BBQ Side Dish Smackdown

How We Chose the Winners

It's a good potato salad, but is it a $1,000 potato salad? That's what we asked as we tasted our way through stacks of mouthwatering side dish entries in our reader-recipe contest, which launched online in December 2011 and offered meaty cash prizes to winners in six categories (including an open-ended surprise option). Fortunately, when we stumbled across recipes such as Priscilla Yee's Spinach-Artichoke Dip Potato Salad, we knew we had an answer. And to those who didn't win: There's an entire summer ahead for experimenting—and we can't wait to dig in again next year.

Winner: Best Baked Beans

Liz Matthews from Fullerton, California

"My grandmother would make this dish for special family gatherings—it's a favorite. Sharing her recipe helps her legacy live on."

• Recipe: Grandma Gwen's Beans

Winner: Best Pasta Salad

Dawn Moore from Warren, Pennsylvania

"I merged my love of Greek ingredients with my favorite barbecue side dish: pasta salad. It's wonderful with grilled chicken."

• Recipe: Tangy Tzatziki Pasta Salad

Winner: Best Coleslaw

Nadine Mesch from Mount Healthy, Ohio

"My family always enjoys a little heat with their meal, and this slaw delivers on that! It's great with grilled meats or on a sandwich."

• Recipe: Chipotle-Cilantro Slaw

Winner: Best Potato Salad

Priscilla Yee from Concord, California

"Our favorite party dip inspired this dish, and it's the perfect base for potato salad. Potato chips add an irresistible crunch."

• Recipe: Spinach-Artichoke Dip Potato Salad

Winner: Best Mac & Cheese

Marshall Lee Camp from Sandy Springs, Georgia

"Happy childhood memories of my mother making mac and cheese from scratch inspired this dish. I cook comfort food all year."

• Recipe: Chipotle-Bacon Mac and Cheese

Winner: Best Surprise

Carolyn Kumpe from El Dorado, California

"Watermelon just goes with barbecue. It cleanses our palates from heavy meats and rehydrates us on those smoldering summer days."

• Recipe: Sweet, Salty, and Spicy Watermelon Refresher