Russian Food Recipeub May 23, 2026 0 Comments

These Easy Cookout Sides Keep Getting Requested Every Memorial Day

The real test of a side dish is whether you get a text asking for the recipe the next morning, or if you are stuck packing a warm, half-eaten bowl back into your cooler. You do not need to spend hours chopping or hunting down weird ingredients to make the dish everyone hovers around on Memorial Day.

The winners are always the simple things, like cold cabbage slaw that stays fresh in the sun and smoky bakes you scoop up with a bag of chips. Here are 21 side dishes that take almost no effort but are guaranteed to secure your invite to every backyard party this summer.

Close-up of roasted onion slices, golden and caramelized, sprinkled with herbs and seasoning. — Easy Cheesy Tennessee Onions. Photo credit: Not Entirely Average.

Slow Cooker Baked Bean

A white bowl filled with a red kidney bean stew, including visible pieces of meat or vegetables, sits on a dark cloth napkin with a fork and spoon beside it. A small bunch of parsley is on the table nearby. — Slow Cooker Baked Bean. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

You can’t have a real summer cookout without baked beans. This recipe is loaded with thick, smoky bacon and bubbles away on your counter so you don’t have to watch it. The sauce gets sweet and sticky, making it a classic spoonable side that rounds out a heavy plate of ribs perfectly.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Baked Bean

Gluten-Free Mushroom Stuffing

Roasted turkey pieces and stuffing in dishes on a marble surface with herbs nearby. — Gluten-Free Mushroom Stuffing. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

If you think stuffing is only for winter, think again! This version is packed with earthy, savory mushrooms and soft bread, then baked until the top is perfectly toasted. It is a hearty, comforting side that pairs beautifully with charred steaks and grilled meats, making it the one dish everyone asks you to repeat next year.
Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Mushroom Stuffing

Loaded Baked Potato Bites

Mini baked potatoes topped with sour cream, bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions. — Loaded Baked Potato Bites. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

These are like tiny, handheld potato skins, and they are dangerous. Small potato halves get loaded up with melted cheese and real bacon bits while they are warm and gooey. Set them out on the patio early to balance out the wait for the main course—just be ready for everyone to demand them at the next party.
Get the Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Bites

Cucumber Dill Salad

Sliced cucumber salad with creamy dressing, fresh dill, and lemon wedges on a white plate with a fork. — Cucumber Dill Salad. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

When you are serving up heavy, seasoned meats off the griddle, you need a cool escape. This salad takes crisp cucumber rounds and dunks them in a creamy, refreshing sour cream dressing with tons of fresh dill. It is light, snappy, and works like a total palate cleanser that people will ask you to bring to every backyard gathering.
Get the Recipe: Cucumber Dill Salad

Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes

Crispy smashed potatoes topped with fresh dill and shredded Parmesan cheese on a plate. — Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

These little potatoes get boiled, smashed flat, and roasted with plenty of garlic and salt. The result? They are fluffy on the inside but crazy loud and crunchy on the outside. They are a great finger food to satisfy the potato lovers at your party, and they will absolutely be requested for the next family hangout.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes

Mexican Coleslaw

Bowl of colorful coleslaw with shredded cabbage, carrots, and cilantro, next to lime wedges and tortillas. — Mexican Coleslaw. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

Give your usual cabbage shreds a major upgrade for the big cookout. This one drops the heavy mayo for a zesty, bright lime dressing and fresh cilantro. It is incredibly crisp and tangy, making it the perfect refreshing bite to pile right on top of a smoky pulled pork sandwich.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Coleslaw

Mayo Purple Cabbage Slaw

Shredded red cabbage salad on a dark plate with a lemon wedge and a fork. — Mayo Purple Cabbage Slaw. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

This is not your boring, soggy deli slaw. We are talking about crisp, bright purple cabbage shredded thin and tossed in a super creamy dressing. It is cold, it has a giant crunch, and it is the exact refreshing bite you need to balance out heavy, smoky barbecue plates. Pack a giant bowl, because everyone will text you for the recipe before the weekend is over!
Get the Recipe: Mayo Purple Cabbage Slaw

Duck Fat Roasted Vegetables

A casserole dish filled with roasted broccoli, potatoes, chickpeas, and diced vegetables. — Duck Fat Roasted Vegetables. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

Want to know a secret trick to make veggies stand up to bold, grilled meats? Roast them in rich duck fat. It makes a basic mix of garden vegetables get super crispy around the edges and taste incredibly savory. Slide this pan onto the table and watch your friends beg you to bring it to every single summer cookout.
Get the Recipe: Duck Fat Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Tahini Broccoli

Roasted broccoli topped with sesame seeds on a plate, served with lemon wedges. — Roasted Tahini Broccoli. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

This is how you get people excited about green veggies next to a heavy main course. We roast the broccoli florets until they get nice charred edges, then drizzle them with a nutty sesame tahini sauce. It turns out so rich and creamy that it feels like a total treat, and your guests will absolutely ask you to make it again.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Tahini Broccoli

Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

A fork lifting a cheesy, baked casserole from a dish with melted cheese stretching. — Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

This warm, bubbly bake is a total lifesaver if you want a vegetable option that can stand up to bold, grilled meats. It takes tender broccoli and cauliflower and smothers them in a smooth, velvety cheese sauce with a golden crust. It is pure comfort food that guarantees your friends will ask for a repeat performance.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

Green Beans Almondine with Bacon

Green beans with bacon and almonds on a red plate. — Green Beans Almondine with Bacon. Photo credit: Real Life of Lulu.

