Is it hot enough where you live this summer? If not, you can CERTAINLY have some of this South Alabama heat! I’ve never been one to love the heat and humidity, but one place that I love to have a little heat is in my food – especially BBQ and all the fixin’s! The 4th of July is coming up in just a few short days, and best believe I’ll be kicking up the heat on my plate this year! I’m anxiously awaiting it’s arrival so I can chow down on some delicious dishes, but one thing I’m not so hot on is all of the time and prep that can go into those dishes.
But fret not my BBQ loving friends! I’m comin’ atcha this evening with 3 quick and easy tips to prepare the best stress-free BBQ dinner this season (and I’ll show you how to spice it up, too!)
Step 1: Don’t feel like you have to make everything from scratch
Did you know that Betty Crocker has some AMAZING pasta salad sides that are perfect for pairing with your BBQ meal? I mean, you know it’s not a BBQ until someone brings a pasta salad, right?! Since I love to pack in some spice, I chose the Suddenly Salad Southwest Grains variety. It has a delicious Mexican-inspired flare that I really love! It isn’t spicy on it’s own, so no worries if you’re more sensitive to heat!
What attracted me more than anything to this particular variety is the fact that it’s packed with some really good-for-you stuff! I love to incorporate quinoa into my meals, and the fact that I can accomplish that much goodness and get it all in just a few short minutes is AWESOME!
In fact, I was really pleased with how many different options of Suddenly Salad there actually are! I stopped by my local Publix store this past weekend and picked up a couple boxes to keep my pantry stocked. Now I’m totally ready for any cookout of potluck that comes my way this summer!
Look at those beautiful southwest grains! To make this dish a little more personalized, I diced up some jalapenos and added just a touch of spicy Italian dressing to amp up the acidity.
2. Utilize the microwave
Friends, did you know you can cook an ear of corn to perfection IN THE MICROWAVE? I’m for real, y’all! No need to shuck, silk and boil or grill it. Save yourself the time and headache and pop it in the microwave!
Step 1: Chop off the stalk-end of the ear of corn with a straight blade knife. You’ll want to make sure you cut off some of the actual ear of corn and not just the husk. (This cuts the silks loose at the stalk end of the ear.)
Step 2: Wrap the ear in a paper towel and dampen it.
Step 3: Place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 4 minutes.
Step 4: Allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove the paper towel and the ear of corn by simply squeezing the end of the stalk until it pops out! (Think like you’re squeezing a tube of toothpaste – this will remove all of the silks on the corn!)
This is one of my favorite kitchen hacks of all time. It’s works perfectly every single time! In true Southern nature, I sprinkled a little creole seasoning and butter on mine. Mmm!
Step 3: Utilize the Slow Cooker!
I’m a huge fan of BBQ, y’all. In fact, I love it SO much that I served BBQ at my own wedding! This summer season means that everyone is preparing their meat out on the grill or in their smoker, but sometimes you just don’t have the time (or maybe even the skill…I don’t!) to do that sort of thing. That’s where the handy dandy slow cooker comes in to play!
I just pulled out my favorite slow cooker BBQ chicken recipe and tossed it in the pot. I poured my favorite spicy BBQ sauce, a little vinegar and some brown sugar on top and let it do it’s thing. My fabulous BBQ plate was ready to be eaten before lunch time – and I never stressed over it for one second!
So if you’re gearing up for a cookout or potluck this Summer, take the stress out of the planning and enjoy the good things in life! I always keep a box (or three) of Suddenly Salad on hand to help me do just that!
Winner, Winner, Suddenly Salad Dinner!!
One lucky Southern Made Simple reader will WIN $15 Paypal cash so they can pick up a few boxes of Suddenly Salad to help rock their next BBQ or cookout!
To enter:
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Visit Suddenly Salad where you’ll find a sweet money saving coupon! (This is a must)
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Come back and tell me in a comment what dish you’ll prepare this 4th of July to go with your Suddenly Salad!
