While ribs, steaks, hot dogs and burgers are typically the main attraction at a barbecue, the array of dishes served alongside are just as important (and are often the best part of a cookout, if we’re being honest).
Corn on the cob, potato salad and baked beans are typically in the mix, but far be it from us to tell you that’s where the options end. In fact, none of these classic sites made it to the top of the list of what Southerners are searching for when it comes to summer BBQ accessories.
One side dish category became quite popular and that was pasta salads.
They’re a great make-ahead side that travels well, and are wonderful served cold on a hot summer’s day, so we can’t say we’re surprised. And of all Southern Living pasta salad recipes we made, you prefer one in particular. It also happens to be a riff on a classic accessory.
The most requested BBQ side dish in the South is our broccoli, grape and pasta salad, and once you taste it, we think you’ll understand why.
Jennifer Davick
This side dish has it all
Pasta salads, including this one, are a host’s dream. They’re easy to scale up or down depending on the number of guests, are easy to transport, and get even better when they sit and marinate. This pasta dish is inspired by broccoli salad, with a dressing that mimics its tart-sweet flavor and lots of bacon crumbled into the mix.
Pecans add crunch to this creamy salad (made with mayonnaise, as any good Southern recipe should), but what really makes this dish special are the grapes. They are juicy and sweet and help to balance the tang of the red wine vinegar in the dressing and the salty bite of the bacon.
Why readers love this side dish
Our Broccoli, Grape and Pasta Salad is exactly the kind of effortless dish that makes hosting a barbecue a little easier. Even if you’re not the host, you can feel stressed just about what to bring as a guest. No one wants to claim the dish that remains untouched throughout the party. You also have to consider so many variables when it comes to side dishes, including how long the dish can sit out without getting soggy.
This recipe ticks all the boxes for a go-to summer accessory: Taste, portability and wow factor. That’s why our readers return to it again and again.
“This salad is SOOO good, I can eat two servings at once. Everyone in my family loved it. Try it and you’ll be glad you did!” writes Southern Living reads Sherry Bartel.
Aside from delighting guests, another reader noted how well leftovers kept and served them for grilled chicken dinner the next day. And like many of our recipes, while you can follow the directions to the letter, you can also easily adapt this salad to make it your own, such as Southern Living reads Jenny McGurk, who says she added feta cheese.
The other great part about this recipe? It does not require you to turn on the oven. Of course we tell you to toast the pecans in the oven, but you can also do it in a pan on the stove and save yourself the heat.
