Summer is a great time for BBQ and since I shared a few of my favorite BBQ staples (Sun Dried Tomato and Macadamia Nut Pesto and Roasted Corn, Black Bean and Mango Salad), I wanted to add a few other fun ideas to really make your BBQ special.
Deviled Eggs
I can’t imagine a better BBQ side than this, and they will really go fast. I recently made 48 of them for a party and I can tell you they were gone before dinner started.
If these don’t remind you of church picnics and Southern family reunions, then nothing will. I remember some of the best from the church picnics as a little boy in Museville, Virginia. If you know where this is, then we’re probably related! This is my grandmother’s recipe, so it’s really special to me.
Ingredients
1 dozen eggs
½ cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Sweet pickle
1 tsp. Dry mustard (Coleman’s is perfect)
2 tsp. Cider vinegar
Paprika or cayenne (for the Deep South folks) or Tabasco for the bayou people.
Put the eggs into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then take off heat and cover the pot for 10 minutes in salted water. Then gently place into iced water, and allow to cool.
When the eggs have cooled, remove shells, split in half and put yolks into a separate bowl.
Mash yolks with mayonnaise, sweet pickle, vinegar, dry mustard and a little salt and pepper. Take about a Tbsp. of egg mixture and put it back into the egg halves. Sprinkle on paprika or cayenne and chill well before serving.
Cole Slaw w/Pineapple and Toasted Sesame Oil
This is something that I came up with by accident. I was at a friend’s house and we realized we didn’t have a salad and we only had the basics on hand. As is often the case, improvisation can create wonderful results.
Ingredients
8 cups of either Cabbage, or Cole Slaw mixture
1 can of chopped Pineapple in its own juice
2 cups of Mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp of Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Take the cole slaw mix or cabbage and add the pineapple with all its juice and the mayonnaise. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Then add the sesame oil, mix again and chill. It’s best if chilled for at least 2 hours before serving, as this allows the flavors to blend.
Sweet Potato Salad
This is a variation on the traditional potato salad, using one of my favorite ingredients, sweet potatoes. It is very refreshing and it has a wonderful sweet and sour taste.
Ingredients
2-3 lbs of Sweet Potatoes, or half sweet potatoes and half regular potatoes
1 cup Celery, chopped
1 cup of Onion, chopped
1 cup of Red Pepper, chopped
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Sweet Pickle
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar, or more to taste.
Smoked Paprika, for dusting the top
Salt and Black Pepper
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into ½ inch cubes. Put them into a pot of cold water and then boil them until done, but still firm. Then rinse and cool them down with some iced water. Drain and prepare your other ingredients and then fold it all together and chill before serving.
Grilled Peaches
Okay, I know this sounds strange but these are so good you won’t believe it and they are really easy to make. Just find peaches that are soft to the touch but not mushy. Split them in half and put them on the grill skin side down and then turn them over to finish them off. You can serve them as is, along with whatever else you grilled, or you can serve them as a dessert, with ice cream or even balsamic vinegar. They are amazing!
The Louisville Chef 