Get ready to find some mouthwatering favorites for your cookout or backyard get-together in this Labor Day recipe collection! From dips to drinks, salads, sides, main dishes, even dessert, this collection has everything you need to deliciously celebrate the end of summer.

I am never happy about the end of summer and the return to routines and such, but what I do welcome is any chance to get together and celebrate. And Labor Day? Well, that is a prime opportunity for an all out summer bash!
Burgers, dogs, salads, fish fries, dips, watermelons… You name it, we’ve spent all season perfecting our favorite dishes, and the long weekend ahead is the perfect moment to show them off one more time.
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So let’s not waste another moment! These tasty Labor Day recipes reflect the best this season has had to offer and are perfect whether you’re bringing a dish or planning for the best end of summer celebration!
Table of Contents
Appetizers & Drinks
Fresh guacamole, full of diced tomatoes and peppers and sprinkled with special seasonings, lime juice and salt, is the perfect way to kick off any gathering. Pile it high on a tortilla chip and dip away!
Enjoy this easy recipe for homemade bruschetta with a refreshing summer twist! Sweet watermelon, grape tomatoes, red onion, fresh basil, a touch of salty feta and a simple balsamic dressing make a delightfully tantalizing appetizer everyone will love! Serve it on thin slices of crusty french bread or as a dip with naan or pita chips.
With a cream cheese filling that’s loaded with fresh herbs and real bacon, these cherry tomato appetizers are literal BLT flavor bombs you and your guests will love!
Fresh Roma tomatoes, cilantro & lime create an easy, bright, restaurant-style salsa that you can enjoy any time. This simple homemade salsa recipe also makes a perfect topping for your favorite enchiladas, tacos or Tex Mex casseroles!
Get spicy with these quick and easy Sweet Heat Bread and Butter Pickles! This simple, semi-homemade bread and butter pickle recipe lets you enjoy special small batches of crisp refrigerator pickles that will bring a little zesty wow to your burgers, sandwiches and appetizer trays. No canning required!
Grab a handful of tortilla chips and get ready to load them up with fresh Pineapple Salsa. This easy fruit salsa recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy and has all the right happy summer vibes! It’s going to be your go-to snack, dip, topping for tacos, nachos and favorites from the grill all season long.
Sweet corn, green chiles, bright red tomatoes, black olives, cilantro and lime are tossed together to make a fresh, summery salsa in this Green Chile Corn Salsa Dip. It’s a perfect dip for tortilla chips or tasty topping for all your grilling or Tex Mex favorites!
Nothing beats a tall glass of homemade lemonade, and nothing gets more refreshing than homemade lemonade made with cool, crisp mint! This easy Mint Lemonade recipe using a quick mint simple syrup and freshly squeezed lemons is an unbelievably special drink you’ll always want to have on hand.
This refreshing Strawberry Iced Tea does more than just hit the spot on hot days, it’s pure cool enjoyment in a glass. Made with macerated fresh red berries, this easy strawberry tea doesn’t require any simple syrup. Get ready for a new summer sipper favorite!
Crisp and refreshing, this simple Sparkling Peach Lemonade is what casual summer hospitality is all about! Macerated peaches, white cranberry peach juice, freshly squeezed lemons and a hint of sparkle make this quick and easy summer drink one that you will want to keep on hand all summer long.
Salads
Creamy, crunchy, with bursts of flavor & tons of color, Confetti Frito Corn Salad is a classic potluck and cookout side dish. Loaded with bell pepper, onion, cheddar cheese, crisp whole kernel corn and crunchy, salty Corn Chips, this quirky little salad is just this side of addictive!
What’s not to love when everything you love about loaded baked potatoes meets the South’s favorite side dish, easy potato salad? Tender potatoes and all the best baked potato toppings- chopped bacon, sharp cheddar, green onions and a creamy sour cream dressing with a little Ranch seasoning- are tossed together to make a Loaded Baked Potato Salad everyone will crave!
This quirky layered salad is a southern classic that never fails to be a true hit at cookouts, potlucks and family gatherings. Ridiculously and surprisingly delicious, Southern Cornbread Salad is a stunner, loaded up with layers of cornbread, marinated black eyed peas, tomatoes, corn, green onions and bell pepper, bacon, cheddar cheese and a cool and creamy buttermilk Ranch dressing.
