22 Side Dishes for Your Memorial Day Cookout

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Side dishes can be so underrated, but not only they enhance the amazing flavours of the main dish, but they are also fantastic on their own too. If you are planning a Memorial Day cookout, I have 22 scrumptious sides for you that will impress absolutely everyone. From crunchy and vibrant salads, to colourful veggies, there is a bit for everyone to enjoy. They are all made with fresh seasonal ingredients, and are so delicious, I bet they will be gone from the plates in seconds!

Salmon Nicoise Salad

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A postion of salad Nicoise in a white bowl.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

This Salmon Nicoise Salad is as delicious as it looks. It’s made with baked salmon, boiled potatoes, cooked green beans, tomatoes, olives and lettuce, drizzled with a light lemon, olive oil and dijon mustard dressing for a healthy and hearty salad recipe. Super simple to make, but so delicious!

GET THE RECIPE: Salmon Nicoise Salad

Mixed Bean Salad

A portion of mixed bean salad.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

Mixed Bean Salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions and a tangy-sweet dressing, a quick and easy recipe that is perfect for any cookout. It’s healthy, nutritious, it has a vibrant colour, and it’s pretty filling too.

GET THE RECIPE: Mixed Bean Salad

Garlic Butter Baby Potatoes

A portion of garlic butter baby potatoes on a plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

These Garlic Butter Baby Potatoes with Herbs are a fantastic side dish for any roast or meat alternative. This dish is simplicity in itself, and it’s ready in well under 30 minutes.  A great addition to your cookout menu.

GET THE RECIPE: Garlic Butter Baby Potatoes

Moroccan Couscous Salad

A portion of couscous salad.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

Moroccan Couscous Salad with Chickpeas, dried fruit and harissa roasted vegetables, a deliciously spiced side dish bursting with fantastic exotic flavours. It’s ready in about 20 minutes, and it’s so easy to make with a few simple ingredients. The harissa paste gives it a distinctive exotic flavour and an earthy heat, while the dried fruit work beautifully with the roasted vegetables.

GET THE RECIPE: Moroccan Couscous Salad

Baked Parsnip Fries

A portion of baked parsnip fries garnished with parmesan and parsley.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

These Baked Parsnip Fries are such a great side dish! They have a nice blend of paprika, parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper, plus a dash of olive oil to make them simply delicious, and perfect for any roast.

GET THE RECIPE: Baked Parsnip Fries

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

A cobb salad on a plate.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

If you are looking for the perfect side dish, look no more! This wholesome Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad has all the ingredients of the classic version and a fabulous homemade dressing!

GET THE RECIPE: Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

Paprika Potato Wedges

Potato wedges with a ramekin of mayo on a plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

Another side dish after my own heart! These Baked Paprika Potato Wedges with a touch of garlic powder go wonderfully well with any roast, burgers, meat sandwiches or wraps, or just on their own. Serve them with your choice of sauce, and you are in for a treat.

GET THE RECPE: Paprika Potato Wedges

BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing

A portion of BLT pasta salad in a white bowl.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

My BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing is the best summer recipe and one of my absolute favourite pasta salads. It is satisfying enough to make a meal on its own, but it’s also the perfect side dish for your cookout menu, or a lovely picnic.

GET THE RECIPE: BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing

Corn Avocado Salad

A glass bowl with corn avocado salad.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

This Corn Avocado Salad with tomatoes, cucumber, radishes and feta cheese is a healthy and delicious summer salad made with fresh seasonal ingredients. It’s very easy to put together, and it’s a great crowd pleaser for any cookout, picnic or just a refreshing side dish for every occasion.

GET THE RECIPE: Corn Avocado Salad

Celeriac Slaw

A portion of celeriac slaw in a bowl.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

What a dish this is! My Celeriac Slaw with Apple and Carrot is a delicious alternative to the regular cabbage coleslaw. It’s light and fresh, with a mayo and cider vinegar dressing, and a nice touch of dill. It makes an excellent side dish for your Memorial Day cookout.

GET THE RECIPE: Celeriac Slaw

Strawberry Blueberry Salad

A strawberry blueberry salad on a plate.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

This Strawberry Blueberry Salad combines crisp greens, fresh fruit, and mozzarella in a vibrant dish great for your cookout. It’s such a delightful salad, and super easy to make too.

