Caesar Potato Salad in a turquoise bowl topped with dressing with a side of fresh sliced lemons to the side

Summer Side Dishes to Wow the Crowd

Hot take: who needs mains with side dishes like these? Make this the summer of the recipe mash-up! To make your grilling game stand out, we’ve put together five brand-new recipes that remix classics that you know and love. Potato caesar salad, anyone? Dig into the lineup below and start that grocery list, stat.

Overhead shot of peach salad topped with herbs, and sesame seeds. Bowl of fresh stone fruit like peaches and plums to the side.

Chinese-Style Peach, Plum and Nectarine Salad with Herb

You will make friends with this salad. This take on Chinese Tiger Salad packs sweetness, heat and refreshing flavour, making it (in our humble opinion) ideal for BBQ season. Traditionally made up of celery, herbs, green onions and spicy vinaigrette, this version swaps in fresh, firm stone fruit for the celery with extra herbs. Tip: It works very well with underripe fruit, so if you’ve bought a basket of local stone fruit that’s not quite ready to eat in-hand, this savoury salad is here to bridge the gap until the rest are ready.

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Baked potato skins on a wooden board stuffed with hot honey ham, cilantro, cheese, pickles,and parsley

Cubano-inspired Stuffed Potato Skins

A spud-tacular side for summer entertaining! These stuffed potato skins take the hallmark fillings of a Cubano sandwich – cheese, mustard, ham and pickle – and stuff them into a hot, crispy potato skin. (We’re not sure you’ll find a more a-peeling side to serve this summer).

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Overhead shot of platter of maple glazed and miso butter corn ribs topped with sliced green onions and sesame seeds

Corn Ribs with Maple Glaze and Miso Butter

This is no cob-bled together dish. While it may not be a direct substitute for a rack of ribs, the sweet sauciness and crunchy edge to these corn ribs puts them on our shortlist for favourite grillables this summer. (Serve alongside ribs if desired – but don’t forget the napkins!)

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Caesar Potato Salad in a turquoise bowl topped with dressing with a side of fresh sliced lemons to the side

Caesar Potato Salad with Focaccia Croutons

Do you want to know the easiest way to upgrade your BBQ dishes this summer? Mix and match the popular players! Our newest match-up? Caesar potato salad (think potato salad, but with strong Caesar vibes). If you’re into the vibe, make your next BBQ a meal of mashups and add in smash burger tacos, Watermelon beergaritas and corn and strawberry semifreddo.

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Overhead shot of fusilli pasta salad in a turquoise serving bowl mixed with smoky sausage, charred corn and green onion. Fresh grilled corn to the side.

Smoky Maple Sausage and Charred Corn Pasta Salad

Another meal-time mashup: charred summer corn meets creamy pasta salad! Serve as part of a summer BBQ spread (hint: we already gave you the menu), or with salad for a quick meal. You decide.

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