We will be having Fried Chicken
My mom is making scalloped potatos!! 🙂
We’ll be grilling steak, chicken and shrimp on the 4th.
I would prepare porkchops on the grill.
We will be having BBQ ribs for the 4th of July – and birthday cake for my firecracker of a granddaughter who is turning two!
We will be having hamburgers and hot dogs at our family picnic.
Carne Asada yummy! ,
We will be having pulled pork BBQ and homemade potato salad
Something a little different, sweet and sour chicken with a vegetable stir fry.
I would make grilled salmon to serve with my salad.
I’d make ribs
Found my coupon 🙂
I will be making the ranch and bacon pasta salad for the 4th. It is my favorite!
We’ll be making hamburgers and hot dogs
I would make French Onion Chicken Sliders to go with my Suddenly Salad.
Hot dogs and Hamburgers!!
Love the tip for the corn, thanks!
I’m going to try a new strawberry pie recipe.
We are having hamburgers and brats this fourth of July! I might make a veggie cole-slaw too. 🙂
Easy Beef Nachos
Southwest style ranch would be the one I’d use of the suddenly salad line. However, with most everyone in my family working on the 4th, we won’t be having a picnic.
I went to your link but didn’t see the coupon. Which is just as well, I don’t like to print out coupons, they use too much ink making it not worth the savings.
Congratulations, Kimberly! You were randomly selected as the winner of the $15 Paypal gift card! Please email me within 48 hours to claim! laura(at)southernmadesimple.com
I think grilled hamburgers and corn on the cob would go great with Suddenly Salad.
Definitely grilled chicken to go with the bacon and ranch pasta salad. Thanks!
I think we’ll be doing chicken. Hubby is in charge of the grill while I’m in charge of dessert.
We’re going to grill burgers!
I will be cooking up some ribs to go with our Suddenly Salad.
Love Suddenly Salad Original! We’re having burgers and all the fixings, so pasta salad is a perfect side!!
Ribs!
We will have hamburgers and Hot dogs, chips and dip.
I will make BBQ ribs
elena150980 at yahoo dot com
We’ll be having hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken. Suddenly Salad would go great with all three.
I’m Canadian so no Fourth of July but it is Canada Day tomorrow. Your pics of corn on the cob are making me drool so I’m totally making some now tomorrow!
I need to try those suddenly salads.
Also my mom also used to make corn on the cob in the microwave like that. So good and you’d never know ?
I have no idea what I’ll make on the 4th. Maybe I’ll pick up a rotisserie chicken. By the way, I couldn’t find the coupon on Betty Crocker’s website.
I would make chicken caesar pasta salad.
I will be grilling it and the ceaser salad mix sounds amazing!!
Burgers! I think it would go great together!
We’re grilling hamburgers and hot dogs.
We would probably have bbq chicken with it. Thank you!!
I would prepare vegetarian “hamburgers” to go with the Suddenly Salad.
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
I will be having Cheese and pepper stuffed burgers because they would go perfectly! Yummy!
I am making ribs in my smoker.
i think it would be a nice side with cheeseburgers.
I always order pizza on July 4th and this could go with it.
I would make hot dogs and hamburgers.
I think that some cold fried chicken and grilled burgers would go great with the ranch & bacon pasta salad.
I would make the Bloody Mary Shrimp and Pasta Salad. It looks so good!
Thank You
Oh I would make brats, 7 bean dish in the crockpot, and a jello cake to go with the Suddenly Salad! Perfect combination!
I would grill up some steaks to go with my Suddenly Salad.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
I would like to try the Grain Salad. Thanks!
We are having hambergers and potato salad.
I would grill hot dogs to go with my salad.
We will be having grilled chicken!
I will be having brats and hamburgers with my Italian Suddenly Salad
Hamburgers and hotdogs.
I will be having steak, and sweet potatoes.
We are having steamed crabs.
I will be preparing some grilled kielbasa to go with my Pasta Salad!
I would like to make some bbq pulled pork.
