Juicy burgers, sauce-drenched rib racks, and tangy hot wings are just a few of the foods commonly found at non-vegetarian cookouts. Balance out a main course of protein-packed meat with veggies and carb-heavy recipes like the 10 side dishes featured in our slideshow.

Jalapeno Baked Beans

We’re starting with jalapeno baked beans because really, what cookout doesn’t have baked beans? We like our baked beans with jalapeno slices because it tones down the sweetness from the brown sugar and barbecue sauce.

Ingredients

• 12 slices bacon, 6 cooked and crumbled and 6 uncooked
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 fresh jalapeno, chopped
• 4 large cans of beans, drained
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 chipotle peppers, minced

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Saute onions, peppers and jalapenos until tender.
3. Add the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, mustard and chipotles, and bring the mixture a simmer.
4. Pour the flavored beans into an aluminum pan and top with the uncooked slices of bacon.
5. Bake for 1.5 hours, until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Corn Casserole

Like baked beans, corn casserole is a classic side dish found at many outdoor gatherings. We’ve added green chiles for a hint of spice, but leave them out if you want a sweeter casserole.

Ingredients

• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• ½ cup milk
• 4 cans sweet corn, drained
• 2 cans chopped green chilies
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 saltine crackers, crushed

Preparation

1. Melt ¼ cup butter and cream cheese in a large saucepan and slowly pour in milk, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
2. Mix in corn and green chilies.
3. Pour the corn mixture into a buttered baking dish and top with shredded cheddar.
4. Top with crushed crackers and remaining ¼ cup of butter.
5. Bake casserole at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy macaroni and cheese gets a surprising crunch from crushed potato chips in this tasty recipe. Turn this dish into a full meal by added sliced hot dogs fresh from the grill.

Ingredients

• 1 box macaroni noodles
• ½ stick butter
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup evaporated milk
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ¾ teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• Potato chips, crushed

Preparation

1. Prepare pasta according to directions on package and drain. Return to the pot and add butter.
2. Whisk eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard, then pour over cooked macaroni.
3. Add shredded cheddar and mix until melted.
4. Place mixture in a casserole dish and top with crushed chips.
5. Place under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes and serve.

Fruit Salad

Fruit salad is a sweet alternative to sides that feature veggies or bread. You can use any type of fruit for this recipe, so it’s a great way to use up whatever is in your fridge.

Ingredients

• 12 cups of assorted fruit
• Juice of two limes
• 1/3 cup honey
• 10 mint leaves, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Place fruit in a large bowl and mix with your hands, taking care not to squeeze any of the fruit.
2. Combine lime juice, honey, and mint, then pour over fruit.
3. Refrigerate fruit salad until serving.

Potato Salad

Settle the mustard versus mayo debate by including both in your potato salad. Our recipe includes tons of hardboiled eggs, so it’s kind of a cross between potato salad and egg salad.

Ingredients

• 6 white or gold potatoes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 large celery stalk, diced
• 6 green onions, diced
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1½ cups mayo
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Paprika for garnish, if desired

Preparation

1. Boil unpeeled potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Remove potato skins and dice potatoes. Soak in vinegar for 10 to 15 minutes as the potatoes cool.
3. Add celery, eggs, and green onions.
4. Combine mayonnaise, celery seed, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
5. Stir into the potato mixture and sprinkle with paprika, if using.
6. Chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving, longer if desired.

7-Layer Salad

7-layer salads have been a popular dish at cookouts, birthdays, and potluck parties for as long as we can remember. This one has cucumber slices, which is something you don’t see in every 7-layer salad.

Ingredients

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped roughly
• 1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 1⁄2 cups celery, thinly sliced
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 12 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
• 2 hardboiled eggs, chopped

Dressing

• 2 cups mayo
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• Seasoned salt, to taste

Preparation

1. Layer first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, taking care not to mix them together.
2. Prepare dressing and pour over salad.
3. Add cheese, then bacon, then egg.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes can be made in the oven, microwave, or grill. We’re focusing on an oven recipe so you can free up space on your grill for brats and burgers.

Ingredients

• Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Rub washed potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and piece with a fork.
3. Wrap each potato loosely in aluminum foil.
4. Cook for approximately 90 minutes.

Garlic Breadsticks

Garlic breadsticks often accompany spaghetti and lasagna, but they also go great with barbecued chicken breasts and hamburgers. These garlic breadsticks taste just as good as the ones from Olive Garden.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons warm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 Tablespoons white sugar
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

Buttery coating

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preparation

1. Combine all dough ingredients but flour.
2. Mix well and slowly add in flour, kneading gently by hand or with a mixer for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a dry towel.
4. Let rise until its size doubles. This typically takes 1 to 2 hours.
5. Divide dough into 12 equally sized logs. Roll each piece of dough into a 7-inch log.
6. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, cover with a dry towel, and let rise until size doubles.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
8. Top with buttery glaze and serve.

Grilled Veggies

We’re not listing a specific recipe for grilled veggies because you can pretty much use whatever you want for this recipe. Gather your favorite veggies, coat them with olive oil and sea salt, and grill them over medium-high heat.

Scalloped Potatoes

We’ve already got potato salad and baked potatoes on our list of tasty BBQ sides, but who can resist a cheesy serving of scalloped potatoes?

Ingredients

• 5 or 6 potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sprigs thyme, chopped
• 2 sprigs dill, chopped
• 2 sprigs parsley, chopped
• 5 leaves, not sprigs, of rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Dash of salt

Preparation

1. Peel potatoes and slice them into thin circles. Keep the width for each slice as uniform as possible.
2. Place potatoes in cold water so they don’t brown while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
3. Heat milk in a saucepan over low heat and add herbs, salt, garlic powder, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
4. Let simmer on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Butter a casserole dish and place potatoes in a layer on the bottom.
6. Pour some of the milk mixture over the first layer and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
7. Continue creating layers with potatoes and milk mixture.
8. Sprinkle cayenne pepper on the top and add more cheese.
9. Bake scalloped potatoes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 55 minutes.