PART OF Summer Grilling

46 Best Labor Day Cookout Recipes

Hosting an end-of-summer barbecue or a community cookout for Labor Day? We've got all the menu ideas you'll need. From appetizers and sides to mains, desserts and more, these recipes will guarantee you a good time.

Red Hot & Blue Potato Salad

"I made this potato salad for my fiancƩ's family reunion. When he tasted it, he was floored. Thank you for helping me make him so happy. It was also a huge hit at the reunion as well."

-sakuranebula

Grilled Chicken Legs

"Simply super! If using leg or thigh pieces with the skin on, I always loosen the skin a bit and use my fingers to put a bit of the rub between the skin and the meat. Works great to get those flavors into the meat."

-Witch Doctor

Peach Cobbler

"This was absolutely delicious! It was very easy to prepare and I had all the ingredients on hand. I have never made a peach cobbler before and this one will definitely be a repeat in my home! It only took 30 minutes to cook to a golden brown for me."

-Graybert

Greek Village Salad

"This is a really lovely salad. I made it as a bit of a layered salad, just to make it look fancy and pretty. It turns out to make quite a lot, even if the ingredients don't sound like a big salad. The colors are beautiful, and it's full of all my favorites."

-EmmyDuckie

Uncle Bill's Hamburger Patties

"Fantastic! I made these as directed, ate one and froze the rest (raw) for other times (I knew there would be other times). I loved the idea of the hole; I've always just made a dent in the center before. This worked really well."

-lazyme

How to Build a Grilled Veggie Tray

An impressive and colorful edible centerpiece. Let's get grilling!

Farmer's Market Ratatouille

"I normally don't like ratatouille because I find it typically to be so watery and bland but this one was great! It was flavorful and not soggy at all. It was perfect!"

-Jonathan Melendez

Spicy Grilled Shrimp Skewers

"I don't often leave reviews for recipes but this one was so simple and amazing that I had to say something. Really phenomenal flavor from this quick marinade. My husband and I liked it so much we made it two nights in a row. If you are going to use frozen shrimp instead of fresh, really make sure that you drain all the excess water from thawing really well or the marinade won't stick to the shrimp."

-Nick Harris

Best Baked Beans

"I've made this recipe numerous times; it's certainly a winner! Like others have done, I cut back on the brown sugar and add a dash of prepared mustard and Worcester sauce. I've discovered even those who claim to 'hate baked beans' seem to like these."

-Just Stacey

Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake

"A real winner! I wouldnā€™t change a thing about it. It is moist and tender. It has the right amount of lemon for the lemon fans in my family. I frosted the cake when it was still slightly warm. We decided to try it at that point, and it was downright addictive!"

-jsgraff

Foil-Wrapped Grilled Corn

"Great basic recipe! It was very easy and the corn turned out juicy and delicious. This is going to be my go to recipe for corn on the grill from now on."

-Samantha Q.

Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini

"It may sound strange... but I use my old waffle maker. I get great results. And I'm still able to adjust the toasting level."

-sweetp

How to Make Easy Refrigerator Pickles

These refrigerator pickles are easy to prep and will last in the fridge for more than a month. The best part? You won't need to sterilize jars or have any special canning equipment.

Heather's BBQ Baked Beans

"Great baked beans recipe. We loved the use of ground beef, which made it similar to a chili, but with the sweetness of baked beans."

-2Bleu

Grilled Lobster Tails

"This was fantabulous! The best lobster ever! The lemon zest was the most outstanding addition to the butter. What a taste sensation."

-Koechin Chef

Watermelon Herb Cooler

"Inspired by visions of clear blue water, sandy toes, and a cold drink dripping with condensation, you opt for a this Summer Friday libation. This refreshing watermelon mint and basil margarita is the perfect warm weather companion, whether youā€™re relaxing on a rooftop in Brooklyn or a beach in Mexico."

-samanthaleahscott

Carolina Low-Country Shrimp Boil

"I make this all the time but use only one pot. I also use both Old Bay and Cajun seasoning. After the potatoes and corn are cooked and removed from the pot, cover with foil then simply add the shrimp to the remaining boiling water and cook. The sausage water adds a slightly smoky dimension that is delicious."

-Mari U.

Grilled Eggplant with Ricotta & Tomato

"This was so easy and very yummy! I too used a little extra garlic and sautƩed some extra basil with the tomatoes. This dish also looks beautiful. I served it with pounded chicken dredged egg then in parmesan cheese and then sautƩed in olive oil and a little butter. Next time I'm going to serve it with butterflied leg of lamb, which I think it would be great with!"

-A la Carte

Perfect Corn Dogs

"Made these for my niece's birthday party and they turned out great. I rolled the hotdogs in flour before I battered them. I also used a tall glass to pour the batter in and then dunk the hot dogs in before frying."

-66cookinmamma

Scott Hibb's Whiskey Grilled Baby Back Ribs

"These ribs are so good that my family never wants to go out for bbq anymore. Why go out when we can make the best ribs at home? More work (hardly) for me, but happy tummies for the family. That's what is more important!"

-iamsweetlizzie

Bethany's Jersey Girl Zeppoles

"These were so easy to make and unbelievably delicious. I also didn't 'activate' the yeast as it's instant and not necessary. I just mixed all the ingredients together and they turned out great!"

