Just-Right Summer Side Dishes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
June 01, 2012

Looking for the perfect side dish to serve at your dinner table, a cookout or a potluck? Try one of our 30 recipes for side dishes, from scalloped corn to baked beans to potato salad.

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Old-Fashioned Scalloped Corn

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Fresh or frozen whole-kernel corn blends with canned cream-style corn for a delicious take on this favorite side dish. Toasted and buttered crushed crackers add more texture to the top of the casserole.

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Sweet and Smoky Skillet-Blistered Green Beans

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This genius 5-ingredient weeknight side uses jalapeno jelly as an "instant" glaze and gets major flavor and crunch from smoked almonds.

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Snap Pea Succotash with Basil and Cumin

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Basil and cumin are an unexpected flavor pairing, but they work great with in this simple 15-minute summer side dish.

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Asian Wilted Greens

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Ginger- and orange-dressed spinach and chard make a sensational, nutrient-packed side dish for grilled chicken, steak or shrimp.

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Sassy Baked Beans

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Mix and match different kinds of beans and meat to suit your preferences. Our smoky-sweet baked beans will beat canned beans every time!

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Mediterranean Potato and Green Bean Salad

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This beautiful, French-inspired, veggie-ful potato salad says "au revoir" to mayonnaise and instead features a light garlic vinaigrette. That means the dish can safely sit out for a while (and even tastes better at room temperature).

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Three Ways to Butter Up Sweet Corn

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Serve our seasoned butters as a topping for sweet corn, steaks, seafood or burgers. They make a great sauce for vegetables, too.

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Cheddar-Tomato Cobbler

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Sweet cherry tomatoes and caramelized onions bubble under cheesy cornmeal biscuits. Serve with a crisp lettuce salad for a meat-free harvest supper.

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Green Beans with Bacon and Onion

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Picky eaters in your family? Bacon-dressed beans will surely tempt them to eat their veggies.

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Pepper Jack Corn Casserole

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This dead-simple and totally delicious casserole is a homey addition to any weekend meal, potluck or even a holiday spread.

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Squash Ribbons with Parmesan and Crisp Prosciutto

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This toss-together recipe from BelGioioso Cheese in Wisconsin makes a pretty side dish in summer, when zucchini and yellow squash abound.

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Fingerling Potato Salad with Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette

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The addition of fresh haricots verts gives this potato salad fresh-from-the-garden taste. The recipe is from Chicago chef Myk Banas.

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Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

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The sweet tomatoes blend with tangy-mellow balsamic vinegar and basil. Serve with some crusty bread to soak up the liquid.

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Peacock Vegetables

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Balsamic vinegar, olive oil and herbs coat roasted vegetables in this colorful side dish.

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Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad

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Shredded chicken makes this gorgeous salad hearty enough to serve on its own for dinner.

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Italian Roasted Snap Peas

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You expect to find Italian seasoning with tomatoes -- but snap peas? The combo works surprisingly well. Try this hands-free side dish with roasted or grilled chicken.

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Squash and Tomato Bake

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Summer squash adds texture to this easy side dish, which combines stewed tomatoes with paprika, garlic, basil and pepper, as well as some melty mozzarella and Parmesan. It goes well with roast chicken or beef.

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Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Quivey's Grove in Madison, Wisconsin, whips up this version of mashed potatoes that matches plenty of dairy richness with garlic, Parmesan, black pepper and green onion.

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Corn and Zucchini Pan Soufflé

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Homemade tomato relish tops a cheesy summer soufflé full of fresh corn and shredded zucchini.

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Calico Bean Bake

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This recipe blurs the line between baked beans and chili. It's great for feeding a crowd.

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Mississippi Corn Bread Salad

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Layers of corn bread, bacon and veggies ensure a flavor-packed salad that adds plenty of color to a potluck table.

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Crunchy Asian Noodle Slaw

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Sesame seeds, ramen noodles, soy sauce, ginger and fresh broccoli give Asian flair to this fresh take on coleslaw.

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Garlic-Roasted Asparagus

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Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of asparagus and garlic.

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Zucchini and Cheese Casserole

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This brunch must-have goes way beyond fresh zucchini and creamy cheese. There's garlic for punch and walnuts for crunch, plus corn, sweet peppers and herbs.

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Deviled Egg Macaroni Pasta Salad

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Combine two potluck staples to create this yummy potluck salad. Expect classic deviled egg flavor with a little zing from the Dijon-style mustard and salty pickled onions.

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Fresh Green Tomato Relish

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Don't let any hard, unripened tomatoes go to waste! Pile this gingery, sweet-tart relish on brats or hamburgers, or serve it over grilled fish. The relish keeps well in the fridge for 1 week, but if you like, it can be canned for longer storage or to be given as gifts.

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Easy baked bean fix-ups

Pop the top on a can, and give summer's easiest barbecue side new personality with these simple baked bean mix-ins. Go saucy: Barbecue sauce. Go sweet: Pineapple tidbits. Go meaty: Diced ham. Go smoky: Smoked paprika.

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Sicilian Potato and Green Bean Salad

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Lemon-olive oil dressing balances fresh Mediterranean flavors in this potluck salad. Make it a main dish by adding one 7-ounce can tuna (drained).

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Sunny Broccoli Salad

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A Cleveland reader makes this salad the day ahead and refrigerates the dressing and vegetables separately. When it's time to serve it, she tosses everything together. Bacon, sunflower kernels and raisins make a crunchy and flavorful side dish.

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Smokin' Hot Potato Kabobs with Rosemary-Chipotle Butter

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Seasoned butter perks up the flavor in these grilled side-dish kabobs. For a main course, serve them with grilled meat, chicken or fish.

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Roasted Baby Potatoes with Herbs

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You'll find a wide variety of potatoes at your farmer's market or supermarket produce section. We play up an assortment of potatoes-such as baby Dutch yellow, fingerlings, baby purple and round red-in this easy-to-fix recipe.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com