On Memorial Day, we remember those who fought for our country. The long weekend is a great time to take a break from our busy lives and enjoy some downtime with family and friends at the lake, beach, or just at home in the backyard. Relax, share a meal, and appreciate the time you have with your loved ones.
This weekend is also the unofficial start to summer, so it’s the perfect time to break out the grill, fire it up, and throw on some burgers and hot dogs. If you’re looking for some Memorial Day weekend menu inspiration, we’ve got plenty of it! From an easy and refreshing beverage to classic sides to flag-inspired desserts, this menu has some of our summer grilling favorites. Our appetizer, mains, and even one of the sides all take advantage of the grill—because if you’ve got it going, why not? We’ve included both burgers and hot dogs so everyone, even the kiddos, has something they’ll like. And the meal comes to a close with a pie that is mixed berry perfection in a pie tin.
Use this menu for your Memorial Day cookout, or as a guideline or jumping-off point for your own ideas and personal preferences. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy the weekend.
Strawberry-Lemonade Punch
Here’s a fun and fruity drink you’ll be making all summer long. Take regular lemonade but add fresh strawberries for added flavor and sweetness. Fresh lemon juice, strawberries, maple syrup (or your sweetener of choice), and water all go into a blender. After transferring to a pitcher, we add sparkling water and more fresh strawberries. You can throw a few blueberries in there for garnish, too, if you’d like to give this drink a little patriotic flair.
Get the recipe for Strawberry-Lemonade Punch.
Skillet Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Fire-Roasted Bread
If Spinach-Artichoke Dip is your favorite appetizer, you need to try this version made on the grill. The bread used for dipping gets the grilled treatment too. Of course, you can use your favorite crackers or veggies to dip, or whatever you happen to already have on hand. We love this version because the cheese gets all bubbly and golden brown, making it even better than the original.
Get the recipe for Skillet Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Fire-Roasted Bread.
Worcestershire-Glazed Burgers
Obviously we love any juicy burger fresh off the grill, but we also like to switch things up every once in a while. Sometimes a little tweak here and there can make it seem like a whole new recipe. These classic burger patties are brushed or basted with Worcestershire sauce while grilled, adding extra savory, tangy, and rich flavor to every bite. Serve with all the usual burger toppings and condiments for a tasty meal.
Get the recipe for Worcestershire-Glazed Burgers.
Grilled Hot Dogs with Toppings Three Ways
Grilled hot dogs are an American backyard summer staple. They’re easy to make and a true crowd-pleaser. While ketchup and mustard are perfectly acceptable toppings, we love to jazz them up a little just for special occasions. Pickled onions, tangy horseradish and spicy chiles—all homemade, and all easy to make ahead—will ensure wide eyes and big smiles as family and friends sit down around the table and dig in.
Get the recipe for Grilled Hot Dogs with Toppings Three Ways.
Root Beer Baked Beans
These aren’t your average baked beans. We think these are even better. This version includes molasses, pork, and an entire bottle of root beer. That’s right—root beer. Root beer is often described as sweet and richly spiced—it can contain sarsaparilla, vanilla, wintergreen, licorice, anise, cinnamon, molasses, and birch bark—and those complex flavors shine through in the final dish. It’s subtle yet surprising, and we guarantee you’ll be asked over and over what makes them so good!
Get the recipe for Root Beer Baked Beans.
Smoky German-Style Bacon Potato Salad
If you’re someone who has never really been a fan of potato salad because you don’t like mayo, give this mayo-free version a try. It’s a warm, vinegar-dressed potato salad with crisp bacon and herbs, so it has tons of bright and savory flavor. We also just love this as a new and delicious side to try at your summer gatherings if you’ve never had it before. If you’re looking for more of a classic potato salad, we’d go with our Best Creamy Potato Salad or BLT Potato Salad.
Get the recipe for Smoky German-Style Bacon Potato Salad.
Grilled Corn Salad with Feta, Walnuts, and Shallot
With Memorial Day being the unofficial start to summer, we have to have a corn side dish on the menu! Grilling the corn first adds that smoky flavor, and if you’re firing up the grill, you can easily add a few ears of corn. Then the corn is tossed with lime juice, red chile pepper, toasted walnuts, and crumbled feta. It’s a flavorful addition to any summer cookout! If you’d like to skip cutting the corn off the cob, we recommend this recipe for Grilled Corn with Pesto and Basil Schmear. We’re also partial to this grilled corn salsa if you’re looking for another appetizer or snack to serve while grilling.
Get the recipe for Grilled Corn Salad with Feta, Walnuts, and Shallot.
Berry Good Salad
It’s always nice to have a green side, which is where this Berry Good Salad comes in. It’s simple, refreshing, and studded with blackberry goodness. The dressing is only four ingredients (plus salt and pepper), so it’s easy to whisk together. Then blackberries, spinach, Manchego, almonds, and red onion are tossed until coated. That’s a pretty simple and healthy side made in minutes.
Get the recipe for Berry Good Salad.
Mixed Berry Flag Pie
It wouldn’t be a Memorial Day get-together without a flag dessert. We love this pie because it looks impressive, but it’s not that hard to make. A few strips of pie crust and some cutout stars make an easy flag with a rustic, homemade look. We used a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but another wonderful thing about this pie is that you can use a mix of whichever berries you’d like! Similar but served in individual pie shells, these Mini Stars Berry Pies are also a cute option for Memorial Day.
Get the recipe for Mixed Berry Flag Pie.