I’d make BBQ Brisket to go with it.
I made tri tip for the 4th of july
BBQ chicken!
We had a feast, including ham, bbq, potato salad, slaw, corn, baked beans, and of course the pasta salad!
Lots of pasta salads!!
I am going to make a pasta salad with my Suddenly Salad.
We made grilled salmon!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
grilled corn on the cob
I prepared cowboy caviar!
I would grill up some hotdogs
We grilled steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs.
I made a Greek salad with lots of veggies and feta
The classic pasta salad sounds awesome – as long as I could make it vegan! 😉
On the 4th I made spaghetti…in the future with the Suddenly Salad, it’d go great with grilled chicken.
We grilled burgers and hot dogs.
We had hamburgers and hot dogs! This would have gone great with it!
We are having ribs, and I think the Suddenly Salad Classic will be a great side.
Greek Tossed Pasta Salad would of been nice out on July 4th.
We grilled ribs and BBQ chicken with chicken salad dip!
Hotdogs and fruit salad ?
I made the Greek Tossed Pasta Salad to go with the hamburgers and hot dogs but the biggest hit was the Cake Ball Flag! Amazing celebration!
Hamburgers and hotdogs with watermelon!
We grilled hamburgers!
BBQ grilled chicken
I will have hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and Suddenly Salad
We like to grill bratwurst on the 4th of July. I love salad, beans, and potato salad to go with it!
I’ll make baked potatoes!
I will prepare grilled salmon to go with my Suddenly Salad.
We had a southern throwdown 🙂 ribs,chicken, bbq, hotdogs, and hamburgers
We had hotdogs n hamburgers
I’ll definitely be making the bacon and ranch suddenly salad
showstopper474 at gmail dot com
with haivng porkchops
We will be grilling some chicken and corn.
I will be making a cold pasta salad with veggies.
We had grilled turkey sausage on the 4th.
We had hamburgers and hot dogs!
I will make hamburgers with cheese and bacon
This would be good with ribs.
We will be grilling burgers, dogs, and veggies!
Funny. We actually did have suddenly salad with our 4th of July meal. We had kabobs on the grill.
We had burgers and dogs, of course. 🙂
We made steak sandwiches and grilled corn on the cob
Hotdogs of course
We will grill chicken to go with that Ranch and Bacon suddenly salad! It sounds so delicious.
We had hot dogs, chips, dessert cake, and watermelon at a community wide 4th celebration.
Mmm BBQ and Suddenly Salad. I know I’m not the first to say it, but I just love it 🙂
We had a Thai spicy pork salad with sticky rice. 🙂
That corn hack is genius! I have to write it down because I know I’ll forget it – shucking corn and dealing with the silk is my least favorite job. It almost makes me want to use frozen ears.
We had barbecue chicken, potato salad, beans and watermelon. Our cookout staple. 🙂
Hey! We grilled hamburgers, delicious!
Smokies on the fire of course!
Probably pulled pork and a couple of salad type dishes like pasta salad and cole slaw.
Burgers and dogs and I made a pasta potato salad using Suddenly Salad. Delish!
Biriyani and salad yummy!!!
we’re doing burgers and dogs
my famous baked beans
I would serve my Suddenly Salad Greek flavor with steaks and baked potatoes!
Barbecue Chicken is what’s on our menu this 4th of July
I would make coleslaw.
I would prepare roast chicken with vegetables and spices.
Hi Laura 🙂 so sweet name of you
Happy Independence Day America July 4, 2016
Sweet greeting to Alabama 🙂
God bless America
from the little east with love, Kibby 🙂
i prepared Fried Chicken and was great to stay with my family !
BBQ grilled chicken
I would serve it with burgers and dogs! Traditional foods hah!
I’ll serve suddenly salad with the BBQ chicken.
Thanks for the contest.
we’re doing BBQ
i will make sure broccoli salad it is my favorite.
I like pasta salad and red white and blue fruit salad
We made hamburgers and hotdogs.
