The Best Memorial Day Recipes Are Here–And They’re Simple
It’s Time to Grille & Chill
First and foremost, please take time to pause and honor those who served our great country. The men and women who gave their lives as true patriots.
As we head out for the “looong” weekend, we always start by visiting our local cemetery and placing American flags honoring those in our family. We start with my grandfather who served in WWI in the military police; my uncle who served in the U.S. Navy, my BoomerGuy’s father who served in the Army Signal Corp stationed in the Aleutian Islands and his uncle who served in the U.S. Airforce at Hickam Field on the island of Oahu, all of whom were in WWII.
FLAGS GALORE! Not only for our family but all the other brave and unselfish who stood up for the USA as well as those who are still serving and standing patriotically every day.
Memorial Day is one of the three most popular holidays for getting outdoors and celebrating the ubiquitous BBQ grille. I’m serious, along with the 4th of July and Labor Day, the ol’ BBQ grille is sure to get a workout.
It also signifies the beginning of summer. Swimming pools around the country are opening, schools are winding down their semesters in favor of enjoying the coming of warm summer months and vacation time.
I just love a good old-fashioned barbeque. Grilling a big juicy hamburger covered with cheese accompanied with baked beans, corn on the cob and potato salad. I am definitely traditional because that’s what we grew up with.
The burgers may be a little more elevated than what our parents served. It seems the culinary life here in America has given rise to all kinds of new “gourmet” cooking, and it’s fantastic.
Head to your nearest supermarket and begin the shopping experience that will set you apart. Start with prime hamburger or ground steak where the meat is grass fed—it’s the most flavorful and tender. Pick up a big package of Lipton Onion Soup-Dip mix, and make sure you have all the other fixin’s.
Here is my sure-fire recipe for the best Memorial Day experience. Aside from my recipe suggestions, be sure to serve your favorite beverages whatever they might be, wine, ice cold beer, margaritas, sparkling water, lemonade, etc. IT’S SUMMER BABY.
BBQ Hamburgers:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise. I like Best Foods brandk, the one with olive oil.
- 2 lbs of choice ground beef. Or you can substitute pork, turkey or even chicken. Go to your favorite butcher or simply visit Costco—they offer the best meats.
- ½ cup breadcrumbs. Panko is my favorite.
- 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix.
- Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Shape the mixture into 6-8 patties and fire up the grille—make sure you clean and season the grates beforehand.
- Don’t forget the buns, onion slices, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and other condiments. Place around the table and let your guests load up their burgers with what they wish. Also, bring out your favorite cheese slices—we like the Tillamook Sharp Cheddar from Costco, but a good Swiss is also a winner.
- And lastly, since you’re the chef in charge, don’t forget to ask your guests how they like their burgers cooked.
Potato Salad:
- I’m not that much of a purist to make my own. You can find delightfully tasty potato salad at Costco, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts. They all serve about as close to home cooked as you can get. Plus…it’s one less thing to prepare.
Baked Beans:
- 2 large cans of Bush’s Baked Beans, be sure to drain off the juice.
- 1 medium sweet onion diced, these can go directly into the mixture without having to be sauteed.
- 1-2 tbsp mustard—this is your choice but I prefer Beaver’s Dijon mustard.
- ¾ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. Also from Costco.
- ¾ cup brown sugar.
- 5 slices of bacon cooked medium soft to slightly crispy (optional).
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Pour into a pre-greased cooking casserole—I use Pam, making a clean-up at the end a breeze.
- Place in the refrigerator overnight—this allows all the flavors to meld.
- Pull out the mixture and allow to come to room temperature then place in a 400o F oven for 1½ to 2 hours or until the top begins to crust over. Once it does, turn off the oven and you can leave the beans continuing to cook until the oven completely cools down.
- Serve a heaping helping (say that a couple of times) alongside your burgers—OH SO YUMMY.
Corn On The Cob—it might be a bit early for the sweetest and most tender corn, but if you locate some here is our favorite way to prepare it. My husband grew up in Nebraska, the corn-belt of the USA, and this is how they did it. I know it’s rather labor intensive but worth it.
- Select your corn in the grocery or Farmer’s Market by first peeling off a small portion of the top and finding rich looking kernels with a sweet smell. We actually prefer white corn, seems to be a bit more tender and flavorful. If the silk tassels look tarnished or the kernels appear discolored or moldy, do not select that ear.
- At home, shuck the corn and all the silk until you have a clean ear with the ends ready to be pierced with corn picks. There are all kinds of theories on how to best shuck, but I have found using a dry cloth will remove the silk once the outer husks have been removed.
- Tear off a piece of aluminum foil slightly larger than the corn, flatten the foil on your kitchen counter, then lay the ear of corn diagonally on the foil.
- Butter the corn liberally and add salt and pepper along the entire length.
- Roll the corn in the foil and tighten the foil around the entire length and twist the ends so you have a “sealed” foil wrap.
- Place on a medium-to-hot grille and cook for approximately 12-15 minutes (depending on your heat) while constantly rotating the corn with grille safe tongs for even cooking.
- You will notice some charring of the foil on the outside which is a sign your grilling is perfect.
- Set the corn aside and allow to cool.
- Unwrap the foil and be careful not to burn yourself from the heat and remember, your corn is clean and ready to serve. You might notice some charring on the corn itself which is quite alright.
- The corn has already been buttered and salted so don’t overdo it again, and you can serve it alongside all the other delightful dishes above. If it’s still a bit warm to handle or you have butter sliding off the corn, then use corn picks to make the eating more enjoyable. Those are the little plastic ears of corn with 2-3 spikes sticking out ready to pierce each end of the corn so you can handle it without getting too messy.
- There are a wide variety of methods for preparing corn on the cob, and it’s obviously your choice. I just wanted to share my recipe for a good ol’ fashioned Nebraska way of grilling.
Dessert:
- It’s just way too simple to go to your bakery and purchase some freshly made red, white and blue cupcakes, or a cake with white frosting that you can decorate with red raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. Easy, peasy.
To top it off, be sure to set a festive table adorned with red, white and blue. You need to take a peek at all the wonderful choices at Hobby Lobby and Marshalls.
It’s not too late to pull your party together. Please enjoy my recipes.
HAPPY MEMORAL DAY. Stay RELEVANT in all that you do and be true to yourself and maintain the best possible life and lifestyle you deserve. Now go have some fun!!!
Oh, and by the way, don’t forget your little furry friends. They just love a good holiday.
Your Number One BoomerGal, Connie.