- 2 days ago
Need easy potluck side dishes that everyone will be talking about? In this video, Nicole shares five crowd-pleasing recipes that are packed with flavor and perfect for cookouts, family gatherings, picnics, and parties. From hearty casseroles to fresh summer salads, these sides are guaranteed to disappear fast.
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00:00When you get the invitation to the next potluck,
00:01I've got the only recipes you need to know.
00:03Here are five summer sides that are easy to make,
00:06easy to transport, and big on flavor.
00:08Starting with that sweet summer corn,
00:10cowboy corn casserole.
00:12Yes, please.
00:13You can totally make this recipe with frozen corn,
00:16that's what the recipe calls for,
00:17but I'm using fresh because it is sweet,
00:19it is crunchy, and it is cheap right now.
00:21To make these super easy to shuck,
00:23I've gone ahead and put them in the microwave
00:25for about three minutes.
00:26It just kinda loosens those little fibers
00:29and the husk from the corn,
00:31and watch how easy it becomes.
00:33It peels right off without all those hairs sticking to it.
00:38It's the easiest way to do it.
00:39You can also take a knife and just cut off the stem end,
00:43and then just roll away the husk.
00:46Y'all loved the potluck recipes I brought to you last year,
00:49because they were the something different.
00:51The simple potato salad and baked beans are always a hit.
00:54Of course, you can do corn on the cob,
00:56or that delicious enlotte corn salad
00:58that I did last time,
00:59like cowboy corn casserole.
01:02That's gonna be a hit.
01:04I can tell you one thing,
01:04I will never attempt to shuck corn
01:06without microwaving it first.
01:08It's a game changer.
01:10And I'm just gonna cut the kernels from the cob.
01:12To make something cowboy,
01:14you usually have some heat,
01:16whether that be from fire-roasted veggies,
01:19or from spicy things like chilies.
01:22It also usually includes a little something smoky,
01:24like bacon.
01:25We're gonna do all that in this,
01:27and it'll be the perfect balance and complement
01:29to the sweet corn.
01:31Go ahead and chop up the bacon that you cooked,
01:34and then I'm also going to chop up some green onion.
01:37I'm gonna save the tops for garnish
01:38and put the rest inside.
01:38So now we dump and bake.
01:42Start with about half a block of softened cream cheese.
01:45To that, I'm gonna add in a little bit of milk,
01:47and then to help thicken this,
01:49I'm gonna stir in a little flour.
01:50Just about a quarter cup,
01:51and then as this heats up,
01:53it's gonna thicken just like how a normal roux would.
01:55Now we're gonna start adding our flavor.
01:57So I'm going in with a little bit of fresh garlic,
01:59a little paprika,
02:00of course, some salt and pepper.
02:01Now goes all that beautiful corn,
02:04bacon, and the green onions.
02:06To give it a little more cowboy effect,
02:08some fire-roasted chilies,
02:10because you think about the cowboys in their campfire.
02:13Also going in with cheddar cheese.
02:15See, can you just look at this,
02:16and you know this is gonna be so good.
02:18Yes, Nicole, we can tell.
02:20I actually think I want a little more
02:22of the fire-roasted chilies.
02:24Yes, that's gonna be so good.
02:25So as this cooks,
02:27some juice is gonna come out of the corn,
02:30and you don't want the dish to be too runny,
02:32so that's what that flour is for.
02:34Going on with just a little more bacon on the top,
02:36and the rest of that cheese.
02:38This goes into the oven 350 degrees,
02:41till it's hot, brown, and bubbly.
02:42Take about 40 minutes or so.
02:45Cowboy corn.
02:47Smellin' divine.
02:48Hot and bubbly.
02:49This is one of those dishes
02:51that is perfect for a potluck,
02:52because it needs to sit.
02:54It needs to really come almost to room temperature,
02:57so that it will firm back up.
02:58Because my people like a kick,
03:00I'm gonna add on some jalapeno.
03:02The green chilies that we put in earlier are not spicy.
03:04They just offer that good kind of chili flavor.
03:07And then those green onion tops
03:08that we saved from earlier.
03:09And you can see the bacon and the cheese coming through.
03:13Oh yeah.
03:14At the end of this,
03:14I wouldn't mind making just a whole veggie plate.
03:17Pasta's included in veggie plates, by the way.
03:19You can see it's not soupy at the bottom.
03:22It's nice and creamy.
03:24And that's only going to get better as it sits.
