Anyone have any good summer side dishes they'd be willing to share? We have a huge party we are attending w/ 100+ people and I need some ideas of a few side dishes I could make. For some reason I cant come up w/ anything :bonk:

Anyone have any good summer side dishes they'd be willing to share? We have a huge party we are attending w/ 100+ people and I need some ideas of a few side dishes I could make. For some reason I cant come up w/ anything :bonk:

Three/four bean salad? MigTig has an excellent recipe.
Make it a couple days before.

Hi! If you want one of them to be quick and simple, perfect for picnic, potluck, etc. Here is one.Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients
3 cups sliced peeled cooked sweet potatoes
3 cups sliced peeled tart apples
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions
1.In a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer half of the sweet potatoes and apples. Combine brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper; sprinkle half over apples. Dot with half of the butter. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Baste with pan juices. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until the apples are tender.
Yummmmy

Warm potato salad

- approx. 4 lbs small golden or baby potatoes (good visual presentation when you pick potatoes of different colors - keeping the skins on)
- generous splash of white wine (1/4 cup-ish)
- 2 or 3 shallots, in very thin sliced rings
- 2 or 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- approx. 1 - 2 tsp fresh rosemary, rough chop (want it to still look like rosemary leaves)
- approx. 1 - 2 tsp chives (inch-lengths or so)
- 2 tsp mustard (any but pure yellow, dijon is great for this)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt/pepper

Cover potatoes in cold water and boil until fork tender. Drain and slice them (thick enough to not fall apart, but thin enough that they are not chunky), and place them in your serving bowl/dish. Drizzle with the white wine and gently mix into the potatoes.

In a small separate bowl, pour the vinegar over the shallots and let sit for 10 minutes or so to soften them up while the potatoes are cooking). Drain the vinegar. Gently hand-mix the shallots, rosemary, and chives into the potatoes in a bowl.

Mix the mustard into the oil (I like using a small jar to emulsify this). Pour it over the top of the potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle some EVOO over it to finish.



This is a modification from a Laura Calder recipe. I like it because it doesn't take a lot of work, tastes delicious, and can be kept in a warmer until you're ready to serve it. Let me know if you make this one, and how it turns out.

:buddies:

I make cucumber & tomato salad or pasta salad often in the summer since they are both cold dishes.

Here is another easy but yummy picnic recipe: Artichoke Rice Picnic Salad
So easy, but bring copies of recipes, people ask for this.

Ingredients
1 (6.9 ounce) package chicken-flavored rice and vermicelli mix
2 (6.5 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
3 cups chopped green onions
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Directions
1.Prepare rice mix according to package directions; cool. Drain artichokes, reserving marinade. Chop artichokes; place in a large bowl. Add prepared rice, long grain rice and onions. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, curry powder and reserved marinade. Pour over rice mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

mac-n-cheese? :shrug::shrug:

Cucumber salad (sliced cukes, sliced & separated red onion, & bottled Italian dressing -- very quick & easy)

Caprese salad -- sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, drizzled with olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Corn salad -- cooked fresh corn kernels (good use for leftover ears of corn), chopped vidalia onion, chopped green pepper, chopped red pepper, coarse ground black pepper, salt, poppy seed or Vidalia onion salad dressing

Pasta salad -- penne/rotini/shells, chopped onion, chopped green pepper, chopped red pepper, chopped celery, sliced black olives, quartered manzanilla olives with pimentos, bottled Italian dressing (can be dressed up/bulked up with small cubed mozzarella or sharp cheddar and/or chopped pepperoni slices.)

I don't measure the stuff, I just chop, drop & taste test.

My pasta salad is similar to Twin's

Rotini pasta, quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped green bell pepper (can also add red & yellow if you'd like) chopped Spanish olives w/ pimento, small cubes of mozzarella cheese. I use a whole bottle of the Wishbone Robusto Italian salad dressing. YUM

The Things really love this - they'll eat it for days.

*You can really add more stuff to this - and some friends of mine have made it and added shrimp or chicken to it, but I like it without.

Summer side dishes are Mikey's specialty. :biggrin:

Cold salads are always the easiest..pasta salads etc..but I am always asked to make easy cheesy potatoes..hashbrowns, chedder cheese, cream of mushroom, sour cream, topped with cornflakes. I can't get away from making it..SO's friends love it :bigwhoop: always a huge hit. if you put it in an insulated carrier (QVC has the chicest prettiest ones ever) it will stay pretty warm.

Thanks for all the ideas guys! I normally have a ton of different sides, pasta salads, salads, etc... I make but I cant think of any to save my life :lol:

Love this in the summertime.
Sliced cucumbers, sliced vidalia onions, sugar, A/C vinegar and sour cream. Combine all in a bowl and refrigerate overnite preferably. You can also you redwine vingerette instead of sour cream. both are good.

I know this sounds weird, but this is a favorite - and it looks pretty.

3/4 cup halved, thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 or 5 cups of cubed watermelon
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted black olive halves
1 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil

Put the onion in the lime juice for about 10 minutes to mellow the flavor then mix everything together in a bowl (or use the hollowed out watermelon, but that's more work). Drizzel with oil.

I generally use kalamata olives and sometimes omit the mint.

Cold salads are always the easiest..pasta salads etc..but I am always asked to make easy cheesy potatoes..hashbrowns, chedder cheese, cream of mushroom, sour cream, topped with cornflakes. I can't get away from making it..SO's friends love it :bigwhoop: always a huge hit. if you put it in an insulated carrier (QVC has the chicest prettiest ones ever) it will stay pretty warm.

