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!
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.
Table of Contents
- How to Have a Memorable Cookout
- Burgers, BBQ & More
- Sauces, Rubs & Seasonings
- Cookout Salads
- Cookout Side Dishes
- Picnic Appetizers & Finger Foods
- Dips for Cookouts & BBQs
- Cookout Desserts
- Drinks Everyone Can Enjoy
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!
Cookout Fun. Now that the yard, porches and patios are cleaned up and ready, it’s time to add in the fun. My 5 Backyard Hostess Essentials make sure memories are made!
Burgers, BBQ & More
Sauces, Rubs & Seasonings
Cookout Salads
Cookout Side Dishes
Picnic Appetizers & Finger Foods
Dips for Cookouts & BBQs
Cookout Desserts
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 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.
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. Â
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