Have to be at a barbecue for the 4th. Any idea what to bring? Any salad for the occasion other than the usual lettuce salad?
NY Times has a good recipe for a quinoa salad that everyone I’ve made it for likes and is fairly easy to make - sorry I don’t have a link handy.
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Orzo salad with tomatoes, chickpeas, green peppers, onion, and feta with a lemon EVOO dressing. I like that it isn’t mayo based in case you are outside.
Lots of recipes out there with different twists.
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People always like the Cosi Signature Salad (recipe supplied by @Marilyn years ago. If you don’t want to make the dressing, we sometimes just use raspberry vinaigrette.
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Something with corn. Cowboy Caviar is terrific and is a great cold salad!
We will actually just have chicken, corn on the cob, and caprese salad! Tomatoes and corn are locally ripe here!
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Quinoa salad is a staple in my household, and since it is gluten free I bring it often to gatherings. I think I’m just doing deviled eggs this year, it will definitely be inside due to the heat.
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German-style potato salad (no mayo).
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Not sure we’re doing 4th of July this year. First, I live in household of vegetarians. (My 3 YO grandson has repeatedly told me I need to stop cooking bacon because it’s too stinky!) So no BBQ here ever. We don’t even own a grill. I keep trying to buy an outdoor gas pizza oven, but that idea keeps getting shot down….
Plus SIL will be getting back from a business trip to Europe late Friday night. D1 is working an overnight shift at the hospital on July 4th (and was advised by the local police that she should allow 2-3x as much time for her commute as usual due to multiple road closures.) He’ll be sooo very jet lagged and she’ll be leaving for work around 6:30pm.
Dinner will likely be leftovers or whatever I can concoct from my farmer’s market haul this morning. Maybe caprese salad, corn on the cob and eggplant fritters? Right now I don’t have fresh mozzarella, but that can be rectified pretty easily.
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I like to do either:
a pasta salad with loads of add ins and a vinaigrette - and I like to use orzo.
Baked beans. This recipe by Pioneer Woman (found it years ago and still can’t beat it!) takes cheap canned baked beans and doctors them up and bakes them low and slow
Editing to say recently I made these vegetarian by using vegetarian canned beans and then some vegetarian chorizo crumbles in place of the bacon
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If I wasn’t spending the 4th with my dairy/egg plus allergies family. I’d bring an orzo salad that includes feta cheese. I prefer salads that can be made ahead and can sit in their dressing without getting ruined. I also like to bring an elote corn salad.
Because we will spend the 4th with our grandson I think we will get chicken, rice, bean burritos minus cheese from a local spot that we know doesn’t include any allergens in their rice and beans. Guacamole, salsa and chips. We will likely also have a fruit salad. We will be on a boat so no grilling. Oreos since they also meet the allergy requirements unless someone else brings an approved dessert.
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Easy Salad
Italian cucumber cut into slices
Cherry tomatoes cut in half.
Mix them together and tops with balsamic vinaigrette. Top with gorgonzola cheese.
It’s a great salad.
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Going to my bil’s for the fourth. I was going to bring a salad but my mil called yesterday and told me that I was to bring a dessert
Good thing I hadn’t bought the salad ingredients.
This is the salad I was going to make
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/237732/top-ramen-salad/
I have been making a very simple salad of cucumber, tomato and feta cheese. The dressing is a little sugar, good olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. I thought about making a bowl but I’m bringing a dessert
For my dessert, I’m making a Texas sheet cake. Easy to make, easy to bring.
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For us, it will be grilled chicken and beef kabobs, grilled corn on the cob, cucumber salad, potato salad, and Greek salad. And a birthday cake! Maybe if I have any energy left, I’ll make some homemade ice cream. Likely not. 
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Greek said (tomato, cucumber, red onion, olives, and feta with EVOO) is always welcome at potluck parties. IMO
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Peaches should be in season now, right? One salad I make that always goes down well is a peach, basil and feta one. I usually use spring mix as the leaf base, those multicolored grape tomatoes (halved for easy eating) to add interest, and some slivers of red onion. I don’t have a recipe as such, I just use the propertions that look right! (Peaches sliced into at least 8 slices, thin slices work best, basil torn and mixed in with the other leaves, and feta crumbled over it) I have a specific peach basil dressing that i make with a local store’s* peach white balsamic and basil-infused olive oil, but I have also used a regular balsamic vinaigrette and it works.
*but available online, the store has amazing products, lmk if anyone wants the link! Obviously too late to order online for the 4th.
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I have that ramen salad on my list to make on vacation - it’s a good one.
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I like yo add olives too if I know the crowd will accept them. Or serve them in a bowl on the side for Olive lovers to add to theirs!
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I make similar too and while it’s very good as is with any kind of tomatoes a drizzle of balsamic glaze or hot honey… 
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Our crowd loves olives! One of the guests doesn’t like raw tomatoes hence I add a cucumber salad!
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A cool pasta salad is always good with BBQ - I’m pretty basic with rotini, diced red & yellow pepper, green onions (or red diced small), sliced black olives, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, zesty italian salad dressing mix and bottled creamy italian salad dressing. Let it sit overnight -yum. Sometimes, if in the mood, quarter pepperoni slices and throw in as well.
Or, some nice tomato caprice skewers, easy to make quickly.
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I’m making a classic potato salad (our food will not be outside as it is going to be 100+ degrees here) and a fruit cobbler. We will be at my daughter’s house and she is having dogs & burgers.
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