Bright sides: Creative spins on classic summer salads

Everyone needs a great side dish to take to summer gatherings, and we have four for you this month. For a unique pasta salad, try Barbecue Ranch Pasta Salad topped with crispy fried onions. Flavorful Roasted Garlic and Smoked Paprika Potato Salad is outstanding. My Mexican Street Corn Salad is another favorite, and it couldn’t be easier to make. And Pineapple Coleslaw with cashews is light, slightly sweet and an amazing accompaniment to chicken or pork. Enjoy!

Barbecue Ranch Pasta Salad

Dressing:

1 1/2 cups ranch dressing
1/2 cup barbecue sauce 
1/4 cup salsa

Salad:

1 (12-ounce) box bow tie pasta
1 (15.25-ounce) can corn, drained
1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (2.8-ounce) bag real bacon pieces
3 green onions, sliced
2 cups canned fried onions (like French’s)

For dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, barbecue sauce and salsa. 

For salad: Boil pasta according to package directions, and drain. Run cold water over pasta, and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl, and add 3/4 of the dressing. Stir in corn, beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, cheese, bacon and green onions. Toss and refrigerate. 
Before serving, toss with remaining dressing to refresh pasta. Garnish with fried onions, and serve.
     

Roasted Garlic and  Smoked Paprika Potato Salad

Dressing:

1 whole bulb garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Dash of salt
1 2/3 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (must be smoked)
1 1/2 teaspoons      salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Salad:

7 cups potatoes, peeled, sliced and boiled
1/3 cup real bacon pieces or chopped bacon 
4 green onions, sliced

For dressing: Heat oven to 400. Cut top off garlic bulb, so cloves are just slightly exposed. Drizzle with olive oil, and add dash of salt. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and place in a baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove, and allow to cool. Squeeze cloves out of shell into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork, and mix with mayonnaise. Stir in smoked paprika, salt and apple cider vinegar.

For salad: In a large bowl, combine potatoes, bacon and green onions. Add dressing; stir and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt to taste

Salad:

2 (15.25-ounce) cans corn, drained 
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, sliced

For dressing: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, lime juice and salt.
For salad: In a large bowl, mix together corn, cilantro and onions. Toss thoroughly with dressing, and cover. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

Note: Real Mexican street corn is covered with Cotija cheese, which can be added to this salad. But I couldn’t find any and skipped it. A little shredded Parmesan will also work, but the salad is delicious as is.

Pineapple Coleslaw

Salad:

1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
3 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups canned
pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve liquid)

Dressing:

2/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped cashews

For salad: In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix, green onions and pineapple.
For dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper until smooth.
 Add dressing to coleslaw, and stir. Refrigerate until time to serve. Before serving, stir in cashews.