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Cookout Side Dishes for 50 People Easy Crowd-Pleasing Recipes That Impress

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Easy, scalable cookout side dishes designed to feed 50 people with simple ingredients and minimal stress, perfect for big summer gatherings and backyard BBQs.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 10 pounds fresh green beans
  • 15 pounds potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet)
  • 50 ears sweet corn or equivalent frozen kernels
  • Fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme)
  • 2 pounds unsalted butter
  • 3 pounds cheese (cheddar or Parmesan)
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • ½ cup mustard
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: chopped celery, green onions for potato salad
  • Optional: crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar for loaded potato salad
  • Optional: cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, balsamic vinaigrette for green bean salad
  • Optional: coconut milk, lime juice for sweet potato mash
  • Optional: vegan mayo and maple syrup for dairy-free options

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients by washing and trimming green beans, peeling and dicing potatoes, and shucking the corn (30–40 minutes).
  2. Parboil diced potatoes in salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.
  3. Roast potatoes in large pans at 425°F (220°C) for 25–30 minutes until golden and crispy on the edges.
  4. Blanch green beans in salted boiling water for 3–4 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp. Immediately transfer to ice water to stop cooking.
  5. Toss green beans with lemon zest, olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt.
  6. Make classic potato salad by mixing boiled potatoes with mayonnaise, mustard, chopped celery, green onions, salt, and pepper. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
  7. Optional: Soak corn ears in water for 15 minutes, then grill over medium-high heat, turning every 5 minutes until charred in spots. Slather with butter and sprinkle with salt or smoked paprika.
  8. Arrange all sides in large serving dishes or chafing trays. Keep warm sides covered with foil and cold sides chilled until serving.

Notes

[‘Prep ingredients early to save time and involve helpers.’, ‘Salt water well when boiling potatoes and blanching green beans to season from inside out.’, ‘Use high-quality butter and olive oil for best flavor.’, ‘Avoid over-mixing potato salad to keep texture chunky and rustic.’, ‘Chill creamy sides like potato salad and green beans for better flavor.’, ‘Keep cold sides chilled and warm sides covered and warm until serving.’, ‘Scale ingredients carefully and buy a little extra to avoid running short.’, ‘For dairy-free options, use vegan mayo and olive oil instead of butter.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: cookout side dishes, crowd-pleasing recipes, barbecue sides, potato salad, green beans, grilled corn, large group cooking

Find it online: https://blairrecipes.com/cookout-side-dishes-for-50-people-easy-crowd-pleasing-recipes-that-impress/