Whether you’re celebrating a summer holiday with friends or just planning a quiet night of outdoor dining with the family, you can never have too many cold side dishes! Here are eight of my favorite cold sides that you can make ahead for a cookout!

Cookouts are all about grilling, but who wants to go to a cookout and just eat grilled meat and chips? Okay, I am sure that there are some people. I was one of those people until I discovered that pasta salad doesn’t have to come out of a box. Having a selection of delicious cold side dishes to take to a cookout at your disposal is always a good thing. The best thing about these sides is that they can be made ahead, sometimes even a day or two, so you don’t have to rush around making them. I like to make cold sides to pack in my lunch as well. What are your favorite cold sides?

Potato Salad

I don’t really love potato salad. I never really have. I’ll eat it if it’s being served, but I never make it. Except this potato salad.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Loaded with bacon, cheese, green onions, and sour cream, this loaded baked potato salad is a crowd-pleaser that will make the mayo-haters in your crowd happy!

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Pasta Salad

I used to think that pasta salad meant Suddenly Salad or the goopy stuff you tend to find on restaurant salad bars. My mom never served pasta salad when I was a kid and they did not appeal to me. When I started making my own, I discovered that a lightly dressed pasta salad with tons of flavorful ingredients could really hit the spot!

Tortellini Pasta Salad

This pasta salad combines all of your favorite Italian sub ingredients with a tangy vinaigrette and cheesy tortellini. SO delicious and it doubles as a main dish!

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Classic Macaroni Salad

My grandmother’s classic macaroni salad is loaded with cheese, pickles, celery, and peppers in a classic, creamy dressing.

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BLT Pasta Salad

BLT pasta salad is exactly what it sounds like: bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes tossed with pasta and a creamy dressing. It’s perfect as a side dish or a main dish!

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Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad is one of my faves…I love to make it as a side but also just to pack in my lunch. Even with a creamy dressing, it’s pretty healthy!

Honey-Sesame Broccoli Salad

This isn’t your classic broccoli salad, but it is every bit as delicious!

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Classic Broccoli Salad

This IS the classic broccoli salad. It’s full of ALL the good stuff: bacon, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, and pickled red onions, tossed with a creamy dressing. Can’t go wrong with the classic!

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Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs can be a real crowd pleaser! The classics are always great, but you can’t go wrong when you add some unexpected flavors, either. I make deviled eggs even easier by cooking my eggs in the Instant Pot, which results in perfect, falling off the egg shells!

Classic Deviled Eggs

You can pack these deviled eggs on ice to avoid any spoilage. They’re so good, though, that they won’t be around for long!

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Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

What could be more southern than a deviled egg stuffed with pimento cheese? These are so yummy and so easy! Buy good pimento cheese at the store to make them even easier.

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