Easy Macaroni Salad

This Easy Macaroni Salad is always a popular side dish at every cookout, potluck, and picnic!

Every summer cookout needs some kind of pasta salad, don't you think? One of my go-to recipes is this Easy Macaroni Salad. It's got all of the classic macaroni salad ingredients, including cheese, peas, bell pepper, all coated in simple, creamy mayo-based dressing. It's so simple to make for every cookout, picnic, and potluck - and is always a crowd pleaser!

Patriotic Fruit Salad

This colorful Patriotic Fruit Salad combines fresh fruits coated in a sweet honey citrus sauce for a 4th of July side dish that everyone will love!

Fruit salad is a must-have at any summer barbecue or gathering. This Patriotic Fruit Salad consists of watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and pineapple coated in a honey-citrus dressing. Of course, you can easily swap out or add fruit to your liking! It's such an easy recipe and is a go-to side dish or dessert that is always a hit at our Memorial Day and 4th of July parties. 

Snickers Salad

Made with Snickers, tart apples, and whipped vanilla pudding, this quick and simple Snickers "Salad" is a sweet treat everyone will love!

One of my favorite desserts growing up was Snickers Salad. Even though it's more dessert than salad, it's still something that people like to bring to potlucks and dinner parties to be served as a side dish. Made with Snickers, tart apples, and whipped vanilla pudding, this salad gives caramel apple vibes that leaves you going back for more. This is one of those recipes that sounds totally weird, but it's going to become one of your favorite treats once you give it a try. 

Piña Colada Salad

Do you like Piña Coladas (and getting caught in the rain)? If so, you'll love this refreshing Piña Colada Salad!

My brother thought of this creative dinner party idea for when my family gets together. He started by writing random ingredients and menu components (appetizer, main dish, sides, dessert, etc) on strips of paper. Everyone coming to the dinner chooses one strip each paper. Then you make that menu component using the chosen ingredient. When everyone comes to the party, the creative dishes are then combined to make an entire meal! My picks for the first party were "coconut" and "salad", which inspired me to make this delectable Piña Colada Salad to bring to our dinner party.

16 Summer Salads

Summer barbecues are the best! Getting together with friends and family and sharing delicious food is always something to look forward to. If you're in charge of bringing the salad to your next get-together, you're in luck! Today I'm sharing 16 delicious summer salads that I'm sure will be a hit at any barbecue, or even just for a quiet dinner at home.

1. Berry Delicious Fruit Salad from Dizzy Busy and Hungry
2. Chicken Taco Pasta Salad with Catalina Dressing by Chelsea's Messy Apron
3. Grandma's Potato Salad by Julie's Eats & Treats
4. Pasta Chicken Salad by Artsy-Fartsy Mama
5. Pesto Pasta Salad by The Pioneer Woman
6. Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad by The Blond Cook
7. Easy Bacon Pea Pasta Salad by Simply Stacie
8. Berry Almond Salad with Chia Seed Vinaigrette by Dinner, Dishes, and Desserts
9. Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad by Your Homebased Mom
10. Italian Ham Pasta Salad by Sarah Titus
11. BBQ Chicken Salad by I Heart Nap Time
12. Arugula Pasta Salad by Two Peas & Their Pod
13. Ranch BLT Pasta Salad by Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
14. Piña Colada Salad by Artsy-Fartsy Mama
15. Buffalo Style Pasta Salad by 3 Boys and a Dog
16. Mom's Macaroni Salad by Favorite Family Recipes

Pasta Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad. I also love pasta. Mixed together, it's amazing. My aunt makes this a lot for family parties, and I can't get enough! It's perfect for summer BBQs, parties, or even makes a great dinner.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken, cooked and cut into small pieces

1 can {20 oz} pineapple bits

2 cups celery, cut into small pieces

2 packages of 12 oz pasta {any shape will work great}

16 oz bottle Kraft coleslaw dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1-2 cups grapes, halved

Directions:

1. Cook chicken and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Cook and drain pasta.
3. Cut up celery and grapes. It saves time to do this while the chicken and pasta are cooking.
4. Mix together dressing and mayonnaise in a large salad bowl. Add in drained pineapple bits.
5. Carefully mix in the chicken, pasta, celery and grapes and stir until everything is coated.
6. Cover and refrigerate.  This salad is best served the next day. You may need to add a little more mayonnaise before serving.

Recipe from Marci Smith