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  5. 15 Creative Ways To Use Avocado for Your Next Meal or Party

15 Creative Ways To Use Avocado for Your Next Meal or Party

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors Updated April 04, 2022
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Sheet Pan Nachos
Credit: Greg DuPree

Holy guacamole, avocado is one of the most popular recipe ingredients right now, and we can understand why people love this healthy, creamy, versatile ingredient. For whenever you want to make a recipe with avocado that's not simply avocado toast, we've found 15 creative ways to use avocado whenever the craving strikes. In some of these recipes, it isn't the star, but the addition is the finishing touch that takes the dish to the next level.

There are easy avocado recipes for dips, sides, main dishes, toppings, and salad dressings. (Just wait until you taste the sheet pan nachos.) Whip up these quick recipes on a weeknight or for a party, because this household staple is sure to stay. Try these 15 tasty avocado recipes now. 

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Beef Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Crema

Beef Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Crema
Credit: Stephen DeVries

Recipe: Beef Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Crema

Change up taco Tuesday with this beef flauta recipe. Get the kids to help you roll up these delicious dippers!

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Creamy Avocado Dip

Creamy Avocado Dip
Credit: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Creamy Avocado Dip

Our Creamy Avocado Dip is a smoother, tangier version of guacamole that we're sure you and your crowd will love just as much. 

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Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Slaw

Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Slaw
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Slaw

Our Black Bean Burger with Avocado Slaw will earn the praise of vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

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Sheet Pan Nachos

Sheet Pan Nachos
Credit: Greg DuPree

Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos

You're only 30 minutes away from the kids' new favorite (and budget-friendly) dinner.

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Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole

Nashville Hot Chicken Dip
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole

I know you're asking yourself, "Why didn't I think of this?" It makes sense that an ingredient from another of our favorite dips, pimiento cheese, would taste delicious in guacamole. And has bacon ever made a dish taste worse?

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Crispy-Shrimp Salad with Avocado Dressing

Crispy-Shrimp Salad with Avocado Dressing
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Recipe: Crispy-Shrimp Salad with Avocado Dressing

This homemade salad dressing is delicious and lends itself to a number of different applications. You can use it as a dip for fresh vegetables, a sandwich spread with grilled or fried seafood, or even a taco topping.

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Avocado Pico Recipe

Avocado Pico Recipe
Credit: Stephen Karlisch

Recipe: Avocado Pico Recipe

This festive avocado dish pairs well with your favorite tacos.

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Quesadillas Al Pastor

Quesadillas Al Pastor
Credit: Skyler Burt

Recipe: Quesadillas Al Pastor

These loaded quesadillas will be the talk of the town when you serve them at your next neighborhood gathering.

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Sweet Pea-Avocado Soup

Sweet Pea-Avocado Soup
Credit: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Sweet Pea-Avocado Soup

Chilled soups provide a cooling break from the intense summer heat. Serve this avocado soup as the start of a brunch or luncheon, or serve it as the main course.

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Strawberry-Avocado Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Strawberry-Avocado Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Recipe: Strawberry-Avocado Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Add any protein you want to this easy to throw-together salad.

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Pulled Pork Nachos

Pulled Pork Nachos
Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Pulled Pork Nachos

Top off these savory pulled pork nachos with diced avocado.

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Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad with Orange-Poppy Seed Dressing

Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad with Orange-Poppy Seed Dressing
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad with Orange-Poppy Seed Dressing

Creamy avocado and sweet-tart citrus and pomegranate seeds balance out the peppery heat of the radishes in this fresh salad. 

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Chilled Radish-and-Avocado Soup

Chilled Radish-and-Avocado Soup
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chilled Radish-and-Avocado Soup

This light and refreshing dish has a peppery bite from radishes, hot sauce, and chile powder that is balanced out by creamy avocados, tangy whole buttermilk, and a little honey for sweetness. 

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Spicy Avocado Dressing

Spicy Avocado Dressing
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Recipe: Spicy Avocado Dressing

This dressing takes the ingenious trick of using avocado as its base, offering thickness and creaminess—no dairy required. 

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Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls

Sweet Pepper-Peanut Sauce
Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls

Cool down this summer with these perfect peach rolls.

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 15 Beef Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Crema
    2 of 15 Creamy Avocado Dip
    3 of 15 Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Slaw
    4 of 15 Sheet Pan Nachos
    5 of 15 Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole
    6 of 15 Crispy-Shrimp Salad with Avocado Dressing
    7 of 15 Avocado Pico Recipe
    8 of 15 Quesadillas Al Pastor
    9 of 15 Sweet Pea-Avocado Soup
    10 of 15 Strawberry-Avocado Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing
    11 of 15 Pulled Pork Nachos
    12 of 15 Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad with Orange-Poppy Seed Dressing
    13 of 15 Chilled Radish-and-Avocado Soup
    14 of 15 Spicy Avocado Dressing
    15 of 15 Barbecue-Peach Summer Rolls

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