03:26This is definitely a dish that can be served
03:29at room temperature.
03:30Perfect for a potluck.
03:34Mmm. Mmm.
03:37Yes.
03:38That sweet corn just kind of pops in your mouth.
03:41But you've also got that richness from the bacon,
03:44from that creaminess, from the cheese.
03:47Then just a hint on spice.
03:48I totally recommend adding that little jalapeno to the top.
03:51One of the better corn dishes I've ever made.
03:54What's a summer potluck without a pan of baked beans?
03:57We are making loaded baked beans.
04:00This is perfect for people who are like my kids,
04:02who like to make their entire meal out of baked beans.
04:06It's gonna be hearty.
04:07I mean, it could be your main entree.
04:09We are gonna load it up with everything possible.
04:11Starting off by browning and crumbling some ground beef.
04:14You could also do ground sausage here,
04:16but I am also adding in smoked sausage.
04:20And if you know, you know.
04:21I'll do about three quarters of a pound.
04:23And I like to chop it up into bite-sized pieces.
04:26We're also gonna brown this,
04:28just to render that flavor out.
04:31That way it transfers through all the beans.
04:34Whenever I make baked beans,
04:36I do nine times out of 10,
04:38start with already canned baked beans.
04:41I drain off the liquid,
04:42and then I zhuzh them up to make them my eye.
04:45But the hard part's already done for me.
04:46I've already chopped up some onion and bell pepper.
04:49I'm also gonna add in a little jalapeno.
04:52Listen, these are called loaded for a reason.
04:54You just want a little bit of everything in there.
04:56And you want all the flavors.
04:57You want your sweet, which you've got in your baked beans.
05:00You want your salty.
05:01You want your spicy, smoky.
05:04When your ground beef's cooked, go ahead and drain it.
05:06Remember that old trick.
05:08And now I'm gonna add the sausage to that same skillet.
05:11We're just gonna render some of the fat out
05:12and get it a little browned.
05:14That way all that good flavor
05:15carries through the rest of the dish.
05:16That doesn't take any time at all.
05:18I'm gonna go ahead and throw the bell peppers
05:19and onions in here, go one more minute,
05:21and then we bring it all together.
05:22So I'm going straight in.
05:24Sausage, peppers, and onions.
05:26Drained ground beef.
05:27Not to get lost, the star of the show,
05:30I've drained off that liquid that it comes with,
05:33because we don't need it.
05:33Obviously, this is going to make a lot,
05:37which is why it is a perfect potluck dish.
05:39Throw in those jalapenos.
05:41And now, time to sauce it up.
05:43Barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, brown sugar,
05:46and you get them with a little garlic powder,
05:48and then just a little hot sauce and Worcestershire.
05:50Finish it off with a little salt and pepper.
05:52Now that's a loaded bean right there.
05:55This is a great side dish,
05:56because you can totally make this in advance,
05:58keep it in your baking dish,
05:59and then bake it off just before your party.
06:01And of course, you're gonna cook these hot,
06:03but baked beans are delicious to me,
06:06room temperature or even cold,
06:09with a potato chip, like a dip.
06:11And I'm gonna cover these.
06:12I like to bake them covered
06:13so they get and stay nice and saucy.
06:15And then you can uncover it
06:17to brown around the edges towards the end.
06:19You can't really mess that up,
06:21because everything in there is already cooked.
06:23You just want it to heat all the way through
06:24and let those flavors come together.
06:27Hot and bubbly.
06:29Smellin' so good.
06:30I don't know, guys, we are just batting 1,000 right now.
06:33Like I said, these can be enjoyed room temperature,
06:36even cold, in my opinion.
06:38Regardless, you're gonna wanna let them sit.
06:40So this is a great one for a potluck,
06:42because they are gonna hold their heat
06:44for a long time in the pan,
06:46even if you use a disposable pan.
06:48So let it ride, let it sit, come together.
06:51They're gonna be so thick and creamy, saucy, yummy.
06:55I'm gonna add a little sprinkle of green onion.
06:57I'm real excited about this.
06:58This is the one that kinda makes your jaws
07:01start to tingle in your mouth water.
07:03Oh yeah.
07:04See, the top is darker than the inside,
07:07because the sugars have risen to the surface
07:09and then caramelized.
07:11I love that every bite has a little bit of everything.
07:14It's got the sausage, the ground beef, the veggies.
07:16My kids aren't gonna know what to do with this.
