11 holiday salad recipes

A classic German style potato salad that is served warm. Perfect for Octoberfest.

Halloween hairball salad: walnut-sized balls of mashed avocado and alfalfa sprouts rolled up and perched on grated carrots, finished with Italian dressing. Kid-friendly ghoulish fun.

No flag day or 4th of July celebration would be complete without a potato salad. This version is lighter and healthier that the tradition mayonaise only version but every bit as tasty. It's best made the day before. A great make-ahead classic side-dish so you can enjoy the day more.

A Halloween Waldorf salad shaped like a werewolf with carrot fangs, alfalfa sprout fur, and radish eyeballs. Crisp apples, walnuts, and raisins in a creamy dressing kids love.

Fungus among us salad tosses crisp iceberg, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and red onion with chilled creamed spinach as a green, gloopy 'fungus' dressing. A Halloween party gross-out salad kids love.

German potato salad tosses tender sliced potatoes and onion in a tangy-sweet apple cider vinegar dressing with just a touch of mayo. A lighter, Oktoberfest-style side that's even better after it rests.

No-bake frozen fruitcake salad with sour cream, whipped topping, candied cherries, pineapple, bananas, and pecans. A retro holiday dessert that freezes into a creamy, fruity slice.

Green pea and peanut salad with Spanish peanuts tossed in a sweetened sour cream dressing. A no-cook retro side dish with festive red and green garnish, great for holidays and potlucks.

Cranberry fruit salad jello mold with raspberry gelatin, cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, walnuts, and orange juice. Classic holiday potluck dish, makes ahead easily.

Retro frozen cranberry cream cheese salad with a tart cranberry layer topped with whipped cream cheese, nuts, and whipping cream. A vintage holiday side served on lettuce leaves.

A two-layer Christmas Jello salad with lime gelatin on the bottom and a creamy lemon layer on top with cream cheese, pecans, marshmallows, and pineapple juice. Retro holiday side dish charm.