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    Classic Memorial Day Recipes & Guide

     

    These classic Memorial Day recipes will help you plan the perfect cookout menu for you, your family and friends. Plus, I’ve got helpful tips for preparing ahead of time and ways to make hosting outdoors so much easier!

    a collage of classic memorial day cookout recipes and menu ideas

    The way we’ve observed Memorial Day as a country has changed a bit over time, but my family has always observed it with cookouts, summer’s first swim and just a whole lot of fun from the vantage point of a lawn chair. 

    How to Have a Memorable Cookout

    If you’re planning a cookout this year, the time to get started is now, even if your gathering is going to be small! Planning and doing a little preparation will make the long 3 day weekend be so much more relaxing, head off any disappointments and help everything come together smoothly.

    Things you’ll want to do now should include:

    • meal planning. The Memorial Day recipes below should make that a breeze! You can browse through them all or use the table of contents to navigate to different food groups. Choosing 1-2 items from each food group will ensure that you have a gorgeous spread that leaves nothing out!
    • grocery shopping. After making your Memorial Day Menu, you might want to do a little shopping for those big items that might not be available to you later in the week, order any special cuts of meat, buy your paper goods and gather your flags!
    • yard maintenance. It’s also prudent to take a close look at your yard. Any sprucing up or spraying for insects you want to do before the big day? Now’s the time! 10 Tips for Summer Entertaining lists everything you need to know about getting together and enjoying your backyard!
    10 tips fomr summer entertaining to help with Memorial Day planning

    Table of Contents

    • How to Have a Memorable Cookout
    • Picnic Appetizers & Finger Foods
    • Dips for Cookouts & BBQs
    • Sauces, Rubs & Seasonings
    • Drinks Everyone Can Enjoy
    • Cookout Salads
    • Cookout Side Dishes
    • Burgers, BBQ & More
    • Cookout Desserts

    Picnic Appetizers & Finger Foods

    Summery Watermelon Bruschetta

    Lemonade Refrigerator Pickles

    Sweet Heat Bread & Butter Pickles

    Homestyle Deviled Eggs

    Easy Italian Marinated Olives

    New Orleans Muffuletta Skewers

    Louisiana Pickled Shrimp In a Jar

    Fresh Sweet Corn Relish

    Ham & Dill Pickle Pinwheels with a Spicy Kick

    Mini Cheeseburger Skewers

    Dill Ranch Snack Crackers

    Dips for Cookouts & BBQs

    Green Chile Corn Salsa Dip

    Fresh Salsa with Cilantro & Lime

    Fresh Guacamole: Our Favorite Tex-Mex Dip

    Ham & Pineapple Hawaiian Dip

    Whipped Feta Tzatziki Dip

    Creamy Peppercorn Parmesan Cheese Dip

    Fresh Avocado Strawberry Salsa

    Classic Mexican 7 Layer Dip

    Sauces, Rubs & Seasonings

    Homemade Cornmeal Fish Fry Mix

    Tasty Homemade Tartar Sauce

    Louisiana Remoulade Sauce

    Smoky Sweet Coffee Rub 

    All Purpose Creole Seasoning

    Honey & Pineapple Mustard

    Campfire Fry Sauce

    Sweet & Spicy Tennessee BBQ Sauce

    Drinks Everyone Can Enjoy

    Sparkling Peach Lemonade

    Refreshing Mint Lemonade

    Summery Watermelon Sparklers 

    Pineapple Cilantro Lime Spritzer

    Refreshing Strawberry Iced Tea

    Cookout Salads

    Southern Cornbread Salad

    Creamy Southern Coleslaw

    Creamy Dill Potato Salad

    Southern Black Eyed Pea Salad

    Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Strawberries

    Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

    Classic 7 Layer Pea Salad

    Spicy Strawberry Watermelon Salad

    Southern Deviled Egg Potato Salad

    Bacon Tomato Pasta Salad

    Confetti Frito Corn Salad

    Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad

    Berry Watermelon Fruit Salad

    Broccoli Slaw with Apples & Brussel Sprouts

    Southern Tomato Cucumber Salad with Vinegar Dressing

    Southern Macaroni Salad

    Cookout Side Dishes

    Cheesy BBQ Bacon Potato Foil Packets

    Hawaiian Baked Beans with Pineapple & Bellpepper

    Mexican Street Corn Foil Packets

    Garlic Parmesan Sweet Potato Wedges

    Ultimate Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese

    Southern Baked Beans and Sausage

    Southern Green Beans & New Potatoes with Bacon

    Brown Sugar Roasted Pineapples

    Easy, Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole (no canned soup)

    Burgers, BBQ & More

    Hawaiian Burgers with Pineapple & Fresh Avocado Salsa

    Hawaiian Dogs & Pineapple Relish

    Spicy Creole Shrimp Foil Packets

    Cherry Cola BBQ Pulled Pork

    Shredded Chicken BBQ Sandwich 

    Grilled Garden Vegetable & Sausage Packets

    Cookout Desserts

    Easy Fresh Strawberry Pie

    Red Velvet Trifle

    Red Velvet Trifle is ideal for Memorial Day. Luscious layers of red velvet cake, chocolate sauce, white chocolate cheesecake and whipped topping make one decadent dessert that anyone can make! Plus, it red and white stripes are perfectly partriotic!

    No Churn Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream

    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.

    Buster Bar Ice Cream Dessert

    Loaded with salted peanuts and layer of vanilla ice cream on an easy homemade Oreo crust and topped with the best fudgey chocolate topping you’ve ever tasted, this homemade, family-sized take on Dairy Queen’s Buster Bar is one of those summer treats that is just knock-your-socks off good.  

    Tropical Orange Jello Salad

    Southern Banana Pudding from Scratch

    Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

    Cherry Coca-Cola Jello Salad

    Coconut Lime Bars

    Orange Creamsicle Poke Cake

    Layered Strawberry Jello Salad

    Ready to up your backyard hosting game even more? Check out my 5 Backyard Hostess Essentials for everything you’ll need to be the summer hostess with the mostess!

    backyard hostess essentials
    Top 5 Backyard Hostess Essentials for This Summer

    Pin it to your Pinterest Board
    The classic Memorial Day recipes will help you plan the perfect cookout menu for you, your family and friends. Plus, I've got helpful tips for preparing ahead of time and ways to make hosting outdoors so much easier!
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