07:18I've never made them this loaded before.
07:24Mmm.
07:26Mmm.
07:27You want a bite of this?
07:29You do.
07:30You do.
07:31Wow, those are good.
07:33The smoked sausage in there comes in clutch times a thousand.
07:38Also love the little bits of ground beef.
07:39It just kinda makes it a more substantial meal,
07:42but it also adds this texture,
07:43so it's not just all a soft bean.
07:46The sauce is perfectly sweet and salty.
07:49Quite possibly the best baked beans I've ever made.
07:53And I don't say that lightly.
07:55What is a party or a potluck without?
07:57A pasta salad.
07:58It's another one my kids would make a whole meal out of,
08:01so we don't have a party without it.
08:03I'm doing dittellini pasta salad,
08:06because this has now become my favorite noodle to use
08:10in pasta salad,
08:11because you can put all the other ingredients with it,
08:14put your fork in, or even a spoon,
08:16and come out with the perfect bite.
08:17You'll see what I'm talking about.
08:18Dittellini is just a small, tubular-shaped pasta,
08:22so of course it'll cook up a little bigger than this,
08:25but it also, with that little hole in there,
08:28is the perfect vessel to trap the dressing.
08:31So you just wanna cook this according to package directions.
08:34Make sure it's al dente,
08:35because as it says in the dressing,
08:37it's going to soften up a little bit.
08:38I like to go about one minute under what the package says.
08:43Meanwhile, get to chopping.
08:44So this is an Italian-style pasta salad,
08:47which I think is the most crowd-pleasing.
08:48So we're gonna make an Italian-style vinaigrette.
08:51I'm also throwing in some olives,
08:53some pepperoncini I'm gonna chop up,
08:56and then also a little bit of pepperoni.
08:58I like to get it like this,
08:59so that you can cut it to your desired size,
09:02which for us is gonna be small,
09:04because we want it to match that pasta.
09:06Same with the cheese.
09:07I'm doing provolone cheese,
09:08so you can just get your butcher to slice a thick block,
09:11or you can buy a block of it like this,
09:14but sometimes it's a little bit cheaper.
09:15I'm gonna go ahead and just start chopping.
09:18Definitely one you could make a couple days in advance,
09:20because this is just gonna get better as it sits.
09:22The flavors here are gonna be like a grinder,
09:26you know, the Italian subs, but in a different package.
09:29So this is a great salad to make
09:31when you need to hone in on your knife skills,
09:33you know what I mean?
09:34Pun intended.
09:35I think it's really important for the perfect bite
09:37that you cut everything the same size.
09:40It's gonna be worth it.
09:41If you have one of those handy little choppers, do it.
09:44Ta-da!
09:45Let's create the party in the bowl.
09:47This could also be a really good time
09:48just to clean out your fridge.
09:50You really can't mess up a pasta salad.
09:52I also love this because my kids get like their protein,
09:55and their veggies, and you don't have to think about it.
09:57Can't forget the star of the show.
09:59Dettolini, all that's left, the dressing.
10:02For the dressing, it's going to be like
10:03a classic Italian vinaigrette
10:05that meets like a classic Italian sub.
10:09Okay, similar vibes.
10:10A little red wine vinegar, a little bit of Dijon mustard.
10:14This is gonna be our emulsifier.
10:15Some oregano, this really always reminds me
10:18of the submarine dressing.
10:20I'm gonna grate a garlic clove in here,
10:23just so you get like the smallest little pieces.
10:25Perfect.
10:26I'm also gonna add in a splash of the pepperoncini brown.
10:30It's mainly just vinegar, so we're just adding more
10:32of that good flavor, and then salt and pepper.
10:34So all pantry staples.
10:36Then I'm gonna whisk it together
10:37while I drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil.
10:39To add a little creaminess and kind of thicken this dressing,
10:42going in with a little grated Parmesan cheese.
10:45See, you've got this good, thick, and creamy salad dressing.
10:48Get every last bit, and you can just see.
10:51You know when I go in with that spoon,
10:54I'm gonna come out with the perfect bite.
10:56Finishing touch, a little fresh parsley.
10:59It's just gonna make it look like a little confetti.
11:02You've heard me talk about parsley before.
11:04It's about a dollar, but it really, I think,
11:07makes a big difference in a lot of recipes,
11:09because it just adds that fresh note
11:11without changing the flavor too much.
11:13The perfect picnic potluck pasta salad.
