Memorial Day Recipe Roundup

Memorial Day traditionally marks the start of summer and grilling season for most of us. While this is not a normal year, it is time to get outside for perhaps a family picnic or a great meal on your deck. Here are some great recipes your family will enjoy.

Jump to:

FOOD SAFETY
Main Dishes
Sides
Special Things
Don't Forget to take the Party Animals

Introduction

For us in the USA this weekend is Memorial Day, a federal holiday for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. But it also serves as the kick-off for summer and a three-day holiday weekend.

Once known as Decoration Day that started after the American Civil War to honor the Union dead, later it merged with a similar Confederate holiday and ultimately for all American war dead.

But on to the other part of this holiday. It’s FINALLY SUMMER. Time for some deck and picnic food.

FOOD SAFETY

Before we start, a few food safety reminders. So easy to forget. It is up to you to keep your friends and family safe. I see dangerous food handling on TV food shows and other blogs frequently. So know the rules. PLEASE.

As a start, please review my Summer Food Safety post. Let's be safe out there. No, Uncle Joe cannot have his burger rare even though you wouldn't mind seeing him sick. It is your responsibility to keep them safe.

Main Dishes

You will find oven versions of many of these dishes. So a grill in not required. And the oven versions are generally great and not much work.

close up picture of a BBQ Sandwich with sauce on a blue plate

Oven Pulled Pork from Pork Butt

Everybody deserves great pulled pork, but most of us don’t have smokers. This outrageously good pulled pork is as simple as rub and toss it in the oven for great low and slow goodness.

Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill – Not That Hard

How to cook pulled pork on a gas grill? Not all of us have smokers. There are a lot of gas grills out there. Shouldn't we have pulled pork too? I say yes. Pulled pork for all, and with a little planning, it is not that hard. Just plan enough time.

Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill from 101 Cooking for Two

How to Cook a Brisket on a Gas Grill

Learn how easy it is to cook a brisket on your backyard gas grill with these easy to follow step by step photo instructions. You too can enjoy one of the Kings of BBQ at home.

How to Grill an Excellent Hamburger – A Beginner Tutorial

Learn the secrets of grilling an excellent burger on a gas or charcoal grill in your own backyard. It is so easy if you know a few tricks. Great burgers can be yours every day with almost no work.

How to Grill a Pork Tenderloin on a Gas Grill

Learn the secrets to juicy and tender grilled pork tenderloin with this super easy tutorial. A properly grilled pork tenderloin will make you look like the grill master. Just don't tell them how simple it is.

grilled tenderloin cut to show done interior

Grillied Chicken Drumsticks- The Art of Drummies

Super easy, never fails, grilled chicken legs for the whole family. Just pat dry, spice and cook over medium-high heat. Then you will have crispy goodness for all.

Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs

Learn how to grill perfect chicken thighs that are juicy, moist, and tender with a little crispy char. Using bone-in, boneless, or even skinless thighs, they make the perfect weeknight dinner. Fire up your grill for some incredibly easy thighs.

Sides

Great side dishes make the meal. Image some corn on the cob with a nice spinach salad or grilled pineapple to make your meal special.

Homemade Macaroni Salad

Blow that deli macaroni salad out of the water in every way. Great fresh taste from fresh ingredients with these easy step by step photo instructions.

Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Crunchy deli style fresh broccoli salad with bacon is a classic summer gathering side dish. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.

Fresh Spinach Salad

Wonderful fresh spinach salad with bacon and a homemade dressing that is a simple compliment to almost any fare. A summer classic but great any time of the year, and it comes together so fast.

Microwave Corn on the Cob

Super Easy. Learn how to pick the best corn and microwave with the husk on in just a few minutes. Perfect for the smaller households. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Glazed Grilled Pineapple

Easy grilled pineapple with a great caramelized brown sugar cinnamon glaze. Wonderful for a side dish or combine with vanilla ice cream for an out of this world dessert.

close up of Grilled Pineacpple with grill marks on a blue plate

Special Things

Image of a whole Fresh Strawberry Pie on a black counter

Easy Fresh Strawberry Pie

Fresh strawberry pie is a wonderful summer treat. A simple recipe everybody will love, made with Jello and a premade pie crust. Plus, almost any fool, including me, can pull this off. Make it your signature summer dish.

fresh trawberry pie slice on white plate

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Bacon Wraps

What could go wrong with bacon, sugar, and spices? Cubes of chicken wrapped in bacon and coated with brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin? Great finger food for that "bring a dish" party. A skill level of 3/10 (easy). Plus it is easy to double or triple if needed.

Memphis Barbecue Sauce – A Wonderful Thing

This wonderful barbecue sauce is the perfect compliment to pork, beef or chicken. A sweet and tangy sauce with a touch of spice that will become your summer favorite..

Don't Forget to take the Party Animals

Molly and Lilly dogs playing with a ball on a rope. Part 1.

Molly and Lilly dogs playing with a ball on a rope. Part 2.

Molly and Lilly dogs playing with a ball on a rope. Part 3.

Have a great holiday weekend and enjoy your summer.

DrDan

Publisher note: This is a re-edit of previous years ( since 2016) post. New recipe recommendations are added as needed to keep it fresh.

Comments

Ashley

May 22, 2019 at 10:14 am

Our beautiful English Golden, Abby, will be 7 years old this Saturday! I think she might love to celebrate her birthday and Memorial Day with a juicy burger or some pulled pork. Thank you!!

- Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
  
  May 22, 2019 at 10:22 pm
  
  Hi Ashley,
  Welcome to the blog.
  I'm doing pulled pork myself but the girls will eat anything. Just not very picky.
  Molly and Lilly say high to Abby.
  Thanks for the note.
  Dan
michele strong

September 12, 2018 at 5:29 pm

I just stumbled across your site today and am already a fan! so happy I found you ☺ what kind of pups do you have? sometimes I can't tell the difference between an english cream retriever and a great pyrenees.. we were blessed with the most beautiful, smart, amazing.... pyr a couple of months ago! 😊

- DrDan
  
  September 12, 2018 at 9:25 pm
  
  Hi Michele,
  Welcome to the blog.
  The girls are 4 1/2 yr old English Golderns. They are litter mates and have be the blog mascots since being babies.
  Thanks for the note.
  Dan
Jean

August 09, 2018 at 4:41 pm

Dr. Dan,
I hope your feeling well. My whole family loves your recipes, your dog pictures, and you. Your a favorite of mine when sharing your recipes, your philosophy on cooking and while talking to friends. Friends come through the front door asking "what Dr. Dan recipe are we enjoying tonight". Your the best.
Take very good care of yourself.
Warmly,
Jean Rawlings

- DrDan
  
  August 09, 2018 at 8:16 pm
  
  I snuck that in this post and very few saw it but I feel better I "told" everybody. Just chronic things getting worse.
  
  If you can only stand for 10 minutes, it is hard to cook a new recipe and take pictures. I can cook but the extra 10-15 minutes it takes for the pictures is just a bit too much.
  
  Also, with 450 plus recipes, it is getting hard to find good ideas. So more older recipes nobody saw and less new one. A new one when I find something I really want to do like the grilled Ribeye post. It is long and very complete. I enjoyed writing it and I loved the results.
  
  Thanks for the note and good wishes.
  
  Dan
Mike

June 03, 2016 at 5:50 am

Thank you so much for the food safety tips, I didn't realize a lot of the things you wrote there!

Thanks DrDan