Why cold sides are my favorite part of July 4th

This year, we’re still celebrating. [Today On The Spruce]( [The Spruce Daily]( [Today On The Spruce]( [Today On The Spruce] [Lemon Heading Photo]( [Why Cold Sides Are My Favorite Part of July 4th]( [Heather Ramsdell]( 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 [READ MORE]( [Today On The Spruce](#) Recipes We Love [Sugar]( [19 Tasty Potato Salad Recipes for Summer]( [Your Barbecue Meal Isn’t Complete Without Pasta Salad]( [Sugar]( [You Don’t Need an Open Fire to Make Tasty S’Mores at Home]( [Esquites Are Our New Favorite Way to Enjoy Fresh Summer Corn]( [Today On The Spruce](#) One Thing [Heading Living Room]( [A Homemade Edible Playdough Your Kids Will Love]( [Watch & Learn]( [Today On The Spruce]( [Spruce Eats Banner]( [Today On The Spruce](#) More From The Spruce [Pinwheel Sandwiches Are a Fun Snack or Appetizer Your Kids Will Love]( [Beyond Meat Philly Cheesesteak]( [A Vegan "Lobster" Roll is Possible With This Secret Ingredient]( [Trending Topics](#) [Breads]( [Slow Cooker Meals]( [All-Star Pastas]( [Seasonal Produce]( [Grilling]( [Breakfast Casseroles]( Did somebody forward you this email? [Sign Up for The Spruce Eats Newsletter!]( [The Spruce]( [The Spruce]( [The Spruce]( [The Spruce]( You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to The Spruce Eats newsletter. [Unsubscribe](page=spruce) © 2020 Dotdash.com — All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy.]( A DOTDASH BRAND 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036