Southern Deviled Egg Potato Salad is one of the dreamiest, tastiest side dishes around! It combines all the flavors of deviled eggs with red onion, pickles and tender potatoes to create a fluffy, tangy salad that’s perfect for cookouts, potlucks, tailgates, even holidays!
With just the right amount of that sweet and tangy dressing we all love, this is the best coleslaw recipe! It’s simple, keeps its crunch, has loads of creamy flavor and is perfect for every occasion. Creamy Southern Coleslaw is a quick and easy side dish that’s hard to resist.
Made with cool sour cream, tart lemon juice, a little mayo, tender red potatoes and tangy dried dill, this quick & easy recipe makes the most delicious Creamy Dill Potato Salad! A scrumptious alternative to traditional potato salad, these fresh & herby potatoes are the perfect side dish for burgers, fish frys, BBQ chicken and virtually anything from the grill!
Loaded with red onion, celery, red bell pepper, sweet pickles, hard boiled eggs and a creamy mayo dressing, this classic Southern Macaroni Salad is one of those staples that should be on every table at every gathering. And the really good thing (other than the delicious flavors) is that it’s so easy to make with just a few ingredients that most of us already have in our pantries and fridges!
There’s nothing better than a side dish that’s so fresh and delicious that you just can’t help going back for seconds! Light & crisp, this simple tomato cucumber salad with slivers of red onion and a lightly sweet and tangy vinegar dressing is that kind of dish. It’s perfect for picnics, cookouts, potlucks and just about any meal. But be forewarned once you whip it up, this salad is never around for very long!
Loaded with juicy watermelon, red strawberries, pops of blueberries and plump blackberries, this sun-ripened summer fruit salad is topped with fresh mint and tossed in a simple honey lime dressing to create the most refreshing, summery salad you’ll make all season! Berry Watermelon Fruit Salad is perfect for cookouts, family gatherings, snacking and every single meal in between!
Taco Pasta Salad is loaded with savory, seasoned ground beef, black beans, tomatoes, green onions, corn and jalapenos. Tossed in a cool, creamy avocado cilantro dressing with a squeeze of lime, this is an easy Tex Mex favorite for cookouts, potlucks, tailgates and family gatherings.
Main Dishes
Party with fun, bite-sized mini cheeseburgers on a stick! Juicy & delicious, these little kabobs have everything you love about your favorite burger in just a bite or two. Perfect as a fun finger food at cookouts, on game day or even as a side for soups & salads, these Mini Cheeseburger Skewers might just become your favorite way to eat a burger.
Cherry Cola BBQ Pulled Pork is a simple recipe that can be thrown together and cooked low and slow in the oven or in the crock pot. A little salt and pepper, BBQ sauce and our secret ingredient of cherry cola make for a “fall apart” tender pork roast that you’re going to want to eat all the time!
Smoked sausage, zucchini, yellow squash, bellpepper and red potatoes get a kick from garlic, butter and special all purpose creole seasoning to create an easy, all-in-one summer meal on the grill or in the oven!
The key to any good southern fish fry is a perfectly seasoned cornmeal coating that fries up golden with a smart, crisp crunch. And the easiest way to achieve that is with your own Homemade Cornmeal Fish Fry Mix!
This easy crock pot Shredded BBQ Chicken recipe will have you eating the best tender, melt in your mouth shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches all the time! With a simple homemade Tennessee style BBQ sauce made rich with molasses and strong coffee, this versatile family recipe is sure to become a quick favorite.
Hot Dogs will never be the same after being dressed in a simple pineapple salsa, a special, easy-to-make spicy mustard and sandwiched between a sweet Hawaiian bun! Add a little beach life to your Labor Day!
These burgers are one way that you can take the ordinary and make it special with just a little change or two. And isn’t that what good cooking and hospitality are all about? With a little pork sausage and a slice of grilled hala-kahiki (pineapple), and you’re headed from “I guess we’ll grill burgers” to a grilling island style!
Forget doing the dishes with these deliciously fun Chicken Nacho Foil Packets. Loaded with melted cheese, tender, seasoned chicken, black beans, corn and tomatoes, these no-mess, easy nachos are the perfect Tex Mex recipe for cookouts, camping, game night or any ol’ time a nacho craving hits!
Side Dishes
Loaded with melted cheese, sour cream and simple seasonings, this deliciously creamy, cheesy shredded hashbrown casserole is the perfect potato side dish for breakfast, holidays, potlucks, even regular weeknight dinners! And it’s a hit you’ll never feel bad about serving over and over again since you’ve made it’s yummy goodness without using any canned soup.
