A simple ingredient that jazzes up this classic picnic side dish like nobody’s business.

Most of us love potato salad. This picnic side dish is about as American as you can get (besides apple pie!) when it comes to good old fashioned BBQ food. Whenever I am at a backyard picnic, I often head right for the potato salad before anything else. I even walk right on by the hot dogs! I was thinking of ways that I could jazz up my potato salad a bit. You, know, add a few ingredients that might put a different spin on the flavor and texture.

That’s when I came across this recipe. Bacon makes a crazy good addition to anything, but especially in potato salad. I enjoy using maple bacon in mine because the smoky-sweet flavor gives my spuds the kick of flavor that they need.

Speaking of maple bacon…I recently placed an order with a friend who sells Tastefully Simple products and they have a phenomenal maple bacon seasoning shaker. So good!

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.

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Quick Tip: Black peppered bacon works really well in this recipe, also.

Summer is quickly approaching and with it comes slews of picnics, BBQs, and garden parties. What will you be serving at these get-togethers? One of my favorite things to eat at a picnic are the side dishes, especially macaroni salad. When I came across this recipe for mac salad and chicken, I was head-over-heels happy!

Macaroni salad in itself is a staple picnic food, however, when you toss some shredded chicken into the bowl, it becomes more than a side dish. It becomes a meal. I honestly could scarf on chicken macaroni salad and nothing else (maybe some dessert) because it’s so filling. Shreds of tender chicken breast intermingled with pasta and a mayo sauce is my kind of comfort food!

Recipe courtesy of A Lot Of Recipes.

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Quick Tip: After salad has chilled in the refrigerator for a few hours, re-moisten it with a bit of mayo and some milk, if needed.

Macaroni salad is a staple picnic food that my has at almost every summer gathering. We don’t just make this salad; we craft this salad with a chef-like precision. Ok, so we like to think so, anyway. Haha!

This recipe for mac salad is the bees knees, and you wanna know why? Because there is tuna fish in it. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “not everyone likes tuna!” I totally get that. I, particularly don’t like tuna, but when it’s intermingled in the savory ingredients of this salad, it truly becomes the “chicken of the sea.” Tuna gives this traditional BBQ salad such an awesome kick of flavor and protein.

If you aren’t a tuna fan, I encourage you to at least give this macaroni salad recipe a try. I just might make a believer out of you, yet! I have a house full of picky eaters and they gobbled this up so fast, I knew within minutes I should have made a double batch!

Recipe courtesy of Woman Freebies.

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Quick Tip: If you honest to goodness cannot stand tuna, replace it with canned chicken.

I absolutely adore creamy cucumber salad as a side dish to any picnic meal. Nothing beats a burger fresh off the grill with a side of this salad on your plate. When I was growing up, my mother would make this crunchy salad all the time; however, she never included this one ingredient. Would you like to know what it is?

Tomatoes! Yep, red, ripe, juicy tomatoes. You wouldn’t believe the kick that adding in this extra veggie gives to this salad. I’ve always been a believer of the saying, “If it’s not broke don’t fix it,” but adding tomatoes to creamy cucumber salad is definitely the missing link we’ve all been waiting for.

Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.

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Quick Tip: This salad is best served chilled. Allow it to sit in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Start any meal with this light and refreshing pasta salad! It’s packed full of all the ingredients that make me (and you) happy – like cheese, dill pickles, and mayo! This is a  great side dish to take to those summer picnics, graduation parties, or just about any social gathering that requires a dish to pass. Want to know my favorite way of eating this salad? For a tasty lunch, with some crusty bread!

This is a super easy recipe that is ready in minutes.  The hardest part about this dish is keeping it from going empty.  Seriously, don’t plan on bringing any leftovers home with you because that’s a rarity. Enjoy this rich and creamy pasta salad alongside your favorite picnic foods or as a side dish to one of your weeknight casseroles. I guarantee you won’t be needing a separate dressing for this!

Recipe courtesy of Creole Contessa. Image courtesy of Mom on the Make.

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Quick Tip: If after chilling in the fridge this pasta salad gets a bit sticky or dry, simply add a little milk to the mix to spruce it up.

This Cheesy Bacon Dip is a great choice if you want to make a quick and easy snack for yourself or for any gathering. I love serving it with tortilla chips or crackers. My husband enjoys eating it with pretzels. It’s all up to personal preference as this is a dish that pairs so well with pretty much anything! How do you think you’ll be eating cheesy bacon dip?

As is, the recipe serves six people, but I don’t think that you would have any trouble expanding it as you need. Just some quick mixing and the dip bakes in about half an hour. How can you beat that? This is the perfect dip for any SuperBowl, tailgate, or backyard BBQ party. Just make sure you have the recipe at hand – people are going to be begging you for it!

Recipe and photo courtesy of 12 Tomatoes

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Quick Tip: You can serve this dip in an edible bread bowl. It’s tasty and a lot of fun!

Nothing Beats This Classic Southern Recipe

This Southern Chicken Salad is great for a lunch or light dinner at home, but it also makes a bunch, keeps well for a couple of days in the refrigerator, and is readily expandable, making it a great tailgate, picnic, or potluck option. I also enjoy snacking on this salad for lunch. So yummy – this recipe certainly is a keeper! Chicken salad is one thing that is easy to make but also easy to mess up. This recipe uses just the right amount of mayo and a good balance of sweet and savory flavors to bring everything together beautifully.

Leave it to the southerners to come up with such an amazing recipe. They never seem to fail! And if you want to make this extra healthy, you can leave out the sugar and use low-fat mayonnaise. It will still taste absolutely scrumptious!

If I can recall right, i do beleive thatw e had this chicken salad recipe for my sister’s bridal shower. Yes! Yes, we did! It was so good and we ate it on croissants. Whata  great memory of good food and fun times 🙂

Recipe and photo courtesy of Taste of Southern.

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Quick Tip: Serve this chicken salad on freshly baked crescent rolls.