Food and Recipes Dish Salad 20 Of Grandma’s Best Summer Sides Grandma knows best! By Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell is a Southern Living fellow who is starting her career in lifestyle journalism. Primarily focused on social media and digital production, Mary Alice is excited to hone her skills and dedicate her professional life to beautiful things, from homes to hearts.A recent graduate of Washington and Lee University, Mary Alice majored in journalism and art history. At W&L, she was co-editor-in-chief of her school paper, The Ring-tum Phi, with her best friend and interned for The Welcome Home Podcast. Now based in Birmingham, Alabama, Mary Alice is a Virginia native who is proud to hail from the land of ham and peanuts. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 6, 2024 Close Photo: Photo: Will Dickey On those hot summer days when all you want to do is sit back with some sweet tea, you can be sure that there is a grandparent somewhere shelling peas or snapping green beans on her back porch. Bring these recipes to the church potluck, the family reunions and all of the cookouts because if they were good enough for Grandma, they are certainly good enough for your company, too. Grandma's Best Summer Salads 01 of 20 Roasted Tomato Macaroni And Cheese Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Grandma is all about the classics, but she also loves to use what's in her garden, too. Roasted Tomato Macaroni And Cheese allows for her to use the fresh tomatoes in her garden while also making a tried-and-true recipe the whole family will love. Get The Recipe 02 of 20 Classic Potato Salad Fred Hardy; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood No summer cookout is complete without at least one bowl of potato salad, and this classic version is Grandma-approved. Start potatoes in cold water to help them cook perfectly. Get The Recipe 03 of 20 Sautéed Squash And Zucchini Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Whether it's from Grandma's garden or your local farmers' market, squash and zucchini make the best summer side when sautéed together. Onion, oil, and salt and pepper and the only other ingredients needed for this simple side. Get The Recipe 04 of 20 Homemade Baked Beans Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman Would Grandma ever serve something that wasn't at least somewhat homemade? We sure don't think so. This recipe has a little bit of a trick as it uses two cans of pork and beans, but you have to doctor it up to make some of the most delicious Baked Beans ever. Get The Recipe 05 of 20 Southern Fried Corn Caitlin Bensel Grandma knows leftover bacon drippings can make most things better, including fresh corn. Add fresh kernels to a cast-iron skillet and fry them up with drippings, onion, and garlic for an unforgettable summer side dish. Get The Recipe 06 of 20 Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad CAITLIN BENSEL; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX Whether it's a picnic or a potluck you can be sure at least one Southern grandma will be serving up Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad. While some might say that it is more dessert than salad we say to them "Bless your heart." Get The Recipe 07 of 20 Cucumber-And-Vidalia Onion Salad Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Vidalia onions are always the taste of Southern summers and we know Grandma's will approve of our Cucumber-And-Vidalia Onion Salad. It's also a great recipe to store in your mayonnaise jars. Get The Recipe 08 of 20 Fried Green Tomatoes Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Rebecca Cummins We have Fannie Flagg to thank for making these delicacies mainstream, but Grandma has been making them longer than tongue can tell. Fry up your green tomatoes in a cornmeal mixture and thank us later. Get The Recipe 09 of 20 Corn Fritters Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Rebecca Cummins Corn fritters can be enjoyed any time of day and any time of year, though they are best when fresh summer corn is aplenty. Get The Recipe 10 of 20 Pan-Fried Okra with Cornmeal Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Okra is hearty enough to withstand the blistering temperatures of hot summer days just like Grandma. Coming together in just under 30 minutes, it's a real go-to! Get The Recipe 11 of 20 Classic Deviled Eggs Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We love a good deviled egg and if you don't, we might just have to revoke your Southern card. Our Classic Deviled Eggs got Grandma's seal of approval long ago and we think they should get yours, too. Get The Recipe 12 of 20 Oven-Roasted Corn On The Cob Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman We love firing up the grill, but sometimes we love to do something that requires a little less effort. We cover corn cobs with butter and herbs and other goodness, wrap them in tin-foil and throw them in the oven. It's that simple! Get The Recipe 13 of 20 Old-School Squash Casserole Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman It's the most searched casserole recipe in the South because you want to make a version just like Grandma's, and here it is. Full of cheesy goodness and covered in a buttery cracker crust, it's just the recipe you need to serve at the family reunion. Get The Recipe 14 of 20 Heirloom-Tomato Salad Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Grandma always used what she had and that included fresh veggies from her garden. Heirloom-Tomato Salad is beautiful and just simple enough that all ages can appreciate it. Get The Recipe 15 of 20 Buttermilk Coleslaw Photo: Will Dickey A side of slaw is just what Grandma ordered to complement her fried chicken. Make sure you let the flavors meld just like Grandma taught you! Get The Recipe 16 of 20 Lady Pea Salad Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Fresh or frozen lady peas can be used in this summer side dish that lets the Southern heirloom peas truly shine. Get The Recipe 17 of 20 Hush Puppies Hush puppies are what Grandma would serve when she wanted to make sure that everyone would be on their best behavior. We've included to variations, Bacon-and-Caramelized Onion and Jalapeño-Pineapple which might have been a little too exciting for Grandma, but perfect for the next generation. Get The Recipe 18 of 20 Whipped-Cream Corn Salad Southern Living Grandma will tell you everything is better with some whipped cream, and our Whipped-Cream Corn Salad proves her right. It's the sweetest way to use your fresh corn. Get The Recipe 19 of 20 Best-Ever Succotash Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Grandma always told us to eat our veggies, and what better way to enjoy them than in a Succotash? The Southern staple is just exactly what we love. Get The Recipe 20 of 20 Fresh Corn Spoonbread Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Spoonbread is a staple in a Southern kitchens, and our Fresh Corn Spoonbread will be an instant hit. The addition of chives and thyme and other herbs gives this version a bright, inviting taste. get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit