left: Offer Bacon Potato Salad in short tumblers for a fresh and fun presentation. For added flair, dip glass rims in water and then dip in paprika, coating well. right: Jazz up your table by serving Sweet Potato Salad in martini glasses.

Bring a heaping bowl of comfort to your warm-weather table with these terrific potato salads. Though your family favorite may be the traditional mayonnaise-and-sweet pickle variety, try one of these recipes for a fresh twist. Both the sweet potato and bacon versions maintain Southern flavors while adding interest.

We peeled and cubed the potatoes before cooking to save time, but the recipes will work equally well if you cook the potatoes whole. Either way, you'll end up with crowd-pleasing sides to round out your meal.

Recipes:

Bacon Potato Salad

*Store these recipes into your E-Cookbook.

FOR SAFETY'S SAKE Don't let cold food stay above 40° (or hot food below 140°) for more than two hours. Bacteria multiply rapidly between these temperatures. If you're serving in the heat, change the maximum time for cold food to one hour. Cool warm potato salad for 30 minutes before putting it in the refrigerator. If you serve potato salad warm or at room temperature, prepare it just before serving. Don't take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit to warm up.

This article is from the July 2005 issue of Southern Living.