MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND RECIPES 🇺🇸
farmers market flatbread + sausage veggie skewers + panzanella salad + turkey burger and cookout sides + watermelon martini + sunset spritz
Since this year is our Mom’s big 7-0, we will be abroad Memorial Day Weekend, enjoying a spritz or two on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica 😍 (don’t worry, there will be more on that later)! In the meantime, we didn’t want to leave our fellow Americans without some of our favorite MDW recipes to help kick off the unofficial start of summer!
Traditionally, we spend Memorial Day Weekend at our cottage in Grand Haven, MI, enjoying the mild weather, the woods, the lake, the cute little downtown, and of course, the deck. We are fortunate to have a few very nice decks in our family, and when the weather breaks, and the birds start to sing, don’t be surprised to find any one of us out there.
While we typically start opening the deck up as soon as weather permits, MDW is when we really get everything ready for season — sweeping, powerwashing, moving plants back outside that were stored for winter (like our Dad’s beloved hibiscus trees), and filling every inch with pots of flowers, herbs, and tomatoes (since the general rule in the Midwest is to start planting your flowers after Mother's Day, Memorial Day Weekend is the perfect time to get planting and potting).
Alright, enough about manual labor and decks, we all know that the best part of Memorial Day Weekend is grilling 🔥. So pull off that cover, dust off the grill, it’s BBQ time.
Although there’s nothing wrong with just sticking to your classic hot dogs and burgers (we are BIG fans), here are a few fun alternatives to spice things up on the grill. 😎
We love going to the farmer’s market in the spring and summer to pick out vegetables to top a quick grilled homemade flatbread. These flatbreads are made with mushrooms and asparagus, but you could use zucchini, eggplant, ramps, or tomatoes, etc. And since most farmer’s markets up north are open by now, it’s the perfect opportunity to review our guide to farmer’s markets and check out yours for fresh local ingredients to incorporate into your weekend meals.
These grilled skewers are healthy, easy, and you can customize them with whatever sausage and veggies you like best. We like to use Gouda & Apple chicken sausages and a mix of peppers, zucchini, and onions. Serve them with your favorite condiments, and you have a simple and delicious MDW meal.
Contrary to popular belief, these turkey burgers are not bland or dry. The recipe originates from our mom’s friend’s Chef husband, who introduced us to these mammoth burgers many moons ago (we still order his version every summer). And when I say mammoth, I mean these burgers are the size of your head. Over the years, we’ve added our own flair but kept the same original concept of giant ground turkey patties packed with asparagus, breadcrumbs, and parmesan (we think the combination and size keep these burgers from being dry).
You’re hitting most of the food groups with the ingredients in these. But if you want something to go with them, we love pairing them with a simple side salad or sweet potato fries.
For vegetarians and vegans, you can substitute ground turkey for plant-based ground meat, however, we suggest you try the miso mushroom & chickpea cheeseburgers instead.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE SIDES
No Memorial Day Weekend cookout is complete without sides! Last year, this pasta salad with mini bell peppers, cucumbers, feta, chickpeas, and pepperoncini in a chili oil soy dressing was a hit.
The idea for this pasta salad came after seeing a TikTok on the viral mini bell pepper and cucumber salad. We tried it and loved the flavors, but wanted to make it into a heartier side or light dinner recipe. It is absolutely delicious!
Panzanella is a bread-based Italian salad, usually made with day-old bread that, when sautéed in oil and added to a salad, turns into something similar to a chewy crouton that soaks up the olive oil and balsamic dressing. This version has some spring veggies and is topped with burrata. It’s perfect for an al fresco meal over the holiday weekend paired with some grilled chicken. 😋
And since we believe you can’t actually have too many sides, here are a few more to add to your Memorial Day feast.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HERE’S WHAT WE’D BE DRINKING MDW
MDW is when we really start getting excited for summer. And nothing feels more like summer than a fresh watermelon. Combine that with alcohol, turn it into a martini, and you've got yourself the drink of the weekend.
The first watermelon martini we had was at Buccan in Palm Beach (shoutout to Jackson for ordering one at a work event there and getting made fun of after lol), and we knew after the first sip we’d be making these at home.
The best part about this cocktail is that it only has three ingredients: watermelon, vodka, and lime.
But if you craving something a little lighter, go with a tried and true spritz!
This cocktail came about when our parents were making drinks to bring with us to the beach by our cottage for sunset. We were craving a spritz, but also had opened bottles of OJ and pineapple juice that we wanted to use up…the result was a fruit-punch-esque flavored spritz that looked just like the Lake Michigan sunset we saw that night.
You can easily turn this into a mocktail by adding a little grenadine at the bottom of the glass and adding OJ, pineapple juice and soda water.
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND! 🇺🇸
*Don’t forget! You can access the entire recipe library with all your favs.
THANKS FOR READING!
Cheers 🥂
Hil & Nat
