There’s no mistaking it when Dad fires up the grill—it gets louder, smokier, and somehow more competitive. This lineup of 29 recipes that prove dad’s apron is a warning sign brings all the backyard energy with none of the questionable shortcuts. Expect big flavors, charred everything, and enough “perfect sear” talk to last all summer. These dishes were clearly made by someone who thinks medium-rare is a moral stance.
BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
When dad puts bacon in a salad, it suddenly becomes a required side dish and a conversation starter. BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon! checks all his boxes: bold, satisfying, and likely to run out too soon. You’ll hear the story of how it “needed something extra” at least twice. No one argues with the results, especially not around him.
Get the Recipe: BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Pickled Shrimp Egg Shooters
You don’t question it—you just try one and realize it’s somehow working. Pickled Shrimp Egg Shooters feel like something dad dreamed up after too much time in the kitchen and not enough supervision. They’re punchy, strange, and surprisingly good, which is also how he defends them. He calls it innovation; everyone else just reaches for another.
Get the Recipe: Pickled Shrimp Egg Shooters
The Backyard Table
Get it NOW and level up your outdoor dining! The Backyard Table - Recipes for Summer Cookouts features 34 of Chef Jenn's BEST recipes for outdoor eating and entertaining.
You'll get ad-free recipes like:
- Grilled Corn Guacamole
- Grilled French Onion Burgers
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
- Blueberry Grunt
- and so many more!
Every recipe is created, tested and loved by Chef Jenn and her family - there's no AI here!
Get it now, at a special introductory price of $7.99. That's over 50 pages of foodie love at your fingertips!
Buy Now!Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad
This one shows up chilled, crunchy, and slightly confusing to people expecting the usual lineup. Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad is dad’s way of reminding everyone he’s been watching food videos on his lunch break. He says it adds “contrast” and then smirks like he just won something. Somehow it works, and nobody’s brave enough to ask questions.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad
Parmesan Garlic Corn Ribs
Corn gets wild when dad’s had a little too much fun watching grill hacks online. Parmesan Garlic Corn Ribs are half side dish, half science project, and definitely not optional if he’s on duty. Everyone thinks they’re too strange to work—until they disappear faster than anything else. Next thing you know, he’s Googling ways to do it with squash.
Get the Recipe: Parmesan Garlic Corn Ribs
Black Bean & Corn Salad
This one plays it cool but ends up being the thing everyone talks about. Black Bean & Corn Salad isn’t loud, but it never gets ignored either—kind of like dad when he’s not holding the tongs. It balances out everything else without making a scene. And somehow, there’s never quite enough of it.
Get the Recipe: Black Bean & Corn Salad
Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Dad doesn’t really do subtle, and this salad proves it. Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing shows up fully dressed and ready to get in the mix. It’s loud, chilled, and just left of what you thought you wanted. One bite in and you’re too busy chewing to complain.
Get the Recipe: Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Nothing says “dad’s been watching cooking shows again” like homemade salsa in a jar you’re told not to open yet. Roasted Tomatillo Salsa is his latest experiment and he wants opinions, even if you’re still chewing. It’s sharp, smoky, and clearly labeled with a date, just in case. He’ll ask what you think, then immediately tell you what you should think.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad
You know dad’s in charge when vegetables hit the grill like they’ve got something to prove. Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad isn’t a compromise—it’s a side dish that shows up with just as much confidence as the meat. It’s the one he points at when someone questions his grilling range. Nobody really asked for a grilled salad, but now it’s getting scraped up before the burgers are even gone.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Asparagus and Potato Salad
Summer Squash Casserole
This dish walks in like it knows its job and leaves without making a fuss. Summer Squash Casserole doesn’t try to impress, but ends up doing exactly that once it hits the plate. Dad treats it like a secret weapon that only gets pulled out when he wants to look balanced. No one knows how or why it works so well—it just does.
Get the Recipe: Summer Squash Casserole
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
This one always makes it into the cooler even if nobody remembers packing it. Hawaiian Macaroni Salad somehow sneaks onto the plate next to grilled everything and then quietly steals the show. It’s creamy, cold, and just complicated enough to feel like dad tried. He’ll pretend it’s no big deal while watching everyone scoop seconds.
Get the Recipe: Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Tomato Bruschetta
It looks simple, but dad makes it feel like a performance every time he serves it. Tomato Bruschetta isn’t grilled, but it gets treated like it deserves a spot next to anything smoking hot. He says it’s “just something light” while stacking pieces higher than necessary. By the time anyone asks what’s in it, it’s already gone.
Get the Recipe: Tomato Bruschetta
Pizza Pasta Salad
This one hits that sweet spot between “cookout” and “kitchen experiment with something to prove.” Pizza Pasta Salad isn’t subtle and doesn’t care if it sounds like too much—it works because dad says it does. You can expect bold choices, serious scooping, and a lot of second helpings from people who swore they were just going to nibble. It’s the kind of side that makes you rethink what belongs in a bowl.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Pasta Salad
Epic Nacho Snack Board
It starts off casual until you see him spacing things out like a building inspector with something to prove. Epic Nacho Snack Board is dad’s blueprint for making sure no one walks away hungry—or unimpressed. He treats it like an art installation with snack rules only he understands. If you even think about moving a chip, expect a speech.