11:17If that's not a beautiful bowl of pasta salad,
11:20I don't know what is.
11:21This is going to appeal to everyone.
11:23It's just a regular crowd-pleaser,
11:25zhuzhed up with a different noodle,
11:27the ditalini pasta salad.
11:30Sayin' for the win.
11:31I mean, just watch how you get a little bit
11:33of everything in every scoop.
11:35Nobody has to work for the perfect bite.
11:37Fit as a meal or a side,
11:39but either way, it's perfect for a potluck.
11:44Mm-hmm.
11:46Makes your body and your mouth dance.
11:48I mean, just look at that.
11:49You can just see, with every little scoop,
11:51you're gonna have crunch, creaminess,
11:55pungency, flavor.
11:57Just those little noodles are just fun to eat.
11:59A million percent, this will be a hit at the potluck.
12:02Just make it.
12:05You gotta have watermelon on the summer table,
12:07but you don't have to just have sliced triangle pieces.
12:11We are going to bring back an oldie but goodie
12:13with the watermelon feta salad.
12:16On all recipes, when you're looking up
12:18the perfect potluck side dishes,
12:20this salad, this recipe in particular,
12:23is one of our most top-rated,
12:25so I thought we should bring it back.
12:26I don't know about you, but it's been a while
12:28since I made it.
12:29Starting with a watermelon, of course,
12:31if you've got one this big,
12:32you don't need the whole thing for the salad,
12:34so you could do some slices for maybe the pickier eaters
12:37or the kids.
12:38In the summer, I buy a watermelon every single week,
12:42and I keep doing it until the watermelon starts tasting bad.
12:46This is my family's favorite fruit, including...
12:49Cut off the ends and then cut down the sides.
12:53And listen, do it this way, okay?
12:56You can spend like $5 on a watermelon,
12:59or you can get the pre-chopped watermelon,
13:01A, that's not as good, and B,
13:04that's about triple or quadruple the price.
13:07You can go back around, but you don't wanna cut off
13:09too much from the beginning.
13:11You can also save these rinds and make pickles.
13:14I've never done that before.
13:15Should I do that?
13:16But they say it's really good.
13:18Follow me on Instagram and see if I follow through with this.
13:21Also, I washed my watermelon before I started cutting,
13:24because every fruit needs to be washed first.
13:28Even though we're not eating the rind,
13:30it has a lot of pesticides and dirt on the outside.
13:34So if you put it onto your cutting board,
13:36then you now have all that on your cutting board.
13:38And then when you get to this part,
13:40now all the bad stuff is on the inside.
13:42Just wash all your melons, all your melons.
13:45So we're gonna cut this into cubes,
13:46and just like when you cube anything,
13:48first you slice it, then you make sticks,
13:50and then you make cubes.
13:51It's making me want a watermelon margarita.
13:55I remember the first time someone talked about this salad.
13:58I thought they had lost their mind, but it works.
14:03And it works with a lot of melons.
14:05When you put something salty and briny with it,
14:08it just brings out the sweetness in the best way.
14:11Now this watermelon salad also has cucumber,
14:14so in goes English cucumber, also red onion,
14:18and then lots of fresh lime juice.
14:19And then as it sits, the juices come out from everything
14:24that's already in here, and then mixed with the lime juice,
14:26it mellows it out.
14:27To me, this salad is the epitome of summer.
14:31And then just a little bit of salt.
14:33Are you somebody that eats salt on your watermelon?
14:36I've never been that person, but I like it like this.
14:39Don't mess up my triangle slice of watermelon.
14:41Okay, pepper, fresh mint.
14:44Mint in any kind of fruit salad is just a no-brainer.
14:48Give it a little rough chop.
14:50Now I don't know if I want a margarita or a mojito.
14:53Now, the other star of the show, feta cheese.
14:57I'm telling you, this combo is magical.
15:00Summertime, summertime, sum sum, sum, summertime.
15:02All those juices have already started accumulating.
15:08Mmm, you forgot how good this is.
15:11The freshness in this bowl is unmatched.
15:15Is it just not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
15:17It's so juicy, especially down on the bottom.
15:20This is one of those, like, addicting salads.
15:23You don't understand until you take the first bite.
15:28Mmm, I've never put the cucumber in there before today,
15:31but I'm loving that, especially the English cucumbers
15:34because they're extra crunchy.
15:36It is so just perfectly sweet and juicy,
15:41perfectly sweet and savory.