I made the Ranch & Bacon and it was delicious!
Good old Hamburgers and Hot Dogs!
For the 4th my family decided to have a BBQ! It was a very warm day outside so it was nice, not too hot, just perfect. We took a table outside as well and got to sit while my dad grilled. We ate and then headed to our small town’s local park for the annual fireworks! It was a good 4th!
Bacon and Ranch salad and grilled chicken!
Smoked BBQ baby back ribs with pasta salad!
I would make the Chicken-Taco-Ranch Pasta Salad
We’re grilled hamburgers and hot dogs to go with out Ranch and Bacon Suddenly Salad!
We grilled chicken and shrimp.
I always use these to make fresh pasta salad! Comes out great.
Well will be preparing Chicken Chettinad which quite good and warm feeling in our area season.
We had shish-kabobs with beef, onions, mushrooms, and peppers with a teriyaki glaze. Thanks for the giveaway!
i cooked a tajine
I visited! We did have suddenly salad for the 4th! We also had watermelon, baked beans, homemade ice cream, ribs, chicken, and grilled corn!
We did a pig roast! Thanks so much for the chances to win.
we did hot dogs and hamburgers:)
We had hamburgers and hot dogs.
We love grilled brats!
We are having burgers and hot dogs.
I would have some barbecue ribs and chicken with the salad.
I will make a healthy pasta salad with vegetables.
BBQ chicken! So yummy!
We always make sure to have watermelon, steak and hot dogs at our BBQ! I do the steak…marinated for a few days in my secret mix!
Mmm…some pulled pork BBQ with our suddenly salad was on the menu!
I made BBQ chicken thighs and Hawaiian Tortellini Salad and Lemon pies for the 4th this year. I had never seen the Suddenly Salad Grains varieties! I can’t wait to try them.
***Saw coupon…most coupon sites want Windows or Mac and don’t play well with my Linux, so I don’t get to print…sigh.
We (had) barbecue chicken with my dad’s secret homemade sauce. He won’t even tell me what’s in it!
WOW-Side dish with hot dogs
The 4th is over, but we had hamburgers and corn on the cob and the Classic Suddenly Salad would have gone great with our meal. Thanks for tells me about Suddenly Salad!
Burgers would go great with the pasta salad! Yum!
We grilled burgers and hot dogs with corn on the cob and we did have Suddenly Salad too.
We had steaks.
Love the ranch and bacon, we would use it with bbq
I’d have things like potato salad and cole slaw.
We grilled dogs and burgers 🙂 It was tasty. Hope everyone had a great 4th.
My family had barbecue ribs and watermelon and it was very awesome <3
We had hotdogs and hamburgers
I found the Bugles coupon upon many others would be helpful to me. I would grill some hamburgers and make one of the Suddenly Salads for the side.
This 4th of July weekend, our family had lots & lots of Maryland crabs at the crab feast we always hold that weekend! And lots of side dishes…including Suddenly Salad!
We’ll have hamburgers and cheeseburgers with our Suddenly Salad Classic!
This 4th of july weekend our other side dishes were macaroni salad and a loaded baked potato salad
We grilled steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs. We had the pasta salad as a side dish.
We had bar be que for the 4th
BBQ ribs!!
We made some delicious pulled pork. I would love some hamburgers with some Suddenly Salad this weekend. Yum! kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.
We had a tri-tip. It was so yummy!
We would use it with grilled chicken,.
I make my mom’s potato salad and my own pasta salad 🙂
Tuscan style tomato seems so good and interesting – I would love to try it!
We grilled Rib eye steaks for the 4th !!!
I would have prepared grilled corn on the cob to match a Suddenly Salad.
I visited the website. There was a 75 cents off three coupon available. I’d make grilled pork chops to go with the suddenly salad
Burgers and bratwurst!
I made pork ribs and burgers on the 4th. Suddenly Salad would have been a great addition!
I’d make some chicken shish kebobs!
We had hot dogs for the 4th!