-Jonathan Melendez

Grilled Potatoes

"There is just no limit to how wonderful, tasty, sublime these are! Everyone in our family wishes I'd make them more often (although I actually don't think that's possible)."

-PDXPippi

Caprese Salad Wreath

"How perfect! I love a caprese salad when it's hot, which it is here! I used a mix of green and purple basil, and red, yellow, and purple tomatoes, figuring the color was nice and summery. The pesto is a great touch. I had always done this with oil and vinegar before, but I love it with pesto."

-EmmyDuckie

Juicy Horseradish Hamburgers

"Definitely make these if you love horseradish and garlic. Best burger I've had in a very long time. A really great mixture of flavors. My boyfriend and I were fighting over who would take the leftover burger in their lunch!"

-bratty

Black Bean & Corn Salad

"I loved this recipe! It was so easy to make and made a nice addition to our meal. It tasted fresh and healthy and the whole family loved it! I especially love the cilantro addition."

-sunburst308

Mushrooms & Onions for Steak

"My husband decided to make steak last night, so I decided to make this to accent his steak... No offense to my husband, but I got more rave reviews for these mushrooms and onions than he did for his steak! Will make again, but next time I'll make the steak too..."

-bakermarsha

Crab Pasta Salad

"A super recipe! Very easy and loved by all! Thank you! I have already made it a number of times! The lemon gave it a great taste!"

-hope2day

How to Make a Peach Cobbler Ice Cream Cake

Peach cobbler in epic ice cream cake form.

Ginger-Lime Marinated Chicken

"I made this for a summer cookout and all of the guests really liked it. The chicken was very moist and juicy and the flavor was great. I will definitely use this a lot."

-Theresa rose

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

"Delicious! We loved this quick, easy and very yummy way to prepare sweet potatoes. I cooked these on the grill with a beer can chicken, using hickory wood chips. The slight smokiness from the wood chips and the sweetness from the honey made these potatoes a new family favorite."

-Bayhill

Elderberry Cocktail

"OK, this is now my new, all-time favorite cocktail! I just love the light, refreshing mix of this simple-to-make, delicious concoction! I made up a couple of pitchers of this to serve to my 12 guests before dinner. They all appreciated that the drink wasn't something heavy, or overly strong."

-River S.

Smoky Okie's Smoked Brisket

"This was our first attempt at smoking and sure glad we picked this recipe! The juices were oozing out of the meat that is how juicy and tender it was. THE best brisket I have ever had!"

-mammafishy

Chopped Orzo Salad

"Great side dish for summer. So refreshing. Was a hit at a family get-together."

-Anonymous

Baja Chipotle Fish Tacos

"I don't even know where to begin with the reasons that I LOVED these tacos! I see myself making these tacos at least once every week because everyone loved them, even though they all swear that they hate fish."

-PSU Lioness

Cream-Filled Peach Cookies

"Instead of making these as cookies, I made the shells out of cream puff dough and did everything else the same. Very light and airy and the peach flavor and the look is still there. Wonderful springtime desert recipe."

-Joanne O.

Seattle Dogs

"These are really good! I thought it would be too much onion. However as it cooked down it was just fine. I was tempted to not cook them for the full 20 minutes... I did and I think that was worth it."

-Ambervim

JalapeƱo & Red Bean BBQ Burgers

"Very tasty! Best veggie burgers I've tried. Omitted the egg white but otherwise made as directed. I cooked the veggies and spices down to a paste before combining with other ingredients and everything stayed together well when pan-fried."

-karabiner

Grilled Scallop & Mushroom Foil Packets

"The perfect meal. Served with steamed veggies and a side of long grain brown rice. Added just a little minced onion. We love scallops and this is the best way to prepare them for a quick light meal."

-jimbostallings

The Best Blueberry Crisp

"Superb! I made it for my sister's baby shower several days ahead of time and froze it; even after thawing it was still delicious and I had several people request the recipe."

-HannahBananana

Ron Ron Juice

"Turned out absolutely amazing! Made it while binge watching Jersey Shore!"

-sunflower17

Peanut Butter S'more Cookie Bars

"These are delicious; I took them on a weekend camping trip and they disappeared quickly. I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn't change a thing!"

-hmms1660

Coleslaw

"The combination of the mayonnaise and the apple cider vinegar makes this cole slaw almost a cross between a creamy slaw and a vinaigrette slaw, both of which we enjoy."

-Cindy Lynn

The Best Pasta Salad

"I take this salad everywhere I go for potlucks, especially during the summer months. It's always a huge hit! Our favorite combo is cucumbers, peppers, red onion, olives, feta cheese and pepperoni with a Greek dressing... but it is fabulous as written too."

-Chef Doozer

Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Chops

"Wow! What a terrific low -arb treat! I used rosemary only, but the oregano would be a great addition as well. These were so very easy to make and took very little time or effort. I will be making these again, and they went straight into my tried-and-true cookbook."

-Leslie

Cedar-Planked BBQ Salmon

"This was the star of our party! Our previous attempt at planked salmon resulted in a torched plank, but we followed your very helpful directions and it turned out perfect. I expected the 'crust' to be crunchy and was delighted to find it was savory and mois—the perfect compliment to the wild Pacific salmon we splurged for."

-Candy C

Italian Sausage & Pepper Sandwiches

"What's not to like? Only thing we added was a generous slathering of mustard. My husband thought he'd died and gone to heaven."

-sugarpea

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