Fresh green beans get a quick sauté so they stay snappy and bright green, then they are tossed with crunchy sliced almonds and salty bacon bits. It is a super easy stovetop side that brings a fresh, savory balance to heavy holiday plates, making it an instant request for future menus.
Get the Recipe: Green Beans Almondine with Bacon

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a buttery sweet potato mash topped with gooey melted marshmallows and crunchy pecans. It is sweet, salty, and basically lets your guests eat a little bit of dessert right alongside their charred main course. My family expects this at every single holiday gathering, and yours will too!
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

Buttered Cabbage

Shredded sautéed cabbage with herbs and a pat of butter on top, served on a gray plate. — Buttered Cabbage. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

This humble side is cheap, fast, and unbelievably good. You just cook green cabbage leaves in a hot skillet with a giant pat of real butter and sea salt until they are tender. It is a warm, comforting dish that handles a heavy main course beautifully, earning it a permanent spot on your guest’s wish lists.
Get the Recipe: Buttered Cabbage

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

A baked dish with a golden-brown crumb topping is in a rectangular baking dish, which has a white and blue checkered cloth nearby. A serving is on a round plate to the right. The surface is a light marble texture. — Cheesy Zucchini Casserole. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Got a bunch of summer squash to use up? Slice them thin and bake them in a rich, bubbling cream sauce under a blanket of crispy breadcrumbs. The zucchini gets soft and cheesy, making this indulgent bake a guaranteed hit on the holiday buffet line that everyone will want to see again.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

Lemon Roasted Potatoes

Roasted vegetables and lemon slices on a baking sheet, with a spoon and small bowls on the side. — Lemon Roasted Potatoes. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

This is a colorful sheet pan meal that handles your potato and veggie sides all at once. Thick potato chunks, broccoli, and peppers roast together with a big splash of fresh lemon juice. The bright citrus flavor cuts right through the richness of grilled food, making it a summer request.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Roasted Potatoes

Easy Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

Baked four-cheese macaroni in a rectangular white casserole dish. — Easy Four Cheese Mac and Cheese. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

You can’t look at this bubbling pasta pan and not want a giant scoop. It uses a blend of four different cheeses to make the ultimate gooey, decadent sauce. Bake it until the edges get crispy to ensure it stands up to those bold barbecue plates. It is the number one side you will be asked to bring again and again.
Get the Recipe: Easy Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Roasted brussels sprouts with pomegranate and goat cheese. — Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

The air fryer works magic here, getting these sprouts incredibly crunchy in a flash. Then we toss them with salty feta cheese and sweet pomegranate seeds. It is a colorful, unique side dish that offers a great flavor balance to heavy grilled main courses—prepare to be asked for the recipe a million times.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Maple Tahini Sweet Potato

Sweet potato fries topped with a creamy white sauce, herbs, and sesame seeds on a baking tray. — Maple Tahini Sweet Potato. Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table.

Sweet potato wedges get roasted until they are soft, sticky, and caramelized from a maple syrup and nutty tahini glaze. The combination is earthy and sweet, adding a cool, modern flavor that balances out a heavy main course perfectly. It is a total breakout star your friends will ask for next time.
Get the Recipe: Maple Tahini Sweet Potato

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Ditch the canned soup stuff. This upgraded classic uses fresh, snappy green beans baked in a rich, scratch-made cream sauce. Pile on a mountain of crispy fried onions for that salty crunch everyone loves, making it a comforting side that guests will explicitly ask you to bring back next year.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Southern Green Beans

Green beans with sausage on a white plate. — Southern Green Beans. Photo credit: Keto Cooking Wins.

These beans cook slowly on the stove with bacon and onions until they are perfectly soft and melt-in-your-mouth tender. They soak up all that savory pork broth, bringing a comforting, old-school kitchen flavor to your long Memorial Day holiday weekend that everyone will be talking about until July.
Get the Recipe: Southern Green Beans

Cheesy Tennessee Onions

Sweet onion slices get baked in a pooling layer of butter, spices, and plenty of melted cheese until they are completely tender and mild. They taste incredible when you scoop them onto your plate right next to bold, grilled meats, making it a foolproof favorite you will be begged to recreate.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Tennessee Onions

Get all the prep out of the way early with these easy Memorial Day recipes so you can kick back and enjoy the holiday weekend!