We have a variation of this at my family reunion in Ohiya every year! LOVE THEM! Glad you reminded me, we're going in July - can't wait! :yahoo:

Love this in the summertime.
Sliced cucumbers, sliced vidalia onions, sugar, A/C vinegar and sour cream. Combine all in a bowl and refrigerate overnite preferably. You can also you redwine vingerette instead of sour cream. both are good.

Don't cringe, but an ex-inlaw in Minnesota used plain HELLMAN's mayonnaise with her cucumbers, with black pepper & I think she may have put onions in it.

Just plain mayo makes the creamy dressing & it's very good that way. :yay:

I know this sounds weird, but this is a favorite - and it looks pretty.

3/4 cup halved, thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 or 5 cups of cubed watermelon
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted black olive halves
1 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil

Put the onion in the lime juice for about 10 minutes to mellow the flavor then mix everything together in a bowl (or use the hollowed out watermelon, but that's more work). Drizzel with oil.

I generally use kalamata olives and sometimes omit the mint.

That sounds really good! I'm going to have to try that one! Thanks for putting it out here!

Three/four bean salad? MigTig has an excellent recipe.
Make it a couple days before.

Awww. :huggy: It's an easy recipe:

1 16 oz can cut green beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz can cut yellow beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Combine beans, green pepper, and sliced onion. Whisk together remaining ingredients; pour over bean mixture. Toss three bean salad well and chill for at least 4 hours.

Wow, no one suggested spiked jello shooters for all the kids :yikes: :lmao:

1 box small shell pasta
orange and yellow peppers/diced in larger pieces
scallions
grape tomatoes/cut in half
large deveined shrimp/cut in half
fresh or frozen (uncooked) baby peas
hard boiled eggs/diced
juice from bread & butter pickles as well as finely chopped pickles
season w/JO spice
s & p
sprinkle of fines herbes
Dukes mayo

I just eyeball everything, no real recipe involved-delish! :drool:

Mexican Cole Slaw

1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Taco Sauce
2 Tbl Cider Vinegar
1 Tbl Sugar
1 Tsp Cumin
6 1/2 cups Cabbage
1 can Kidney Beans
2 Tbl Green Chilies (or to taste)

I love this Cole Slaw, but skip the chilies. I'm a wimp when it comes to the hot stuff. :lol:

We do cucumbers with mayo and season salt, be easy on the season salt, let sit in fridge for a little while before serving Delish :yahoo:

I know this sounds weird, but this is a favorite - and it looks pretty.

3/4 cup halved, thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 or 5 cups of cubed watermelon
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted black olive halves
1 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil

Put the onion in the lime juice for about 10 minutes to mellow the flavor then mix everything together in a bowl (or use the hollowed out watermelon, but that's more work). Drizzel with oil.

I generally use kalamata olives and sometimes omit the mint.

That does sound a little odd but I really need to try it now because it has many of my favorite foods in it. My hubby won't eat it but it's healthy enough that I can eat it for a few days. :yahoo:

We do cucumbers with mayo and season salt, be easy on the season salt, let sit in fridge for a little while before serving Delish :yahoo:

Doesn't get much easier than that. Another recipe I'll be making.

I always make deviled eggs for my parties but for over 100 people, that just sounds like too much work. :killingme

Another Easy great pasta dish

Pasta DIsh 1
the normal size elbow pasta, cook pasta as directed. Let cool, mix mayo, diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, diced scallions, diced cheese and season salt.

With the season salt make it a little strong because once you refrigerate it, it will calm down, just don't over do it, you can always add more..

Pasta Dish 2
Cook linguini noodles, let cool mix diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, 1 bottle salad supreme and 1 bottle Zesty Itailian dressing.

I have never had a person yet not like either of these dishes and they are easy to make in very large quantities...

Meatballs in the crock pot

One bag of already cooked meatballs
3 bottles of chili sauce
1 jar grape jelly

I like to throw my meatballs in the oven first to get a little grease off them, then put into crock pot with all 3 bottles of chili sauce and grape jelly let cook about 4 hours.

Oh, I am so going to make that watermelon salad - sounds yummy!

I always dump about a cup of frozen peas in my pasta salad, they thaw in just a few hours. And I serve shredded cheese and bacon bits on the side, they get nasty if they're mixed in early and there are leftovers.

Oh, I am so going to make that watermelon salad - sounds yummy!

I always dump about a cup of frozen peas in my pasta salad, they thaw in just a few hours. And I serve shredded cheese and bacon bits on the side, they get nasty if they're mixed in early and there are leftovers.

We had this on our last cruise OMFG so damn good!!!

Mexican Cole Slaw

1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Taco Sauce
2 Tbl Cider Vinegar
1 Tbl Sugar
1 Tsp Cumin
6 1/2 cups Cabbage
1 can Kidney Beans
2 Tbl Green Chilies (or to taste)

I love this Cole Slaw, but skip the chilies. I'm a wimp when it comes to the hot stuff. :lol:

This kinda sounds like the one I make but I throw in some cilantro. Its easy and goes a long way so I think I may do this!

This kinda sounds like the one I make but I throw in some cilantro. Its easy and goes a long way so I think I may do this!


:diva:

I'm all about easy. :wink: