Memorial Day was yesterday, which means cookout season is now under way in these United States of America. I had a nice little weekend, starting with hanging out with some friends Friday night and enjoying some grilled steak tacos, going to a friend's 40th party Saturday night and enjoying some grilled beef sliders (and later in the evening, a grilled chicken burrito), going to a street fest in between the Begyle and Dovetail breweries Sunday and enjoying a grilled Hungarian smoked sausage, and then going to my brother's house yesterday for a cookout and enjoying some grilled pork loin. Needless to say, I am several pounds heavier today than I was on May 23.
But between the grilled meats and the desserts are some are those side dishes. Sweet, some are savory. All are delicious. Here are my ten favorite cookout side dishes.
10. Cole slaw
I actually like both the vinegary kind and the mayonnaise-y kind. Does that make me some kind of creep? I'd say it's more my antique doll collection.
9. Corn on the cob
Really, the corn is just a vessel for butter and salt.
8. Potato chips and French onion dip
A good ridged potato chip can carry a surprising amount of French onion dip.
7. Tortilla chips and salsa
It's ubiquitous, but there's a reason chips and salsa is at pretty much every cookout. Everyone grazes on them. Salsa should be chunky, by the way. Otherwise, you're dripping it all over the table.
6. Fruit salad
This would be higher on the list, but it's damn near impossible to stab a grape with a plastic fork.
5. Pasta salad
While there are many kinds, what I'm talking about here is the kind with bowtie pasta, black olives, chopped onions, chopped green peppers, and vinaigrette.
4. Seven-layer dip
There are many things you can dip a tortilla chip in. This is probably the best of the bunch. While I have been unable to eat avocados and avocado-based dips for the past 15 years without a bowling ball expanding in my stomach, seven-layer dip usually allows me to get a little guac while covering it with cheese, beans, more cheese, and some other shit.
3. Potato salad
There are many types of potato salad, so this is kind of a general category, mainly because there are many types that I like. German potato salad, mustardy potato salad, red potato potato salad, potato salad with bacon, potato salad with hard-boiled eggs (see #1 below for my thoughts on egg-based things). A good carb load can help with all the Naturdays you're drinking, or Whiteclaw if you're a millennial.
2. Bacon-wrapped jalapenos
This combines three of my favorite things: bacon, cheese, and small green peppers that aren't too high on the Scoville scale.
1. Deviled eggs
My love of deviled eggs is infamous enough that some people have even made me a separate tray of them, so that I don't eat too many of what's left for the commoners. I am to deviled eggs what Cool Hand Luke was to hard-boiled eggs. Although I am also that to hard-boiled eggs. Really, the point of this post is to tell you that I'm a messianic figure with an addiction to eggs.
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