6 Memorial Day Sides That'll Get More Attention Than the Mains

Juicy charred burgers and ketchup-slathered hot dogs may drive the initial attention to your Memorial Day cookout, but these showstopping side dishes are sure to make folks stay.
Layered Cornbread Salad

05_Cornbread_Salad_018.tif

Photo by: Con Poulos

Con Poulos

More inventive than your average mayo-clad coleslaw, each of these bright, summery sidekicks will quickly disappear from the first backyard bash of the season.

Give your cookout side the trifle treatment for a true sight to behold: Food Network Magazine's Layered Cornbread Salad. With stack after stack of cornbread, black-eyed peas, tomatoes, peppers, cheese and more, this multilevel creation is tied together with a creamy sauce spiked with lime juice and chili powder.

Ina Garten's Crunchy Noodle Salad is far from the pasta salad drowning in mayo you may be accustomed to. She coats spaghetti with a tangy, nutty sauce of rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, ginger and peanut butter, then tosses it all with sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions, for color and crunch.

Southwestern Potato Salad

Mesa Grill's Southwestern Potato Salad; Bobby Flay

Photo by: Tara Donne

Tara Donne

Bobby Flay's recipe for Mesa Grill's Southwestern Potato Salad calls for all the creaminess of your classic potato salad, plus a kick of Southwestern heat from chipotle pepper puree and cayenne. Do it up with fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro and onion for your zestiest potato salad yet.

Even when pitted against potato and pasta salads at your cookout, Trisha Yearwood's Broccoli Salad will be the first to disappear. She coats the hearty veggie in a mayo-vinegar blend and adds big texture with bacon, onion, raisins and sunflower seeds, so each bite boasts a satisfying dose of salt, crunch and sweetness.

Guacamole Salad

Most of us love guac so much we would eat it all on its own. Now you can deconstruct the dip favorite into a colorful Guacamole Salad you can eat with a fork. Simply toss diced avocados with tomatoes, peppers, red onion, black beans and an invigorating lime dressing.

Mexican Grilled Corn

An ear of charred, blistered corn is good on its own; it's even better when given Tyler Florence's spiced-up treatment. For his Mexican Grilled Corn, he smothers corn in a creamy dressing before sprinkling it with Parmesan cheese and chili powder.

Check out more Memorial Day recipes on FoodNetwork.com and from our friends of #SensationalSides:

The Lemon Bowl: Greek Pasta Salad

In Jennie's Kitchen: Pulled Pork & Cabbage Salad

Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice

The Wimpy Vegetarian: Healthy Mexican Casserole

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