By Susan McClanahan

It is time to eat outdoors and invite friends over for a picnic. Fire up the grill, prepare a couple of side dishes and you have a fun gathering of food and fellowship.

With that in mind, I have pulled together a few recipes that could work nicely for such a gathering.

You might want to go online to read the entire column see all of the recipes, as you won't want to miss a one.

Corn and Blue Cheese Burgers

This recipe combines a beef patty and fresh corn, Maytag blue cheese and pickle relish.

• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 hamburger buns, split

Toppings:

• Fresh whole kernel corn
• Crumbled Maytag blue cheese
• Sweet pickle relish

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Press a shallow indentation in the center of each with your thumb. Brush both sides of patties with oil.

Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Serve on buns with toppings. Yield: 4 servings.

Favorite Barbecued Chicken

• 2 broiler/fryer chickens (3 to 4 pounds each), cut into 8 pieces each
• Salt and pepper

Barbecue Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Grill skin side down, uncovered, on a greased grill rack over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, make barbecue sauce by heating oil over medium heat. Add onion; saute until tender. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Turn chicken; brush with barbecue sauce. Grill 15-25 minutes longer, brushing frequently with sauce, until a thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted in the breast and 170-175 degrees in the thigh. Yield: 12 servings.

Salmon Burgers With Tangy Slaw

This tangy slaw, made with fennel and avocado, adds another layer of flavor that goes surprisingly well with salmon and other seafood.

Slaw:

• 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb
• 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup lime juice

Honey Mustard:

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey

Salmon Burgers:

• 1 pound skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces, divided
• 2 tablespoons grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 hamburger buns, split

Place the first eight ingredients in a large bowl; toss to combine. In a small bowl, gently toss avocados with lime juice; add to cabbage mixture. Refrigerate until serving. In a small bowl, mix honey mustard ingredients.

For burgers, place a fourth of the salmon in a food processor. Add lime zest and mustard; process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.

Place remaining salmon in food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped and add to puree. Fold in shallot, cilantro, soy sauce, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties.

On a greased grill, cook burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 145 degrees.

Serve on buns with honey mustard; top each with 1/2 cup slaw. Serve remaining slaw on the side. Yield: 4 servings.

Note: Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Salmon on the Grill

• 1 pound salmon filet
• Salt and pepper
• Butter, melted
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Cilantro

Put salmon in a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add crushed garlic, melted butter and chopped cilantro. Squeeze full lime onto the salmon and leave slices in foil. Seal foil tightly.

Place foil pouch on a hot grill and grill 12-20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and green onion.

Cilantro and Lime BBQ Chicken Wings

Chicken wings

• BBQ sauce, your favorite brand
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• Brown sugar
• Cilantro and green onion garnish

Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry.

Make marinade: BBQ sauce and juice from 1 lime.

Add chicken to marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Grill on high heat until skin is crisp and slightly charred, then move to low heat on top rack. Continue to cook until thoroughly cooked through.

North Alabama Style Pulled Chicken BBQ

When it is just too hot to cook outside or rain is in the forecast, don't cancel your plans to have friends over, just change the menu. This recipes uses a slow cooker to prepare the chicken entree.

• 5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (does not make it spicy)

Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour cider vinegar over and add salt and pepper. Cook on high, 4-5 hours or low, 8-9 hours. Use tongs to remove chicken from slow cooker; chicken will fall apart as you do this.

Take out 2 cups of liquid from the slow cooker and discard rest. To that two cups, add brown sugar, hot sauce, and pepper flakes. Stir. Put chicken back in slow cooker, pour sauce over, stir, and serve piping hot with toasted buns.

Chunky Veggie Slaw

The classic coleslaw with cabbage gets a fresh approach when you add broccoli, cucumbers, snap peas and crunchy walnuts.

• 1 small head cabbage, chopped
• 6 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 medium cucumber, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 12 fresh sugar snap peas, halved
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Top with walnuts and green onions. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 14 servings (1 cup each).

Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350 degrees oven for 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Marinated Asparagus With Blue Cheese

Asparagus marinated in vinaigrette and dotted with cheese makes an awesome side. If you're not a blue cheese fan, but you might like Parmesan or feta.

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, uncovered, 2-3 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine green onions, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Add asparagus; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Drain asparagus, discarding marinade. Place asparagus on a serving plate; sprinkle with cheese.

Corn, Cauliflower And Cucumber Salad

• 1 large head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets
• 1 (15 ounce) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 large (or 2 small) cucumbers, sliced and halved or quartered
• 1/2 bell pepper (any color), diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• Salt and pepper, to taste

In a bowl, whisk mayonnaise (or yogurt) with dill, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss cauliflower, sweet corn, and bell pepper. Pour dressing over top and toss until all ingredients are well blended. Top (and toss again, if desired) with green onion.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

German Potato Salad

There are many different recipes for German potato salad, so I chose one from my files to share with you today. Each family has their own way of making it, and all are correct.

If you have not made German potato salad before, now might be just the right time.

• 3 pounds medium red potatoes
• 5 bacon strips, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 4 tablespoons drippings. In the drippings, saute onion until tender.

Stir in the flour, salt, celery seed and pepper until blended. Gradually add the sugar, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Add potatoes and bacon to the skillet; cook and stir gently over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

Boston Style Baked Beans

For a potluck or picnic, you can't beat this classic side that starts with a pound of dried beans. Molasses and maple syrup give it a slight sweetness.

• 1 pound dried great northern beans
• 1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour or until beans are softened.

Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to Dutch oven; add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are almost tender.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Saute onions in drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, syrup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid; place in an ungreased 3-quart baking dish. Stir in onion mixture and bacon. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours or until beans are tender and reach desired consistency, stirring every 30 minutes. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed. Yield: 12 servings (2/3 cup each).

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

• 1 pound pasta -- rotelli or elbow
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed small
• 1 bag (10 ounce) frozen peas, thawed
• 8 strips cooked bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 4 tablespoons (2 packages) dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup milk

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain and rinse. Place pasta in a large bowl along with cheddar cheese, peas and bacon.

Mix dried ranch, sour cream, mayonnaise and mix together until smooth. Pour over pasta and other ingredients and sprinkle on chives and parsley. Toss together until well mixed. Serve immediately. Can be stored in refrigerator but may need to additional sour cream or milk if pasta sticks together.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.