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Make a Tasty Side For Any Gathering Without Straining Yourself Too Much Doing It

Give that favorite mac salad recipe of yours a new rival with this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe!  It’s incredibly simple to put together and makes for a great side for most any large gathering. To be honest with you, sometimes I have this for lunch on its own, instead of serving it as a side dish! Though perhaps not QUITE as ubiquitous as cole slaw or potato salad, you will see macaroni salad, or “mac salad” as it is often called, at many a tailgate, barbecue, potluck, and picnic across America, particularly in the South.

This Hawaiian mac salad, though very similar to the Southern version of which I am the most familiar, does something a little different with the dressing and makes use of a somewhat different vegetable mixture, so I thought I would give this variation a try.

My husband really enjoyed this version of mac salad and I was super surprised. You see, my hubby is quite particular about his mac salad and he doesn’t like the recipe to be changed up in the least. Welp, he enjoyed this version. Winning!

Recipe and photo courtesy of I Believe I Can Fry

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Quick Tip: For a heartier salad, add in a few peeled and sliced hard-boiled eggs.

Have a savory, Mexican-style sandwich with slow-cooked pork for your next party or tailgate!  This Pulled Pork Cemita recipe is a nice twist on traditional pulled pork; make them with full-sized buns as a full sandwich, or use smaller buns to make them into bite-sized sliders.

The wonderful tailgate group that I am a part of often has all sorts of elaborate things to serve all of the hungry eaters that pass through, but as a warm-up, they’ll often have some small sandwiches or “sliders” to go with the basic snack food.  This pulled pork cemita recipe is great for that–and hey, after having fried salami, turkey and mayo, or something very basic like that for a while, you have a hankering for something a little different.  This will give your next barbecue, tailgate, or football party a little Mexican flair, and thanks to the convenience of the Crock-Pot (or whatever slow cooker you prefer), it’s not all that difficult to put together.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Recipe.com

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Quick tip: Add an extra kick to this recipe by dumping in a few shots of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.

Potato Salad Made Easy And Done Just Right

I have more than a few fond memories of eating Mother’s homemade potato salad with a nice plate of barbecued baby back ribs and baked beans.  Though I have come across many varieties of potato salad in my time, yet for that comforting, at-home flavor, I find myself drifting back to the classic Southern version of it that Mother made so well. Though she had to allow for time for the flavors in the salad to settle after making it, I always loved her version far better than the usual store-bought options (which often made use of far too much mustard relative to the other ingredients).

This recipe captures the spirit of what she made from memory so well, I think. This Classic Southern Potato Salad is just the right sort of side for your family barbecue or for a much larger cookout or tailgate.  It has a great flavor and isn’t too difficult to make, either.

Recipe courtesy of Dawna Riedle’s post on Food.com’s Southern page

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Quick Tip: Make sure you don’t overcook your potatoes as you want them to be somewhat firm.

In a food rut?  Feel like breaking out the grill but don’t want anything too complicated or too same-old, same-old?  Then try this Honey Sriracha Orange Chicken!  Wow everyone with the name, blow them away with the flavor!  It is simple enough for a weeknight family meal but sure to thrill your guests at your next grill-out!

Repeat after me:  “Asian food does NOT have to be hard.”  Sure, as with any food tradition, there are plenty of recipes out there that require a great deal of time, skill, or both, and an expert cook in search of a true gourmet challenge may want to attempt them once in a while.  But you don’t HAVE to be a brilliant master chef or endure an intense labor of love to put together a delicious Asian-style dish.

I found this recipe to be incredibly easy to follow, and the results were delicious.  That juicy blend of sweet and spicy really hit the spot, and it was great for getting me out of that food rut that I had fallen into recently–yes, it even happens to me, sometimes.  (It was also a great excuse to break out the grill on a pleasant summer evening during the workweek.)

Recipe courtesy of RecipeGirl

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Quick Tip: Add more sriracha if you like your food hot and spicy!