One of the most popular categories of side dish for a barbeque is salad. Most salads can be made ahead of time. In fact, many salads even taste better if they're allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight. Potato salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, vegetable salad, bean salad, green salad, grain salad, layered salad, gelatin salad, and coleslaw can all be made in advance and just pulled out of the refrigerator when it's time to eat. If you're having green salad, just remember to wait until the last minute to add the dressing and croutons.
Bread is another great barbecue side dish to make ahead of time.
There's nothing better than mopping up extra sauce and juice with some freshly baked cornbread or savory herb bread. There is also a whole world of side dishes that you can prepare right on the grill, or nestled into the coals. Most vegetables and fruits, from bell peppers and corn to bananas and cantaloupe, are delicious when seasoned and cooked directly on the grill. Vegetables and fruits are also easy and tasty when dotted with butter and herbs and wrapped in foil pouches to cook in the hot embers. In addition to fruits and veggies, everyone will go crazy for slabs of flatbread hot off the grill.