GET THE RECIPE: Strawberry Blueberry Salad

Kale Butternut Squash Salad

Kale and butternut squash salad on a plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

This Kale & Butternut Squash Salad is not only for cooler Autumn days, but also fabulous all year round. Made with roasted butternut squash and kale, wholemeal couscous, dried cranberries and toasted pumpkin seeds in a simple lemon and olive oil dressing, it’s a light but wholesome salad recipe that is packed with goodness and it’s absolutely delicious.

GET THE RECIPE: Kale & Butternut Squash Salad

Roasted Beetroot

Roasted beetroot wedges on a white plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

Roasted Beetroot, a simple and super easy side dish that is so delicious and packed with goodness. It has such an awesome vibrant colour that doesn’t fade when the beets are roasted, and you only need salt and olive oil to bring the most out of this underrated veggie.

GET THE RECIPE: Roasted Beetroot

Potato Egg Salad

A portion of potato and egg salad.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

Potato and Egg Salad with mustard, cider vinegar, mayo, dill and spring onions, a super recipe to please a crowd. A great choice for a cookout, picnic, or any other occasion, it’s so easy to put together, and gone from the plate in seconds.

GET THE RECIPE: Potato Egg Salad

Baked Fries

A portion of fries on a white plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

If you never tried to make Crispy Baked Fries, this is the recipe for you! The fries are super easy to make, with perfect results every single time. I will show you how to make healthy fries in the oven with a lot less oil. No deep-frying, just delicious fries that are nice are crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. 

GET THE RECIPE: Crispy Baked Fries

Greek Pasta Salad

A portion of Greek pasta salad.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

Greek Pasta Salad made with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, parsley, Kalamata olives and feta cheese, in a tangy lemon and olive oil dressing – what a salad this is! It’s a great side for any cookout or your favourite roast, it’s light but filling, and pretty perfect.

GET THE RECIPE: Greek Pasta Salad

Simple Green Salad

A green salad on a white plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

My Simple Green Salad is a quick and easy recipe that is just lovely on its own or as a great accompaniment to any roast, grill or cookout.  No complicated dressings, no hidden nastiness, vegan friendly and super low calorie, this is one special side dish.

GET THE RECIPE: Simple Green Salad

Avocado Prawn Salad

Avocado and prawn salad in an avocado skin.
Image credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

This Healthy Avocado Prawn Salad arranged in avocado skins is a delicious and quick recipe with a lemon kick. It’s a really lush side for any roast or BBQ and it’s basically foodproof.

GET THE RECIPE: Avocado Prawn Salad

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

A portion of Caesar salad on a plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

My Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with avocado and a light yogurt dressing is a healthy twist on the classic Caesar salad. Super quick and easy to make, this is a great recipe that goes down well with absolutely everyone.

GET THE RECIPE: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Waldorf Salad

A portion of waldorf salad.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

How scrumptious does this Waldorf Salad look?! Made with celery, apples, spinach, grapes and walnuts, it’s so amazingly fresh and crunchy. It has a homemade salad dressing made of light Greek yogurt and a bit of mayo, and a good drizzle of lemon juice.

GET THE RECIPE: Waldorf Salad

Grilled Halloumi Salad

A portion of halloumi salad on a plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

This Grilled Halloumi Salad is made with a simple honey lemon dressing and fresh vegetables. It’s a healthy and delicious salad that makes a great side dish for a cookout throughout the summer. Super quick and easy to make, but heavenly delicious.

GET THE RECIPE: Grilled Halloumi Salad

Tuna Pasta Salad

A portion of tuna pasta salad on a plate.
Image Credit: Daniela Apostol for My Gorgeous Recipes

Tuna Pasta Salad with sweetcorn, tomatoes, spring onions and celery, and a nice helping of mayo and Greek yogurt, a delicious recipe for pretty much every occasion you can think of. It’s filling, but light and refreshing, just perfect for a warm day. This is going to be a big hit with all ages, that’s for sure!

GET THE RECIPE: Tuna Pasta Salad

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