Simple Recipes for a Perfect Labor Day Cookout
This Labor Day, fire up your barbecue grill for hamburgers, chicken and more for an end-of-summer celebration everyone will enjoy.
Labor Day conjures up images of parades, yard games, swinging in the hammock and backyard bashes featuring grills of all shapes and sizes taking center stage. Even if you stop by an amazing Labor Day sale, leave plenty of time to rest and enjoy the extra vacation day—a Federal holiday since 1894!
Make your Labor Day weekend memorable with simple recipes that will save time so you can enjoy the festivities with friends and family.
Pick a Theme
Organize your Labor Day party around a theme to guide your decorations. Keep it simple by sticking to basics: flowers, balloons and paper products. A casual, folksy theme could feature sunflowers, polka dots, or a basic color scheme like yellow and white. Tie festive ribbon in your chosen color scheme around simple vases and bundles of napkins and cutlery. Use a variety of baskets to hold bags of chips and buns, and fill big metal buckets with lots of ice and bottles of soda and beer. You can get lots of all-American decorating ideas from Pinterest with a simple search of Labor Day Party.
Kid-Friendly Foods
Get creative this Labor Day and wow the kids with simple recipes that will delight all ages. Kids will dig into this grab-n-go foil pack for the grill featuring hot dogs and potato wedges: Pre-cook red potato wedges (steam or microwave) and insert into a packet made with heavy-duty foil. Add sweet onion wedges and a hot dog and drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce. A slice of cheese can be added, too, if desired. Seal the foil and grill over medium heat for 10–15 minutes or until heated through.
Set up a build-your-own burger station. Have classic condiments on hand displayed in colorful kid-friendly containers or sturdy mason jars of all shapes and sizes for your festive cookout. Provide different bun options so kids and adults can choose their favorite.
For convenience shopping, seek out grill combo packs featuring a hearty selection of meats like steaks, burgers, hot dogs and marinated chicken breasts.
Everything tastes great on a stick! Put a popsicle or cake pop stick into a variety of cut-up fruit, such as a combination of melon balls and strawberries. Even a small watermelon wedge can be served on a stick. For a savory treat, layer cheese and sausage chunks on colored toothpicks.
Another idea is to serve chips and popcorn in Chinese takeout containers to match your Labor Day party theme. A variety of colors and sizes are available at craft and party stores.
Hamburger Heaven
Simple recipes for parties can include hamburgers, grilled chicken and veggie patties. Check out these incredible tips for making the perfect hamburger!
Some of the best hamburgers are made better by a great selection of condiments and, of course, cheese. Celebrate this all-American worker’s holiday with Wisconsin cheese by hardworking folks in the cheese capital of America.
The following simple recipes would make an excellent addition to any Labor Day party:
BLT Burger with Bacon Mayonnaise
Summer Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich with Avocado Cilantro Mayo
Add a big batch of baked beans, a bowl of creamy potato salad and zesty pasta salad to round out the main course. Bake a tray of gooey brownies and include store-bought popsicles to add the finishing touches to your Labor Day cookout. Fill up and relax—you’ve earned it!
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