with your weeknight BBQ. I made this in the afternoon and served it with grilled chicken and fresh fruit for a fairly healthy meal that the whole family enjoyed. My husband was even caught red-handed eating out of the bowl after dinner. More importantly, the little ones actually consumed their veggies…miracle!
I purchased reduced-fat coleslaw dressing from the grocery store, but you can very easily make your own. You will likely have all the ingredients on hand as it is primarily made of mayo, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. I don’t usually use mayo, so prefer to buy the dressing already made to avoid wasting the leftovers.
Father’s day is right around the corner and I plan on making this along with my favorite, Skinny Kale Caesar Salad and Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff. I’ll leave the mandatory warm dishes to the rest of the family. I may even make my dad’s favorite, Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler. Its one of the easiest desserts I’ve ever made and uses frozen rhubarb.
Don’t forget to plan for a nice cocktail or 3 when hosting a summer BBQ. Whiskey Sour or Watermelon Margarita Slushes are the perfect way to keep cool! Visit my cocktail page for more great ideas!
MORE TO LOVE
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- Easy Fruit Pizza
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- Sun-dried tomato and Kale Pasta Salad
-
- Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff
-
- Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
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- Whiskey Sour Slushes
-
- Watermelon Margarita Slush Bucket
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- Pineapple Orange Creamsicle Mimosas
Broccoli Slaw Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
This Broccoli Slaw Salad is a perfect BBQ side dish and easy to make with slaw dressing, broccoli, raisins, carrot and almond slivers.
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
American
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 5 c. broccoli florets
- 1/2 c. raisins
- 1/3 c. slivered almonds
- 1 carrot; shredded
- 1 c. radicchio or red cabbage; roughly chopped
- 1 c. coleslaw dressing
- 1/2 c. sweet yellow onion; finely chopped
Instructions
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Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss to evenly coat with dressing.
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Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
16 Amazing BBQ Side Dish Recipes
These 16 Amazing BBQ Side Dish Recipes are perfect for upcoming summer holidays and gatherings! Memorial Day is right around the corner and I’m ready for plenty of vibrant, fresh fruits and vegetables with my BBQ. Avoid messy cleanups by grilling your potatoes and veggies in foil packets. Use seasonal vegetables to make fresh pasta salads with homemade dressing and plenty of seasoning. Fresh fruits make a beautiful fruit pizza or easy salad.
These grilled sweet potatoes get topped with a cilantro vinaigrette for plenty of added flavor!
Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Vinaigrette Via Cookin Canuck
Is it salsa or salad? I don’t know, but I want it!
Cowboy Caviar Via The View From Great Island
Plenty of flavor packed into this light salad with asparagus and tomato!
Asparagus and Tomato Salad Via Haute & Healthy Living
This Pasta Salad is full of great flavor and super easy with Italian salad dressing!
Insanely Good Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing Via Savory Tooth
This is no ordinary potato salad!
Bacon Sriracha Potato Salad Via Peas and Crayons
I’m a sucker for grilled corn and like how this starts off in a pressure cooker for faster cook time.
Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Via Meatloaf and Melodrama
This easy, Broccoli Salad side dish is made with bacon, cranberries, sunflower seeds, cheddar cheese and a homemade dressing.
Broccoli Salad Via Sugar Spun Run
This Easy Fruit Pizza has gotten rave reviews!
Easy Fruit Pizza Via 3 Yummy Tummies
I love that this Watermelon Arugula Salad has a bit of extra spice!
Spicy Watermelon Arugula Salad Via Rhubarbians
I’m loving the flavors in this Couscous Salad!
Israeli Couscous Tabbouleh Salad Via Platings and Pairings
Grill up your potatoes and serve with plenty of topping options!
Grilled “Baked” Potato Bar Via Platings and Pairings
These cheesy, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with Spinach are low-carb.
Keto Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with Spinach Via Low Carb Yum
My kids can’t get enough of this Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff!
Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff Via 3 Yummy Tummies
These no fuss Veggie Foil Packets are packed with plenty of seasoning and can be made in the oven or grilled.
Vegetable Foil Packets Via Happy Foods Tube
Hello cheesy goodness! These Easy Scalloped Potatoes can be made in an Instant Pot or oven.
Easy Scalloped Potatoes Via Recipes From A Pantry
Avocado Deviled Eggs are quickly demolished around here!
Avocado Deviled Eggs Via 3 Yummy Tummies
This Hawaiian Potato Salad has me ready for a trip!
Hawaiian Potato Salad Via Cooking with Curls
HOW ABOUT A COCKTAIL?
If you are trying out one or two of these 16 Amazing BBQ Side Dish Recipes, be sure to have a good cocktail to go with it! Whiskey Sour Slushes are always a favorite amongst guests.
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- Whiskey Sour Slushes
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- Orange Creamsicle Margarita
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- Red White and Blue Pina Colada
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- Watermelon Margarita Slush Bucket
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- Pineapple Orange Creamsicle Mimosas
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- Georgia Peach Martini
Sun-Dried Tomato and Kale Pasta Salad
This Sun-Dried Tomato and Kale Pasta Salad is perfect for your upcoming summer BBQ’s. A generous amount of feta cheese, cucumbers and sweet peppers are also added with an easy fresh lemon vinaigrette. No need to even worry about a bunch of extra side dishes with all the great ingredients going on here! …
Avocado Deviled Eggs
These Avocado Deviled Eggs are packed with flavor and so much better than the traditional recipes. Sorry regular old deviled eggs, you are no longer needed in my recipe arsenal! No worries…these are super easy to make with the addition of avocado, cilantro, a bit of spicy mustard and fresh lime juice. Top it off with fresh cilantro for a beautiful appetizer or side dish at your next get together. You will probably want to makes extras! …
Skinny Kale Caesar Salad
This Skinny Kale Caesar Salad with a reduced fat dressing is so creamy and delicious without all the extra fat! I love adding some extras in with my caesar salad…this so flavorful with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, French green beans, asiago crisps and fresh shaved parmesan. This lightened up Caesar dressing is super easy to make with Greek yogurt, light mayo, garlic and lemon juice as some of the ingredients. You will not want to buy store-bought dressing again!…