Everyone loves to have a loaded baked potato with their steak or chicken. It’s like the perfect side and it’s fun to put all your favorite toppings on that giant tater. Sometimes, I even make them the main course! These Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes capture all the amazing flavors, are fun to make with leftover mashed potatoes, and they give the family something new to experience.

I love potato cakes in general, so this option combines two of our family favorites. I always topped my potato with plenty of sour cream growing up, and I do the same with these. This is now a favorite for leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Spend with Pennies.

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Quick Tip: Mix all the ingredients but don’t fry the potato cakes up until you’re ready to eat them, they are best when they’re crispy.

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.

Eaten plain this veggie might not be the most appealing, but when made cheesy gratin style it’ll be a new favorite in any household! Top it off with crispy salty bacon and it’ll steal the show at the dinner table. I promise even the pickiest eaters will love this creamy spinach side dish and gobble down those greens like you’ve never seen.

Make this side dish to compliment any meat and potato dinner for a quick and delicious way to sneak in those veggies. Take a quick gander at the ingredient list and you’ll notice you don’t need to go to the store for anything special. If swiss cheese isn’t on hand, feel free to substitute it for any other cheese you love. Cheddar? American? Yea that’ll work just fine!

Recipe and image courtesy of 12 Tomatoes

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Quick Tip: Choose fresh spinach over frozen for the maximum nutrient benefits!

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.

With spring here and summer just around the corner, it’s that time of year again. It’s time for picnics and backyard barbecues. And what is a picnic or a backyard barbecue without some classic coleslaw salad?

Every backyard barbecue has to have hotdogs, hamburgers, fruit salad, potato salad and the classic coleslaw. And with the weather warming up, it’s the perfect time to try out this absolutely delicious creamy coleslaw.

Not only is coleslaw a classic must-have, but it’s a great way to provide a refreshing dish for those warm evenings spent with friends and family. The cool cabbage and tangy dressing are a perfect way to cool down before diving in for some juicy watermelon and sweet cake.

But don’t worry that you’ll spend too much time trying to get this ready. Use a bag of pre-shredded cabbage makes this recipe so easy to get ready.

Recipe and photo courtesy of 12 Tomatoes

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Coleslaw is such an amazing food. You can eat it alone, as a side dish, or even as a garnish for a burger. When you have a backyard BBQ, you’ve definitely got to have coleslaw on the menu, at least if you’re coming to one of my shindigs. Our little family loves eating coleslaw, from the youngest member to the oldest. It’s just a staple side dish for us.

This recipe is tangy, sweet, and crunchy all wrapped into one big bowl of creamy goodness. We know once you take your first bite you’ll be in salad heaven. Get all the zippy tang you need with cider vinegar paired with zesty mayo that’s infused with black pepper, onions, and fresh parsley.

Recipe courtesy of Foodie Crush.

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