Everything You Need for a Memorial Day Cookout

Monday is Memorial Day, what most consider to be the unofficial first day of summer. Here you’ll find everything you need to kick off the season, including meaty mains, tons of side salads, dips, grilled vegetables, many desserts and a few cocktails. You’ll also find guides for turning your humble charcoal grill into a pizza oven, batching freezer door cocktails, and “baking” a shockingly moist cake on the grill.

Take a look at the highlights below, then head over to the site to see our full collection of Memorial Day recipes.

Meaty mains

No smoker? No problem. These mouthwateringly savory-sweet pork sliders let a couple high-impact ingredients do all the work. White miso and gochujang provide deep, savory-sweet notes and lots of complex flavor to oven-braised pork butt. The pork cooks hands-off for about three hours; use this time to prep and cook the miso-seasoned onions that are combined with the meat after shredding.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Give one of these recipes a try:

• Filipino Lemon-Lime Lacquered Grilled Chicken (aka “7Up Chicken“)
• Garlic-Rosemary Burgers with Taleggio Sauce
• Korean Grilled Marinated Short Ribs
• Souvlaki-Inspired Pork Skewers

Picnic salads

Creamy-rich yet bright and fresh, our Pasta Salad with Charred Corn and Cilantro takes inspiration from Mexican esquites, grilled corn finished with a mixture of herbs, lime, chili and cheese. We simmer corn cobs in the water that’s later used for cooking the pasta for added sweet, grassy flavor. The kernels, meanwhile, are charred and tossed with brine from pickled jalapeños, cilantro, Mexican crema and salty cotija.

More of our favorite picnic salads:

• Chili-Lime Melon Salad
• Japanese Potato Salad
• Smashed Cucumber Salad

Grilled vegetable sides

In this dish of Grilled Zucchini with Lemony Ricotta, the contrast of silky grilled zucchini, creamy ricotta and crunchy nuts provides satisfying textural complexity. We incorporate lemon two ways, stirring the zest into the ricotta and grilling the halved fruit to bring out a gentler acidity in the juice. Be sure to use a high-quality full-fat ricotta cheese to ensure a creamy texture; low-fat versions can be watery and granular.

Eat more (grilled) vegetables:

• Taiwanese Grilled Corn
• Grilled Broccoli with Harissa Vinaigrette and Pickled Shallot
• Grilled Eggplant with Pomegranate Molasses and Herbs

Char your guacamole! Charring vegetables to deepen flavor is a pretty common practice, but Chris hadn’t seen it applied to guacamole until a recent trip to Mexico City, where you might also find it studded with peanuts or seafood. The result isn’t just smoky—it’s also fresher, more flavorful, and complex. It’s a technique we love for salsa and tomato sauce, and in most cases when working with so-so produce.

Other dips for chips (and crudités):

• Beer Cheese
• Turkish Hummus
• Whipped Feta Dip

Desserts

This Blender Berries-and-Cream Cake is the closest we’ll ever get to a Flag Cake. (Technically, Flag Cakes violate Flag Code.) No mixer need here; a blender makes quick work of the cake batter and the mascarpone filling is easily whipped by hand with a whisk. The components can be prepared in advance. The cake layers will keep for 24 hours at room temperature. The berry mixture and mascarpone cream can be refrigerated 12 hours ahead. Or to assemble the cake in advance, hold off adding the berries; refrigerate the cream-topped cake, uncovered, for up to six hours. When ready to serve, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, add the berries, drizzle on the juices and serve.

More dessert options:

• S'mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue
• Mexican Sweet Corn Cake
• Food-Processor Strawberry-Balsamic Ice Cream

Drinks

A pitcher of Rosé Sangria is easy enough to whip up—ours features the surprising addition of sliced jalapeños—but hosts in the know will opt for one of our Freezer Door Cocktails, which can be made ahead and stored in the freezer until your guests arrive. (No need to worry about ice melting.)

Other potent potables:

• Batch-Muddled Mojitos
• Yayo
• Chili-Pineapple Margarita

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Claire Lower

Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.