Five Mouth-Watering Side Dishes for Outdoor Grilling Season

It's officially outdoor grilling season now. In the South, it's not uncommon for one's social calendar to be filled with family reunions, potluck dinners, bbq's or even a good, ole' fashioned "Pig Pickin" where bbq is a noun and not a verb. Usually, the hosts ask the guests asked to bring a side dish to share.  I've been writing about side dishes for years and you can find all of these recipes and more under the recipe section of the HinesSightBlog.

I've made every single of these dishes at least once, and some dishes are so popular that I'm not allowed to attend certain annual events unless I bring a certain dish with me. Here are my family's favorite five side dish favorites.

Southern Mac and Cheese is a great picnic side dish. This is a family favorite recipe from Southern blogger, Leigh Powell Hines. It's not your usual Mac and Cheese. Great for family reunions, family dinners, or potluck dinners.


Hines Mac and Cheese


This recipe came from my husband's family, but it's the only Mac and Cheese I make now. My kids ask for this dish more than anything else. In fact, it's the only dish I take to Scouting events now because my husband nor son will let me take anything else. I've served it to many guests in my home and I hope you enjoy, too.


Shoe Peg Corn Salad

Shoe-Peg Salad is a popular Side dish with a sugar and vinegar base. It is a crowd favorite for church picnics and event side dishes. It is one of the most popular recipes from the HinesSightBlog. It also doubles easily for a crowd.



This particular side dish is a favorite of my mother-in-law so anytime she hosts an event, she asks me to make this delicious side dish that is served chilled. It's even better if made the day ahead.

Southern Potluck Potatoes for a Crowd


This yummy side dish originally came from a cookbook from an Edenton, N.C. church.  It's one of those dishes that tend to come back empty when you take it an event.


Easy No-Mayo Pasta Salad



Not everyone loves mayo, but mayo is common in the South. This no-mayo based pasta salad recipe is perfect for the mayo-haters, but it is delicious enough that it wins over the entire crowd at potlucks, picnics, and reunions. It's easy enough for an easy dinner side on any day of the week.

I have several friends who do not like condiments. When you're in the South, it's sometimes hard to go to an event and find a side dish that does not contain mustard or mayonnaise. When I was having one of my no-mayo friends over to the house, I whipped up an easy pasta salad that I was proud to put on the table. Olive Oil and Lemon juice serve as the base.

Southern Baked Beans with a Twist


I like baked beans as a side dish. However, soaking beans can take a while so to save time, I doctor up canned beans. now. This baked bean recipe is originally from Rachael Ray, but I accidentally created a new version of the dish when I read the ingredients wrong. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


In the South,  tis the season for picnics, parties and reunions. These five mouth-watering sides are perfect pairs for the South's grilling season, or easy side dishes for any night of the week, but several of these recipes are crowd favorites at Southern Potlucks and Family Reunions.




Disclosure: My thanks to Glenn Martin Hammond Law Office, personal injury attorneys in Lexington, KY for being a HinesSightBlog May sponsor. My sponsors keep me at my desk writing about my Southern Lifestyle or OutaboutNC. If your business would like to become a HinesSightBlog editorial sponsor, please contact me at leigh@hinessightblog.com.  My sponsors give me 100 percent editorial content control and I could not do what I do without them. 

Post a Comment

Thanks for commenting on the blog. You can always find me on social media and can email me at Leigh@hinessightblog.com

Latest Instagrams

© Hines-Sight Blog. Design by FCD.