Pork and beans, spicy ground sausage and an easy but rich homemade sauce team up to make an unforgettably flavor-packed side dish in this hearty baked bean recipe. Classic Southern Baked Beans and Sausage is a genuine must-have for every cookout, BBQ, potluck or tailgate!
Covered in a cool sour cream sauce, rolled in cheese and seasonings and spritzed with lime, this Mexican Street Corn recipe cooks up tender in a foil packet that keeps the corn warm until your guests can get their hands on it. Not to mention these foil packets can be used on the grill or right in your oven!
Mouthwatering, tender, cheesy baked baby potatoes are loaded up with bacon and cooked in your favorite BBQ sauce using easy foil packets for zero clean up! Cheesy BBQ Bacon Potato Foil Packets are ultimate side dish, perfect for the oven, grill, even a campfire!
It’s time to kick your baked bean game up a notch, and these easy Hawaiian Baked Beans are just what the occasion calls for. A little sweet, a little salty and just a little spicy, these crazy delicious baked beans are loaded with pineapple, bell peppers, sweet onion and bacon. Bathed in a thick, rich sauce, this special side dish is a welcome addition to cookouts, barbecues, potlucks, tailgates or just any time plain ol’ boring just won’t do!
No self-respecting plate of fried fish, bowl of gumbo or BBQ spread shows up without a golden fried hush puppy or 3 tucked in somewhere. This easy recipe for authentic, homemade Southern Hush Puppies makes it simple to serve piping hot baskets of hush puppies that are crisp on the outside, tender and fluffy on the inside and loaded with savory cornbread flavor.
Dessert
Vanilla cookies, a lemon-y whipped cream layer and blueberry pie filling are layered up in jars, glasses or a larger dish to create an easy, dreamy dessert that's light and quick!
Orange Creamsicle Poke Cake is a light & refreshing citrus dream! An easy sheet cake recipe made using a boxed cake mix and a few extra special ingredients just sings with sunshine-y orange flavor from orange soda, orange jello and and delightfully fluffy orange whipped topping!
A classic summer dessert, this easy no-bake Fresh Strawberry Pie is bursting with plump, ripe strawberries bathed in a simple sweet strawberry glaze all cradled in a flaky, buttery pie crust.
Delicious southern blackberry cobbler doesn’t come any easier than with this simple recipe! With plump, juicy berries and an easy crisp, golden crust, this Skillet Blackberry Cobbler recipe uses the magic of cast iron to effortlessly bake up the perfect summer dessert!
An easy Peaches and Cream Trifle is just what your cookouts, summer parties, showers and family gatherings have been asking for! Layers of fresh, ripe peaches, buttery pound cake and fluffy whipped vanilla cream, this simple peach dessert celebrates the best of summer with your southern favorites!
Creamy Toasted Coconut Lime Bars are like little key lime pies as a fun dessert bar! Tart and tangy lime, sweet shredded coconut and a buttery shortbread crust with macadamia nuts and lime zest make this tropical delight the perfect treat for summer cookouts, bridal and baby showers and your favorite holidays.
What could be better than scooping up a delicious ray of sunshine? That’s just what you get when serve this dreamy Coconut Pineapple Trifle with it’s layers of crushed pineapple, tender yellow pineapple cake, rich cream cheese pudding filling, all piled high with whipped topping and toasted coconut. Get ready for a little taste of paradise!
No ice cream maker? No problem! This easy recipe for homemade No Churn Lemon Ice Cream with a rich blueberry swirl comes together in a snap with condensed milk, whipping cream, instant pudding mix, lemon zest and blueberries.
Need A Labor Day Centerpiece?

A watermelon centerpiece? Sure, why not! We get all a gape about stuffing pumpkins full of flowers (yes, I know, I love it too), so why not fill up their summer cousins with blooms galore and use them as gorgeous surprises on our cookout tables, at showers, pool parties or Memorial Day and Labor Day get-togethers? A watermelon is always the perfect answer to your summer hospitality needs!

These Labor Day recipes were out of sight. I usually pin a lot of your recipes but this was almost every one. Thank you. Needless to say, your recipes are outstanding!
Hi, Kathy! I don’t know what to say! Thank you so very much. This truly made my day! I hope you have a marvelous Labor Day weekend.