10 Stand-Out Side Dishes for a Party

When you want your food to be the talk of the party, stand out—without straying too far outside the box—with no-fuss sides that have a unique spin.

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1 of 11

Crab and Chive Deviled Eggs

Levi Brown
Made just like the original, but elevated with a touch of seafood seasoning, lump crabmeat, and a topper of freshly chopped chives.

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2 of 11

Pasta Salad With Salami and Mozzarella

 Charles Masters
With decidedly Italian ingredients like salami, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, this pasta salad is bursting with flavors reminiscent of your favorite Margherita pizza.

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3 of 11

Shrimp Cocktail With Herb-Chili Sauce

Danny Kim
Trade traditional cocktail sauce for a zingy dipper studded with jalapeño chilies.

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4 of 11

Sweet and Tangy Romaine Slaw

Marcus Nilsson
To lighten up this summer favorite, replace buttermilk and mayonnaise with canola oil, agave nectar, green hot sauce, and white vinegar. 

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5 of 11

Broccoli Dip

Kana Okada
Three ingredients and a bag of pita chips are all you need to whip up this delectable dip for your next get together.

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6 of 11

Kale Caesar Salad

Paul Sirisalee
Replacing Romaine with kale gives this classic salad unique texture and added health benefits.

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7 of 11

Potato Salad With Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette

Dana Gallagher
Coarse-grain mustard and fresh tarragon add a new take to an old party favorite.

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8 of 11

Peach, Mozzarella, and Basil Salad

Ngoc Minh Ngo
To create a sweeter summer salad, swap out tomatoes for ripe peaches.

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9 of 11

Chickpea and Red Pepper Salsa

Yunhee Kim
Leave the jarred salsa on the shelf and pair your dippers with this chickpea-based version that takes almost as little effort.

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10 of 11

Barbecue Meatball Sliders

Paul Sirisalee
Ditch the standby cheeseburger sliders in favor of tangy meatballs tossed in barbecue sauce and topped with a crunchy slaw.

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