Running the grill can leave Dad standing while everyone else gets first pick of the cookout spread. These 19 dishes give him plenty of reasons to put the tongs down, from smoked beef and griddled pork to potato salad, corn pudding, fried okra, and chilled shrimp. There are quick sides for filling gaps, substantial mains for hungry plates, and a few cooler choices that balance the smoky food. A grilled pineapple side and strawberry cake finish the table without making the whole menu depend on the grill.
Southern Style Pickled Shrimp
Cool and tangy beside anything smoky, Southern Style Pickled Shrimp uses a pound of shrimp layered with lemon, sweet onion, dill, garlic, and a vinegar-based pickling mixture. The recipe serves four and needs at least four hours in the refrigerator, so it works well as an early-prep cookout appetizer. Serve the shrimp chilled with crusty bread or alongside other Southern-style starters when the hot food is still coming off the grill.
Get the Recipe: Southern Style Pickled Shrimp
Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich
Built for the person who wants a full plate in one hand, Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich stacks grilled chicken with fresh mozzarella, tomato, lettuce, and pesto mayonnaise on bakery-fresh buns. The recipe makes two sandwiches and comes together in about 10 minutes once the chicken is ready. It is a strong cookout main when burgers are not the only option, especially with potato salad, corn, or grilled vegetables on the side.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich
Birria Pizza
Loaded enough to pull people away from the snack table, Birria Pizza turns pizza crust into a base for birria beef, mozzarella, cotija, radishes, onion, cilantro, and hot sauce. The recipe takes 25 minutes and makes three servings, which makes it easy to slice into smaller cookout portions. It brings a rich, cheesy option to the table without adding another burger or hot dog, and the crisp radishes keep each slice from eating too heavy.
Get the Recipe: Birria Pizza
Ham & Cheese Puffs
Small enough to disappear between trips to the grill, Ham & Cheese Puffs bake chopped ham, Swiss cheese, onion, Dijon mustard, and egg inside refrigerated crescent dough. One batch makes 24 puffs in 25 minutes, so there is plenty to pass around before the main plates are filled. Their compact size works especially well for cookouts where people keep moving between the patio, yard, and food table instead of sitting down all at once.
Get the Recipe: Ham & Cheese Puffs
Smoked Beef Kabobs
Smoke does most of the heavy lifting in Smoked Beef Kabobs, pairing tender beef with zucchini, red onion, mushrooms, and red bell pepper on skewers. The beef marinates for about an hour before a 45-minute cook, and the recipe serves four. These fit a cookout spread naturally because the meat and vegetables arrive together on each skewer. Put them out as a main dish when Dad is ready to trade the tongs for an actual plate.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Beef Kabobs
Mexican Black Beans
Fast enough to fill a side-dish gap without slowing the cookout, Mexican Black Beans simmer black beans with onion, garlic, cumin, chipotle powder, lime juice, and cilantro. The recipe takes 15 minutes and serves four, making it useful when the rest of the table is already nearly done. Spoon them beside grilled meat, tacos, or rice, or use them to bulk up a plate when the cookout needs something hearty that does not require more grill space.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Black Beans
Crunchy & Spicy Fried Okra
Crisp edges and a little heat make Crunchy & Spicy Fried Okra an easy side to keep near the main platters. Fresh okra gets coated with white cornmeal, black pepper, cayenne, and optional smoked paprika before frying. The recipe serves four and takes 25 minutes from start to finish. It adds a crunchy Southern element next to smoked meats and creamy salads, and the small pieces are easy to grab when people are building plates in several trips.
Get the Recipe: Crunchy & Spicy Fried Okra
Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles
Creamy but still loaded with bite, Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles mixes red potatoes with dill pickles, mayonnaise, sour cream, shallot, red bell pepper, Dijon, dill, parsley, and pickle juice. The recipe serves six, with 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking. It belongs beside burgers, smoked beef, or chicken because it can be made ahead and served cold, giving the cookout table a familiar side that does not compete for grill space.
