4th of July Sides

This is a riff on elote, Mexican street corn. We love how sweet dill plays on the richly caramelized corn and briny cheese.

Cutting the cabbage coarsely gives the dish a different look from shredded-cabbage slaws. A full teaspoon of black pepper lends pleasant warm heat without overpowering. Make the dish up to a day ahead if you like—the veggies will stay crisp and the flavors will meld as the slaw chills.

The mesquite wood chips bring a strong smoky flavor to the potatoes, but the vinaigrette balances it out, especially when the kalamata olives are added to the mixture. To bring more heat to the potato salad, you can add cayenne or red chili flakes.

You can serve this side dish hot, but it's also great at room temperature.

A middle ground between waxy red potatoes and starchy russets, buttery Yukon Golds are great in potato salad.

Aleppo is a fruity Middle Eastern pepper with moderate heat. Sub 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Turn "jacket potatoes" into irresistible potato salad bites. Capers offer a twist on traditional relish; they're actually pickled flower buds and add bright, briny flavor to this appetizer.

A little chipotle pepper in the dressing lends smoky heat to the dish. A touch of sugar and tangy lime juice balance the pleasant bitterness of radicchio. You can make this slaw up to a day ahead. The radicchio will soften a little as it chills, but the broccoli and cabbage stay crunchy.

A dusting of smoky chile powder, earthy cumin, zingy lime rind, and a hit of salt turns watermelon's flavor up to 11.

Cut back on the black pepper for a more kid-friendly version of this cookout staple.

We love the warm, slightly sweet smoky flavor applewood gives the corn. Hickory chips might overpower here, but cherry chips would also work.

This dish is baked just long enough to bring out the juices of the tomatoes, then chilled. Serve it as a salad or a side dish.

Little fingerling potatoes are fantastic in potato salads, in part because their skin-to-flesh ratio is much smaller than big potatoes, so there's more dynamic textural difference in every bite.

Time: 25 minutes

Batch It: Squash is mostly water; it will steam if there is too much in the pan. Cook in batches for crisp-tender, lightly browned pieces.

Serve with Sautéed Summer Squash with Thyme and Almonds

This citrusy take on coleslaw is fresh and pleasantly spicy, an ideal side dish or burger or brat topping. Leave the seeds in more peppers for added fire, or seed all of them for a milder dish.

Sumac—available at spice stores—adds a subtle piney, tangy note, but don't worry if you can't find it: The salad will still have loads of flavor complexity without it. You could also sub 1 teaspoon of prepared horseradish for the wasabi powder.

Nothing says summer like fresh corn on the cob. Here are a few of our favorite flavor combos for buttering them up: Corn on the Cob with Lemon-Curry Spice Butter, Corn on the Cob with Honey-Chipotle Butter, Corn on the Cob wiht Orange, Tarragon, and Basil Butter.

"Okra doesn't have to be fried. Charring the pods is really fun—it shuts down the sliminess and gets beautifully crisp. Tomatoes just need a little salt, pure and simple," Christensen says.

Dress up canned baked beans with flavor and richness—and minimal added fat—with this quick and simple dish. Since the sodium is high, use organic canned beans to keep sodium levels in check.

"The dressing for potato salad usually ends up overseasoned and doesn't permeate the potatoes," Christensen says. "Adding vinegar to the cooking process flavors the potatoes, so the dressing should be more mellow."

Tomatoes are a summer superstar. Enjoy them in a refreshing salad or simply sliced. Sweet peach dressing amps up the summery deliciousness in this simple salad.

Charring the pepper eases the heat, yielding a versatile, not-too-spicy butter.

If you can't find Indian eggplants, as we used here, go for small, slender Japanese eggplants instead.

Haricots verts are thin, tender green beans. If you can't find them, use trimmed regular green beans, but add them to the pasta after 8 minutes of cooking since they'll take longer to cook. You can make the salad ahead, but dress it just before serving so the beans don't turn drab.

Simplicity has never looked so beautiful. A stunning combination of skin-on peaches and heirloom tomatoes of various colors, sizes, and shapes creates a sweet-savory salad.

Lemon-Herb Potato Salad isn't your mother's potato salad. Made with peppery arugula, kalamata olives, fresh herbs, and lemon, this potato salad will stand out among the other side dishes at your backyard cookout. 

Miso adds worlds of savory depth to fresh grilled vegetables.

You can assemble this salad the day before you plan to serve it, but toss in dressing just before serving to keep Zimmern's salad as crisp as he intended.

Simple, bright, and balanced, this salad pairs perfectly with grilled fish or chicken. To cook the beets in the oven, wrap in foil and bake at 400° for 45 to 50 minutes.

This unusual yet delicious combination of flavors makes a good substitute for traditional pasta salad at your next cookout.