Why cold sides are my favorite part of July 4th

Why Cold Sides Are My Favorite Part of July 4th

Say what you want about coleslaw—picnic salads are my 4th of July faves. This year, in spite of the fact that there will be no crowd of friends and strangers lounging around with me on blankets in the park, I plan to have a 4th of July party with my small family of three, and will absolutely make the complete regalia of summery picnic sides.

There is nothing more cheerful than a cold, tangy, mayo-laced tangle of crunchiness to kick off summer. In addition to the traditional creamy slaw, I'll make a second slaw: this one sweet and limey red cabbage sprinkled with feta. I'll surround these slaws with bowls of potato salad, pasta salad, tomato salad with a blob of burrata doused in garlicky olive oil, plus some esquites.

On the 4th itself, there will also be a sweet, sticky grilled chicken thigh and a slice or two of juicy New York Strip steak on my plate and some sparklers.

Why do I like sides so much? The great thing about these dishes is that they taste better if they are made ahead. Picnic salads are sturdy and perfectly suited to be lugged out to a blanket or fire escape. It's much harder to pack a burger. Plus, the ingredients are inexpensive because they are made of mostly veggies.

For dessert: s'mores in the oven and ice cold cubes of watermelon. For drinks: A michelada directly inside of the beer can.

Will I scale down the recipes? Nope, because when I make all these sides on Sunday, my dinners and lunches are mostly taken care of for the week. I'll add easy proteins like poached shrimp, oven-fried chicken legs, and BBQ tofu as the week goes on to keep things interesting.

Happy 4th. Please stay safe.

-Heather Ramsdell
Editorial Director, The Spruce Eats