15:42The feta and the mint and the lime
15:44just work complete magic in this dish.
15:46If you have not made the watermelon feta salad in a long time,
15:50do it today and use this recipe.
15:54It's a good way to stay hydrated, too.
15:56You didn't think I forgot the potato salad, did you?
15:58It is a potluck.
16:00It is summer.
16:00You gotta have potato salad.
16:02You may or may not have noticed
16:03that I have not broken out the mayonnaise
16:05for any of these potluck sides
16:06because a lot of times that freaks people out
16:08in the outdoors, especially when it's hot.
16:11So this is a Greek potato salad
16:13and it has a vinaigrette-type dressing,
16:17which I happen to love.
16:18I've washed my potatoes and now I'm gonna cut them
16:20into bite-sized pieces.
16:21For this, you can use a gold potato
16:22or a red potato.
16:24I wouldn't really use a russet for this
16:26because you do want the potato to hold its shape
16:28and a russet potato is just gonna really fall apart
16:31when you cook it.
16:32And that is ideal in some potato salads,
16:35but for this one in particular,
16:36I want the potato to hold its shape.
16:38Also love using a gold potato
16:40because you don't have to worry about peeling them
16:43because the peel is so thin.
16:45So just cut them up, put them in some cold water in a pot,
16:48add a little salt, place it on the stove,
16:52bring it to a boil and let them cook
16:54until they are fork tender.
16:56Potato salad lasts for a while too.
16:58So this is one that you can make a couple days in advance.
17:02Don't forget to salt your water.
17:04This is the best time for the potatoes
17:06to take on some flavor.
17:08I'm just gonna pop it on the stove, bring it to a boil.
17:10There's not much to chop up,
17:12but just think about a Greek salad.
17:14We're gonna have some red onion for crunch flavor,
17:17but it also adds a great little color.
17:19I'm gonna go ahead and add these to the bowl.
17:22Okay, and then some chopped celery.
17:24Very popular in a lot of Greek food, fresh dill.
17:28I'm gonna save some for the top, the rest goes in.
17:30Also going in with Kalamata olives and some pimentos.
17:34So the dressing's really simple.
17:36It's just fresh lemon juice, olive oil, some oregano,
17:40and then a little salt and pepper.
17:42This doesn't have an emulsifier,
17:43so it's not going to fully combine the oil
17:46and the lemon juice.
17:48But once you toss it with the potatoes, it's perfect.
17:50But you want about double the amount of olive oil
17:53to lemon juice.
17:54Some oregano and salt and pepper.
17:56And we're gonna pour this over the potatoes
17:58while they're still slightly warm.
18:01That will help it really absorb into the potatoes.
18:03The potatoes are cooked.
18:05Almost went a little too long,
18:06so I wanted them to cool off a little bit faster.
18:08So I'll put them on a sheet tray.
18:10Toss all this together first.
18:12And we're gonna pour the dressing over
18:14while it's still warm.
18:15That is pretty, pretty.
18:17Finishing touch and the rest of the feta from earlier,
18:20because what is anything Greek without the feta?
18:23Are you happy behind that camera?
18:26That boy loves some feta cheese.
18:28Look how good that looks.
18:30No mayo required.
18:32I'm gonna make sure it's not poisonous.
18:38People are gonna think you've had some cooking lessons
18:40when you show up to the potluck with this potato salad.
18:42If you're looking for a new and different potato salad
18:44to try this summer, a million percent this is the one.
18:47Like I said, it just gets better with age,
18:49so make it in advance.
18:51Heck, even if you're not having a potluck,
18:52make this at the beginning of the week
18:53and eat off of it throughout the week.
18:55Thank me later.
18:56You know, that was a lot of dressing,
18:58but it has absorbed into each and every one of these potatoes.
19:01They're just like little sponges of flavor.
19:06Mmm.
19:07It's everything.
19:08It's creamy.
19:09It's crunchy.
19:09It's so fresh and bright with the lemon,
19:12but then also mellowed out with that briny saltiness
19:15from the olives and the feta.
19:16I have no other words other than make it.
19:20I told you in the beginning,
19:21these are the only five recipes you need this summer
19:24when you're invited to that potluck.
19:26They're easy to make.
19:27They're packed with flavor,
19:28and they're all sure to be crowd favorites.
19:31This is a time where you might want some leftovers,
19:34but I promise you won't be coming home
19:36with anything other than an empty dish.
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