Memorial Day Recipe Roundup

It's summertime again. Time for family gatherings, the beach, and picnics. We want great food, but it needs to be easy and quick but more importantly, it needs to be great—here are 18 recipes to get you started in planning the holiday.

Memoral Day College-Image licensed from Fotolia May 26, 2016. Copyright igoror - Fotolia. Modified per allow by licensed. — Image licensed from Fotolia May 26, 2016. Copyright igoror - Fotolia. Modified per allow by licensed.

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Main Dishes
Sauce and Rubs
Side Dishes
Sweet Endings
FOOD SAFETY
Don't Forget to Take the Party Animals

This coming weekend is Memorial Day, a federal holiday for us in the USA, remembering the people who gave their lives while serving in its armed forces. But it also is commonly recognized as the kick-off for summer and a three-day holiday weekend.

Once known as Decoration Day, which 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. I'm starting with Oven Pulled Pork, Memphis BBQ Sauce, and a big slice of Fresh Strawberry Pie.

Main Dishes

Grilled Pork Butt on a Gas Grill for BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork

Grilled Pork Butt makes wonderful BBQ smoked pulled pork cooked low and slow on a gas grill. Moist, tender, and with great smoky bark without a smoker.

Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill from 101 Cooking for Two

Oven Pulled Pork—Low and Slow Pork Butt

Oven Pulled Pork from pork butt cooked low and slow is tender, moist, and delicious. This is the easiest recipe to get great pulled pork at home.

How to Cook a Brisket on a Gas Grill

Cook smoked Grilled Brisket low-and-slow on your backyard gas grill—moist and tender meat with crusty bark and a smokey taste. Make classic BBQ brisket without a smoker.

How to Grill Hamburgers on a Gas Grill

Learn How to Grill Hamburgers on a Gas Grill—it is easy and quick once you learn a few simple steps. Juicy and flavorful grilled burgers will become a family favorite.

How to Grill a Pork Tenderloin

Let's learn How to Grill a Pork Tenderloin that is juicy, moist, and tender. It's easy in 30 minutes on your charcoal or gas grill.

Grillied Chicken Drumsticks-Quick and Easy

Perfectly Grilled Chicken Drumsticks are easy and quick with this never fail recipe. Fall off the bone tender with delicious flavor. They will be the hit of any meal.

Grilled Chicken Thighs—Quick and Easy

Crispy Grilled Chicken Thighs are quick and easy on your gas grill with this simple recipe. Juicy, moist, and tender, they make a flavorful economical dinner.

Grilled Whole Chicken without Spatchcocking

Grilled Whole Chicken is as easy as a simple prep without spatchcocking (butterfly or flattened) and grilling the full chicken with indirect heat on your backyard gas grill.

Sauce and Rubs

Memphis BBQ Sauce—Sweet and Tangy

This easy Memphis BBQ Sauce recipe is the best homemade barbecue sauce A sweet and tangy sauce that's perfect with pulled pork, ribs, brisket, or even chicken.

BBQ Dry Rub for Ribs, Pork, Beef, and More

The best BBQ Dry Rub recipes will enhance the meats' taste and complement the sauce's flavors. This easy-to-adjust homemade rub recipe has classic BBQ flavors.

Memphis Dry Rub Recipe

A classic sweet and spicy Memphis Dry Rub Recipe from Marlowes of Memphis. Bring the great taste of Memphis to your grilled ribs or other BBQ recipes.

Applying Memphis dry rub to baby back ribs

Side Dishes

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.

Easy Macaroni Salad—Small Batch

This Easy Macaroni Salad is s small batch recipe with tender pasta, creamy dressing, and crunchy vegetables. Simple to adjustable in size and to your taste.

Grilled Pineapple Slices with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Glaze

Glazed grilled pineapple slices are an easy delicious summer side dish. With a buttery caramelized brown sugar glaze, it also makes a great dessert when combined with ice cream—Ready in less than 15 minutes.

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

Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Easy Broccoli Salad with Bacon is fresher and tastier than the deli version. Make classic cold broccoli salad with this small batch recipe that's adjustable in size and ingredients.

Simple Spinach Salad

A Simple Spinach Salad with an easy homemade vinaigrette dressing, toppings, and baby spinach. Use it as a side dish, or load up the proteins for a delicious summer lunch.

Grilled Baby Potatoes

Delicious Grilled Baby Potatoes with crispy golden skin are perfect for any grilled meal. Use small potatoes like red, new, fingerling, or trimmed larger thin-skin potatoes.

Microwave Corn on the Cob in the Husk

Microwave Corn On the Cob in the Husk is super easy. No husking, just short microwaving, and you will have perfect sweet corn every time with no mess.

Sweet Endings

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Jello

This quick and easy recipe for Fresh Strawberry Pie with Jello comes together in 25 minutes using fresh strawberries, a refrigerated crust, and a Jello filling.

Small Batch Apple Crisp

This quick and easy Small Batch Apple Crisp has delicious tender apples and a sweet crumb topping. Perfect for a small household of two or make a double recipe for a family.

Old Fashioned Lemon Bars

This Old Fashioned Lemon Bar recipe is easy and quick but still uses a classic shortbread crust and a tangy and sweet custard filling of eggs and lemon juice. It's a small 8X8 recipe that is easy to double for more lemon squares.

Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe—Vanilla or Chocolate Chip

Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe is a creamy, decadent dessert but is an easy recipe to make as classic vanilla or with mini chocolate chips—it will become your signature dessert.

slice of chocolate chip Philadelphia cheesecake

Easy Cheesecake Bars

These Easy Cheesecake Bars are creamy and delicious with a Graham cracker crust and lemon—the quick small-batch recipe you need with great tasting cheesecake bars.

FOOD SAFETY

It's easy to forget food safety. But it's 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. Uncle Joe cannot have his burger rare even though you wouldn't mind seeing him sick. It is your responsibility to keep them safe.

Don't Forget to Take the Party Animals

Low-Fat Homemade Dog Treats—Healthy & Delicious

Low Fat Homemade Dog Treats are the perfect low-calorie treat for your dog. With only five ingredients, your dog will love the peanut butter and pumpkin taste. Much healthier than commercial treats—any veterinarian would approve.