We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Somehow Labor Day weekend is upon us. It’s been a very strange summer — it seems like we were just firing up our grills for Memorial Day, and yet that also feels like a long-distant memory now. Since we are all out of our normal rhythms, the long weekend might’ve snuck up on you. If you’re planning on getting outside and cooking this weekend, we’ve got some side dish options for you. Because coming up with the main dish is easy (just throw some ribs, chicken, or burgers on the grill) — it’s the side dishes that are often overlooked, though.
Summery dishes like cucumber salad, corn on the cob, and grilled vegetables are all easy to pull off with a moment’s notice. Here are 30 sides that take no time at all and are easy to make without breaking a sweat.
Summer Salads
Summer salads put prime, in-season produce on display, and they also usually hold up well for multiple hours.
2 / 13
Stone Fruit Panzanella Should you still have an embarrassment of juicy peaches, plums, and cherries from the farmer's market come Labor Day, then you must put them towards this simple and ultra-special stone fruit and bread salad.
Go to Recipe 6 / 13
Dragon Fruit Salad Scooping summer fruit into bite-sized balls and tossing in dragon fruit gives basic fruit salad a fun and impressive twist.
Go to Recipe 11 / 13
Pesto Tortellini Pasta SaladLabor Day won't the same without a good pasta salad. That's why you need to make this pesto number which leans on cherry tomatoes and flavorful ingredients found at most grocery stores.
Go to Recipe 13 / 13
Tex-Mex Quinoa SaladMixed with quinoa, beans, and vibrant fresh veggies, and topped with a zippy chili-lime vinaigrette, this is a potluck salad that everyone can eat.
Go to Recipe Sides from the Grill
If the grill is already on for your burgers and hot dogs, you might as well toss a few other things on the grates for side dishes. Plus, it’s a well-known fact that all vegetables taste 100 percent better when cooked on the grill.
1 / 8
Grilled Stuffed Tomatoes Ripe tomatoes hollowed out, then filled with gooey cheese and summery basil pesto, skillet-cooked on the grilled, and garnished with toasted pine nuts.
Go to Recipe 2 / 8
Chicken Caesar Salad Skewers RecipeHere's a hack for a one-and-done grilled Caesar salad that can eaten family-style: form chicken skewers, crouton skewers, and split the romaine halves so everything can be cooked separately. Once all of the components have finished cooking, pile the skewers and greens on a platter so everyone can build their own salads and drizzle on Caesar dressing however they like it.
Go to Recipe 3 / 8
Bacon and Basil Wrapped Corn Some food duos are just dynamic. Case in point: corn and basil really know how to build flavor together. That's why here, we literally bundled them up together with a bow of bacon and grilled them until smoky and crisp.
Go to Recipe Other Winning Side Dishes
Beyond salads and grilled veggies, there are plenty of other unique side dishes to make that don’t take too much time. Toss a creamy corn casserole in the oven if you’re up for some heat, or grab the spiralizer if you’d rather keep it a no-cook situation.
3 / 9
Coronation Coleslaw For your Labor Day side dish consideration: a chilled chicken coleslaw dressed in a sweet, acidic curried sauce and dotted with plump golden raisins along with salty, roasted cashews. It's a perky foil to heavier summertime foods like burgers, hot dogs, and flaky grilled fish.
Go to Recipe 4 / 9
Baked BeansBacon and a handful of pantry spices go a long way in transforming an ordinary can of beans into a tasty Labor Day side.
Go to Recipe 6 / 9
Corn Pone RecipeServe these old-fashioned cornmeal cakes with salted butter, wilted greens, or tucked next to the mains on your Labor Day plate.
Go to Recipe 8 / 9
Summer Squash SuccotashThis play on a classic succotash swaps out lima beans for chickpeas, tosses in a variety of tender summer squash, and elevates the flavor with a bit of smoked paprika.
Go to Recipe 
