Red, White and Blue Sides for a Patriotic Memorial Day Picnic

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Sunny Anderson Red White Blue Mashed Potatoes
Beyond The Basic Mash-Potatoes

Cooking Channel Sunny Anderson Red White Blue Mashed Potatoes Beyond The Basic Mash-Potatoes

Photo by: Armando Rafael Moutela ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved. 2014, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Armando Rafael Moutela, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved. 2014, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

We've found the key to being patriotic inside and out: eating the combo of red, white and blue, as well as wearing it. You don't need to break out food dye to make Sunny Anderson's red, white and blue mashed potatoes (pictured above) with bacon, Gorgonzola cheese and garlic, or an equally colorful side dish like blueberry and pomegranate salad.

Check out four more of our favorite red, white and blue side dishes below, perfect for a Memorial Day picnic.

Juicy peaches, pungent blue cheese and crisp prosciutto mix with a slightly sweet maple vinaigrette and big romaine lettuce leaves in an easy salad.

Kalamata olives are more purple than blue, but they work in Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos' hearty grain salad, which also has red and white from tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

Host Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott's dish, Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pecans, Pomegranates and Blue Cheese, for their Thanksgiving dinner party, as seen on Cooking Channel’s Tori & Dean Specials, Tori & Dean’s Family Thanksgiving.

Host Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott's dish, Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pecans, Pomegranates and Blue Cheese, for their Thanksgiving dinner party, as seen on Cooking Channel’s Tori & Dean Specials, Tori & Dean’s Family Thanksgiving.

Photo by: Eddy Chen ©2015, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Eddy Chen, 2015, Cooking Channel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fire up the grill for a picnic-ready side dish that can be served at room temperature. Pomegranate seeds and blue cheese add contrasting flavors and patriotic colors to Brussels sprouts.

This "salad" is really just a pile of crunchy lemon pita chips with blueberries, pomegranate seeds and salty cheese, which is the best kind of salad.

More Memorial Day side ideas from our friends:
The Lemon Bowl: Greek Pasta Salad
In Jennie's Kitchen: Pulled Pork & Cabbage Salad

Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice

The Wimpy Vegetarian: Healthy Mexican Casserole

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