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8 Great Cold Side Dishes to Take to a Cookout

June 29, 2020

a photo collage showing cold side dishes, including deviled eggs, pasta salad, macaroni salad, and loaded potato salad

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!

a photo collage showing cold side dishes, including deviled eggs, tortellini pasta salad, macaroni salad, and loaded baked potato salad

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!
Check out this recipe

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!
Check out this recipe
Classic Macaroni Salad
My grandmother’s classic macaroni salad is loaded with cheese, pickles, celery, and peppers in a classic, creamy dressing.
Check out this recipe
This classic macaroni salad is another treasure from my grandmother's collection. It's easy and just a little different from the norm.
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!
Check out this recipe
Chattavore.com | BLT pasta salad is a BLT sandwich in a bowl!

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!
Check out this recipe
Honey-sesame broccoli salad is a delicious and light side dish for your picnic, weeknight dinner, or your lunchbox! | chattavore.com
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!
Check out this recipe
broccoli salad // chattavore

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!
Check out this recipe
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.
Check out this recipe
pimento cheese deviled eggs

Filed Under: Recipes, Salad, Sides Tagged With: cold dishes, salads, side dishes By Mary // Chattavore Leave a Comment

About Chattavore

Hi, I'm Mary! Welcome to Chattavore, a destination for people who want to feed themselves and their families well every day! Life can be crazy, which means that getting dinner on the table can be a challenge (more often than not!) and my mission is to take all your favorite recipes and figure out how to serve them on a Tuesday.

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