So you’ve been invited to a summer party and you offered to “bring a side dish”? Don’t panic…we’ve got you covered! You have the easy part of the meal.
Entertaining in the summer just feels more relaxed for me. I’m less concerned that every dish is perfectly paired. In fact I’ve had parties where several folks brought the exact same type of salad. Guess what? It all got eaten. The most important thing was that as the host, I didn’t have to do as much work. As a guest, bringing a side dish is my way of helping my host enjoy more of their own party.
Ask the host a couple of questions to help determine what you want to make.
- Is there something in particular you would like me to make? As a host, sometimes I know we just need a simple green salad…other times I’m happy to be surprised.
- What will you be making for the main dish? If they are making shrimp skewers, you won’t want to bring a shrimp based dish.
- Are there any dietary restrictions and/or allergies? Shrimp, nuts, bacon etc.. I know my neighbor doesn’t care for anything made with mayonnaise, so I make sure my dish is mayo-free.
- Is anyone else bringing anything and do you know what they are making? For larger cookouts, I often accept the offer of 3-4 of our guests to bring a side dish. I’ll make gentle suggestions such as, we could use a green salad or, the rice salad you made for Tom’s party would be so yummy! If I have a general idea of what the other contributors are making, I can find a recipe that compliments the rest of the meal.
Asking these questions is helpful, however, the most important thing is not to stress. It’s a party!
My go-to recipes to bring to a Summer Party:
Roasted Balsamic Beets
I love to use different colored beets like yellow, orange and even the stripped varieties. This recipe calls for them to be served warm, but they’re equally delicious served cold. Arrange them on bed of pretty lettuce on a large platter. Cover and refrigerate until you go to the party.
BLT Pasta Salad
There are a few other pasta salads that I like to make but this one is always a fan-favorite. There’s just something about bacon that makes a dish special. If bacon isn’t your thing, try one of these tasty pasta salads: Mediterranean Lemon Pasta Salad or Summertime Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Corn and Jalapeno Pesto.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
My friends think I work so hard to make this refreshing, colorful and healthy salad. Joke’s on them, this is an easy dish to make. It’s tasty when served warm but also yummy when chilled. This is also a great dish for vegetarians to have an option that is protein rich.
Dad’s Dilly Greek Yogurt Cucumber Salad
Nothing says summer more than fresh cucumber salad. (Ok, maybe also fresh tomatoes, peaches, melon…the list goes on!) Seriously, cool and crisp cucumbers are always a winner. It’s a salad without the greens.
Fresh Fruit and Sweet Pepper Salad with Avocado-Citrus Dressing
Oh my gracious, this recipe is always a winner. The unexpected zing of the spice makes this refreshing salad so delightful. Our older children love this salad but the younger ones prefer unadorned fruit salad, so if there will be kids at the party, consider taking an extra bowl of cut fruit for them.
A few more tips that will help the host:
- Cookies or brownies: If you haven’t made the brownies or cookies yourself (store-bought) that’s ok, just arrange them on a pretty plate and your host will appreciate your effort.
- Deviled eggs: People will think you’re a gifted cook if you show up with a plate of deviled eggs. They’re easy, inexpensive and impressive!
- Bring your dish in the bowl/platter ready to be served.
- Provide your own serving utensils.
- Clean up your own bowl/platter/cleaning utensils. If there are leftovers, store them in the host’s containers and take your serving pieces home.