Get the Recipe: Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles
Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
Slow cooking frees up the busy part of the afternoon, while Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans handles two pounds of green beans with sausage, pork hock, bacon, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chicken broth. The recipe serves eight and cooks for four hours after just a few minutes of prep. It is a practical cookout side when the grill and oven are already spoken for, and the meaty beans can hold their own beside smoked or grilled mains.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
Grilled Pineapple With Buttery Lime Glaze
Sweet, smoky, and bright at the same time, Grilled Pineapple With Buttery Lime Glaze coats pineapple spears with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg before finishing them with butter, honey, and lime juice. The recipe takes 17 minutes and serves four. It can sit on the cookout table as a side or dessert, which makes it especially useful when the menu already has plenty of rich meat and creamy salads but still needs something lighter at the end.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Pineapple With Buttery Lime Glaze
Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs
Made right on the flat top, Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs combines fresh tortellini, meatballs, onion, garlic, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, spinach, Italian seasoning, and mozzarella. The recipe serves eight and takes 30 minutes, giving the cookout a substantial griddle dish beyond the usual sandwiches and skewers. It is especially useful for a hungry crowd because each scoop includes pasta, meat, vegetables, and cheese without needing several separate sides to make the plate feel complete.
Get the Recipe: Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs
Corn Pudding Casserole
Soft in the center with plenty of corn throughout, Corn Pudding Casserole combines eggs, half-and-half, corn, cheese, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, chives, and thyme. The recipe bakes in an hour and serves eight, making it a generous side for a larger cookout table. Its spoonable texture works well beside sliced smoked meat or kabobs, while the mild corn flavor gives guests a break from hotter sauces, smoky seasonings, and fried sides.
Get the Recipe: Corn Pudding Casserole
Smoked Cauliflower
A whole head on the smoker gives Smoked Cauliflower enough presence to sit beside the meat instead of disappearing among smaller vegetable sides. Butter, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper season the cauliflower before smoking. The recipe takes 40 minutes and serves six. Slice it into wedges or florets for the table, especially when the cookout needs a vegetable option that still carries the same smoky flavor as the main dishes.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Cauliflower
Sizzling Thai Pork & Green Beans on the Blackstone Griddle
Hot off the griddle, Sizzling Thai Pork & Green Beans on the Blackstone Griddle cooks ground pork and green beans with onion, garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. The recipe serves four and takes 20 minutes, so it works as a fast main while other food is resting. The salty-sweet sauce and crisp green beans give the table a different direction from barbecue flavors without pulling the meal away from the outdoor-cooking theme.
Get the Recipe: Sizzling Thai Pork & Green Beans on the Blackstone Griddle
Strawberry Upside Down Cake
Bright berries make Strawberry Upside Down Cake an easy way to finish a cookout after a table full of smoky and savory food. Three cups of strawberries bake beneath a simple butter cake, and the finished recipe serves 10 in about an hour. The generous serving count makes it useful for a larger backyard meal, while the fruit-heavy top keeps dessert from leaning too rich. Slice it once the main dishes have cleared and serve straight from the platter.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Upside Down Cake
Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes
Chewy grains give Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes more substance than a leafy side, combining wheat berries with tuna, diced tomatoes, green onions, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice. The recipe serves eight and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, with most of that time spent cooking the wheat berries. Serve it cool or at room temperature as a hearty cookout salad, especially when the spread could use a filling option away from the grill.
Get the Recipe: Wheat Berry Salad with Tuna & Tomatoes
Grilled Radishes w/ Jalapeño Dipping Sauce
Char from the grill changes the usual raw crunch in Grilled Radishes w/ Jalapeño Dipping Sauce, pairing halved radishes with butter, lime juice, honey, and a creamy jalapeño-cilantro dip. The recipe takes 20 minutes and serves four. It is a useful small side or appetizer when the grill has a little open space, and the cool dip gives the table something creamy without adding another mayo-heavy salad to the cookout lineup.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Radishes w/ Jalapeño Dipping Sauce
Smoked Eye of Round
Built for slicing instead of standing over individual steaks, Smoked Eye of Round seasons a three-pound roast with Montreal steak seasoning before giving it a long smoke. The recipe takes about 1 hour 39 minutes and serves six. Thin slices work well on a cookout platter where guests can take as much as they want, and the roast format lets Dad handle one substantial piece of meat before finally stepping away from the smoker to eat.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Eye of Round
Chef Jenn’s Buffalo Chicken Salad
Cool greens and spicy chicken meet in Chef Jenn’s Buffalo Chicken Salad, which combines shredded chicken, hot sauce, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, celery, cucumber, and blue cheese. The recipe takes 15 minutes and serves four, making it one of the fastest dishes in the lineup. Put it out when the cookout table needs something fresh but still filling, especially beside heavier smoked meats, creamy potato salad, or fried okra.
Get the Recipe: Chef Jenn’s Buffalo Chicken Salad