Put a chill into your grilling and chilling weekend this Memorial Day by mixing up a few simple and refreshing summer drinks. Our diverse ideas below will please the kids – and kids at heart – while offering some grown-ups-only favorites and unique twists on classic cocktails. Whether you’re simply barbecuing in the backyard with your family or hosting a neighborhood holiday cookout, these cool recipes are sure to quench everyone’s thirst.
Nothing says summer like a refreshing frozen marg and Bobby Flay feels the same way. His Frozen Pomegranate, Mango, Tangerine, Watermelon and Cactus Pear varieties boast cool flavors and the famed frosty consistency.
A traditional Spanish and Portuguese cocktail, sangria is most often made by mixing red or white wine with fresh fruit, sparkling soda water and various liqueurs. Food Network Magazine’s Red and White Sangria recipes are classic examples of this European summer sipper.
Like sangria, the mojito has evolved from its original Cuban mixture of white rum and mint into a transformable cocktail capable of pleasing everyone. Not a rum fan? Not a problem. Guy Fieri’s Double Apple Mojito is made with vodka and apple juice. Similarly, Tyler Florence’s Blueberry Ginger Mojito Pitchers combine vodka, soda and fresh ginger.
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Potato and macaroni salads: two of most iconic summer dishes in America. Here, elbow macaroni is tossed with ripe tomatoes, crunchy celery and a creamy dressing. Make it more personal by adding additional veggies for like diced bell peppers and cucumber.
Get the recipe: American Macaroni Salad
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A jam would seem an unlikely ingredient to be overlooked.
After all, legions of parents rely on the many offerings of the grocer’s PB&J aisle to maintain peace with the lunch-box crowd.
Except that when you peer past the usual suspects — strawberry, raspberry, grape, apricot — you find some seriously wonderful hidden jam gems that belong as much at the dinner table as they do slathered between slices of bread.
My favorite? Fig.
Fig jam has a thick, almost dense consistency and a rich, full sweetness that isn’t cloying the way many preserves are. My theory on that? Much of the sweetness comes from natural sugars; figs have one of the highest sugar contents among fruits.
Except they aren’t technically a fruit. Figs actually are flowers folded in on themselves. The tiny, crunchy seeds inside are the fruit. But I digress.
Find out what you can make with fig jam »
Chances are you’ll be grilling burgers and dogs all summer long, so switch things up this Memorial Day by making fried chicken. Whether you’re making a small batch for your family or celebrating with a large crowd, you will become a fan fave with juicy chicken that’s crispy and golden all the way around.
Get the recipe: Buttermilk Fried Chicken
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Are you craving the charred taste of classic cheeseburgers, some skin-on hot dogs or a few finger-lickin’ baby back ribs? This holiday weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer and with that comes the start of grilling season. So uncover that barbecue grill in the corner of your garage, drag it outside and fire it up! Whether you’re hosting a backyard cookout or just picnicking with your kids this Memorial Day, whip up the recipes below for a completely grilled meal that will hit all the right notes with you and your family.
To start your great grilling extravaganza, throw a batch of Great Grilled Wings from Food.com on the barbie. Slathered with a sweet and spicy sauce, these chicken wings are two-bite wonders.
For the main event this weekend, try Emeril Lagasse’s succulent Grilled Pork Chops With Garlic Jam from Cooking Channel. Sweet roasted garlic is liberally spooned atop seasoned thick-cut pork chops for a masterful presentation of grilled goodness.
To go with Emeril’s sinfully delicious chops, cook up – grill up, really – Food Network Magazine’s recipe for Tomato-Garlic Corn (pictured above). Sweet corn on the cob is grilled to perfection and covered with a fresh tomato, roasted garlic and herb mixture.
Browse more grilling recipes after the jump »
So good it doesn’t even need a bun, making Alton’s sweet and spicy pulled pork is easier than you think. Juicy and flavorful, the pork soaks overnight in a molasses-spiked brine and is smoked with a cumin, fennel, coriander and chili dry rub for 12 hours. Need help? Watch Alton make this recipe.
Get the recipe: Alton’s Pulled Pork
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Whether you’re having guests over or need to bring a dessert to a friend’s party this Memorial Day weekend, this trifle will be your showstopper, not to mention it’s extremely easy to put together. Light and fluffy angel food cake, along with fresh blueberries and strawberries are layered with luxurious homemade whipped cream — it’s patriotic perfection!
Get the recipe: Sunny’s Patriotic Berry Trifle
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If you’ve been invited to a party this upcoming Memorial Day, chances are you’ve also offered to help cook or bake something. But what can you bring that can be made ahead, travels well and holds up to the weather (which is hopefully warm)?
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:
1. There’s a good chance that your host’s refrigerator will be packed that day, so if your dish has to be kept cool until serving, bring along your own carrier with ice packs — the thought will go a long way.
2. Transport your cooler in the air-conditioned car, not in the trunk.
3. Come prepared with your own serving utensils just in case your host has run out.
Now browse through Food Network’s travel-friendly recipes:
Salads: When it comes to salads, try and stay away from recipes that include mayo. If your recipe calls for a dressing, wait until you are about to serve the dish to mix it in.
Poppy-Seed Potato Salad (pictured above)
Daikon-Carrot Salad
Avocado Salad
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Let’s face it: Everyone loves chicken fingers — both kids and adults. So why not eat chicken fingers you can feel good about? Ditch the ones available in the frozen aisle and roll skinless chicken breasts in crunchy panko breadcrumbs, then bake them off until crisp and cooked through. Add lime juice and curry powder to ketchup for an upgraded dipping sauce.
Get the recipe: Chicken Fingers With Curried Ketchup
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It’s almost summer and high time to take advantage of the season’s most succulent fruit: fresh watermelon. Ruby red, juicy and naturally sweet, this jumbo superfruit can be sliced and diced in a salad, grilled over an open flame or pureed and frozen. Our recipes boast welcomed ease and summer comfort and, best of all, they won’t leave you stressing over a single seed.
Food.com’s recipe for Marinated Grilled Chicken With Watermelon Salsa is an easy summer meal that celebrates the classic flavors of the outdoors. Herb-Chicken is grilled and served with a heaping scoop of fruit and veggie salsa. Also great atop grilled seafood, this salsa will become a summer staple in your recipe box.
Looking to cool off after a day in the sun? Whip up a batch of Cooking Channel’s recipe for Watermelon Vodka Gazpacho. This chilled soup is packed with watermelon and fresh garden vegetables. No need to reheat this dish, so save some to bring to work tomorrow.
Browse more delicious watermelon recipes »
