BBQ Side Dish Smackdown

By Jennifer V Cole

May 14, 2012

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For many, it's the delicious bounty of summer BBQ side dishes—not what's in the smoker—that makes a paper plate feel like fine china. So, in our first side dish smackdown, we set out to find the best reader recipes for slaw, baked beans, and more.

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How We Chose the Winners

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

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.

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Winner: Best Baked Beans

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Grandma Gwen's Beans - Liz Matthews, Fullerton, California

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

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Winner: Best Pasta Salad

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Tangy Tzatziki Pasta Salad - Dawn Moore,Warren, Pennsylvania

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

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Winner: Best Coleslaw

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Chipotle-Cilantro Slaw - Nadine Mesch, 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."

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Winner: Best Potato Salad

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Spinach-Artichoke Dip Potato Salad - Priscilla Yee, Concord, California

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

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Winner: Best Mac & Cheese

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Chipotle-Bacon Mac and Cheese - Marshall Lee Camp, Sandy Springs, Georgia

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

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Winner: Best Surprise

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Sweet, Salty, and Spicy Watermelon Refresher - Carolyn Kumpe, El Dorado, California

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

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By Jennifer V Cole