Get the Recipe: Epic Nacho Snack Board
Smashed Cucumber Salad
Nobody thinks much of this one until it’s gone and someone’s asking who made it. Smashed Cucumber Salad brings a sharp, crunchy twist that balances out everything off the grill. It’s cold, snappy, and slightly chaotic—exactly like dad’s grilling schedule. If you blink, it’s already empty and he’s acting like it’s just something he threw together.
Get the Recipe: Smashed Cucumber Salad
Classic Corn Pudding Casserole
There’s always that one dish that shows up, gets quiet approval, then vanishes before you can ask who brought it. Classic Corn Pudding Casserole is what dad slides onto the table when he wants to keep things simple but win anyway. It never argues with ribs or chops—it just fits, without trying. The leftovers are mysteriously gone before the fridge even closes.
Get the Recipe: Classic Corn Pudding Casserole
Yellow Bean & Potato Salad
This isn’t your average potato salad, and dad won’t let you forget it. Yellow Bean & Potato Salad gets extra points for standing out without showing off. It’s hearty enough to matter and just different enough to keep people guessing. By the time the grill cools down, this one’s already scraped clean.
Get the Recipe: Yellow Bean & Potato Salad
Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
Nobody’s saying dad doesn’t know what he’s doing, but once he pulls this one out, things start getting real. Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans aren’t grilled, but they always show up next to something that is, probably made while dad barked orders in flip-flops. This dish brings the kind of backup that keeps smoky plates from feeling one-note. It’s reliable, familiar, and the exact kind of thing you get warned not to fill up on—but you always do anyway.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
Thai Noodle Salad with Mango and Spicy Peanut Dressing
Dad doesn’t follow rules when he makes salad, and this one proves it. Thai Noodle Salad with Mango and Spicy Peanut Dressing is colorful, cold, and absolutely nothing like what anyone expected. It’s sweet, spicy, and impossible to stop eating once you start. People say it’s weird at first—and then they ask for the recipe.
Get the Recipe: Thai Noodle Salad with Mango and Spicy Peanut Dressing
Southern Style Pickled Shrimp
If it’s weird, tangy, or comes with a backstory, dad’s probably behind it. Southern Style Pickled Shrimp isn’t the first thing guests reach for, but it’s the one they talk about all the way home. It shows up chilled, sharp, and just confusing enough to start an argument. Somehow, he always acts like this was a normal thing growing up.
Get the Recipe: Southern Style Pickled Shrimp
Wild Rice Salad
He claims it’s healthy, but dad still treats it like it belongs on the main plate. Wild Rice Salad is nutty, chewy, and oddly satisfying in a way that surprises everyone. It’s not flashy, but it holds its ground with the grilled stuff like it was born to. You’ll start off unsure and end up scooping seconds.
Get the Recipe: Wild Rice Salad
Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles
This one doesn’t try to reinvent anything—it just shows up and does the job right. Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles has that sharp bite dad insists makes it “better than store-bought.” It’s cold, chunky, and somehow always a little different depending on who makes it. But when dad’s behind it, it’s always scraped clean.
Get the Recipe: Classic Red Potato Salad with Pickles
Classic Hoppin’ John
This is the dish dad pulls out when he wants to remind you he’s got depth. Classic Hoppin’ John looks humble but always earns respect once it hits the plate. It brings just enough heat to make people pause and wonder how serious he was about “just a little kick.” He always acts surprised when it disappears before the ribs do.
Get the Recipe: Classic Hoppin’ John
Dairy-Free Radish Salad
This one has no business working as well as it does. Dairy-Free Radish Salad is sharp, fast, and perfect for cutting through every rich thing dad pulls off the grill. It disappears faster than anything that required actual cooking. He calls it “clean” like that’s supposed to mean something, and somehow it does.
Get the Recipe: Dairy-Free Radish Salad
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
This one feels like someone dared dad to combine two picnic staples and he just never backed down. Deviled Egg Pasta Salad is what happens when logic loses to creativity and somehow it actually works. It confuses people at first glance, then clears out the bowl in minutes. He’ll pretend it was no big deal, but we all know he’s proud of it.
Get the Recipe: Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
These are never announced—they just show up in a container no one’s allowed to touch yet. Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies are dad’s emergency dessert for when the grill’s already hot and the oven’s off-limits. They’re sticky, rich, and always gone before anyone asks for seconds. He pretends they’re for the kids but never shares evenly.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
Panzanella Salad
Bread in a salad shouldn’t work, but dad claims this one is “rustic” and nobody questions it. Panzanella Salad looks like it was thrown together last-minute, but it lands harder than most hot dishes. It’s messy, bold, and just fancy enough for him to explain it twice. People come for the meat but stay for this.
Get the Recipe: Panzanella Salad
White Bean Salad
This one plays it low-key but always finds its way onto the plate. White Bean Salad has just enough heft to count as real food but won’t slow down anyone going back for steak. It’s the kind of dish dad says is “balanced” and then piles it next to a rack of ribs. It doesn’t make sense, but it works.
Get the Recipe: White Bean Salad
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Everyone rolls their eyes until dad flips these like they’re ribeyes. Grilled Cauliflower Steaks are the unexpected move that somehow earns their spot on the plate. They look like a joke until you taste them, and then things get quiet. You don’t have to like them—but you’ll still eat them.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Cucumber Salad with Feta
Cold, salty, and borderline addictive, this is dad’s way of cooling things down without losing his edge. Cucumber Salad with Feta brings contrast without drama and usually disappears before anyone can figure out why it’s so good. It plays well with everything smoky, spicy, or grilled within reach. No leftovers, no complaints.
Get the Recipe: Cucumber Salad with Feta