What Dish Should I Bring To A Cookout I Was Invited To

Mayonnaise-free potato salad turns a classic cookout dish healthy.

You want to bring a dish of your own to a friend's cookout, but not all classic cookout dishes are easy or safe for transporting. Don't make your contribution more complicated than necessary. For example, as much as you love hamburgers, driving juicy, raw meat across town is asking for a foul-smelling mess and a food poisoning outbreak. Instead, choose a dish that travels well in the car and remains safe for a few hours without refrigeration.

Healthy Potato Salad

A mayonnaise-free potato salad is always a cookout favorite, even among those practicing healthy eating. Prepare your potato salad as you normally would, but up the veggie value by adding a half-cup each of diced cucumbers and baby spinach. Prevent spoiling and reduce fat content by tossing your salad with a half-cup of plain Greek yogurt instead of the standard mound of mayonnaise. Transport your creamy potato salad in a sealed tub or covered bowl.

Walnut Apple Salad

Fruit salad might be a cookout staple, but sitting in the hot sun for even a few hours turns fruit salad sour and mushy. Instead, create a modified fruit and veggie salad by combining 5 cups of baby spinach with 1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts and 1 1/2 cups of feta, goat or blue cheese in a large, sealed container. Bring 2 cups of chopped apples and a lemon in two separate bags. Toss the ingredients together before squeezing the lemon on top and serving with a drizzle of Italian dressing or vinaigrette.

Gourmet S'Mores

No cookout is complete without s'mores, but chocolate bars in hot summer weather can leave a major mess on your fingers and clothing. Substitute a hazelnut-chocolate spread that doesn't require refrigeration for traditional chocolate bars. Bring several plastic spreading knives for guests to spread their chocolate on the graham crackers. Set up a s'more table by the grill or campfire with marshmallows, knifes, chocolate spread and crisp graham crackers.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Corn and black bean salad is a simple dish that retains flavor after mixing and won't turn soggy before serving time. Drain and rinse 3 cups of black beans and add them to 3 cups of frozen yellow corn. The frozen corn cools the other ingredients during storage and transportation. Chop a 1/4 cup of red onions along with a 1/2 cup of red and yellow sweet peppers. Combine all the ingredients inside a large, lidded container before shaking vigorously with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Tags: potato salad, baby spinach, chocolate bars, classic cookout, cups chopped