I love to make salmon the day before and serve it cold the next day. Can go great with the cold salads you’re considering.
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when I make a corn salad, I like to use grilled corn, but I do’t cook it… Trader Joe’s carries frozen grilled corn. I always have a bag in my freezer. I add a can of diced green chiles, diced red pepper, diced red onion, lime juice, rice wine vinegar. I don’t care for cilantro, so I use flat leaf parsley.
I would make a slow cooker pulled pork with 3 salads on the side.
Recipe: 3-4 lbs pork ( I use tenderloin) and 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce.
8 hours on low. I often pull it apart and add more of the bottled sauce to the slow cooker sauce. A hit overtime.
Serve Ina Gartens cosmopolitans. Go to the dollar store and pick some fake crystal dishes.
Thanks so much for all the help, y’all! So pleased to find these great suggestions and recipes when we returned home from our Independence Day celebrating!
What about a big Italian salad with all the toppings (pimentos, grated parmesan, croutons, salami, red onion, artichoke hearts, etc.)? Or a cold strawberry soup? Strawberry “shortcake” for dessert would be good too – most stores sell little cake cups & you could add whipped cream with sliced strawberries marinated in sugar beforehand.
Corn salad is good as a salsa with tortilla chips as well. Or maybe hummus and pita chips? Fruit salsa?
Here’s the Three Melon Soup of Summertime:
6 servings
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled cantaloupe
1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled Crenshaw melon
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dry, crumbled
2 cups Asti Spumante or other sparkling white wine
1 cup finely chopped seeded watermelon
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish
Purée orange juice, cantaloupe, Crenshaw melon and lime juice in processor (in batches if necessary). Mix in honey, sugar and mint. Pour purée into nonmetal container. Add wine and watermelon. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Garnish each serving with mint sprig.
(I love how they tell you to peel the melons - very old recipe!)
And if peaches are in season:
Cold Peach Soup
8 servings
1 1/2 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 cups sour cream
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Sugar (optional)
Purée peaches in food processor until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients except sugar (in batches if necessary) and blend well. Pass soup through fine strainer. Add sugar to taste. Serve chilled.
@Marilyn - thank you so much for taking the time to type these out!
I am a fan of this chilled avocado soup recipe… https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chilled-avocado-soup-0
Chicken Marbella (from the Silver Palate cookbook) is great cold and can be made ahead of time.
I have a good recipe for chicken salad that is always a hit, if you still need one.
This salad is easy and really good. You cold serve this with a chilled soup and have a lovely dinner along with some nice rose wine!
https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/tortellini-chicken-arugula-salad
@alwaysamom - would love it! Always like recipes that are tried and true!
Chicken Pecan Salad
This should be plenty for 4-6 if served with other salads.
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup of seedless grapes, quartered
4 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup of chopped pecans
1 cup of diced celery
dressing:
1 cup of mayo or Miracle Whip
1 tbsp of sour cream
1 tsp of dill
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp seasoned salt
Optional: you can also add chopped apple if you’d like a more ‘fruitful’ salad. 
I boil the chicken then cut it into small pieces. It keeps the chicken moist, rather than cooking it in the oven. Mix all of the first group of ingredients together, after chicken has cooled. Then combine the dressing ingredients and add to the chicken. Mix gently then refrigerate for an hour or more prior to serving. I usually serve it on top of romaine leaves.
@alwaysamom - sounds delish! I’d have to leave out the pecans since my one friend does not eat them. I love that it has dill!
California Chicken salad. So healthy and delicious. Make ahead which is always great.
I grill the chicken, add corn from on the cob, bacon, avocado, dill, chives…whatever you like. Google for a recipe and you will find several versions. Choose the one you like. It’s not a mayo based chicken salad which makes it so healthy.
You could also make bacon wrapped dates (bake them in the morning, they are delicious at room temperature) which might help you round out your selections…it is a ‘meatier’ option - and you can always stuff the dates with blue cheese before wrapping them. Do not use thick sliced bacon if you choose this as an option.
An antipasti platter can also be a great hot weather option.
I don’t think you can go wrong with key lime pie for dessert…maybe sorbet and chocolate ice cream as additional choices?
@beebee3 - I love bacon-wrapped, Mejool dates. I usually stuff with goat cheese. Yum!
@doschicos @MaryBarbara58 and others who make sesame noodle salads…
Do these dry out if made ahead of time? I have never made this type of salad before. When I make pasta salads ahead I find that the noodles “drink” whatever dressing I put on them. Does this phenomenon occur with these Thai/Sesame noodle salads as well? I’d like to make on Tuesday to serve Wednesday night.
Thanks!
I’d either make a little extra of the dressing or set aside a part of it you can toss right before serving. I agree with you that pasta salad dishes tend to soak up any sauces.