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Our Top Memorial Day Recipes to Kick Off Summer! Memorial Day is here, and I’m sharing some of our most-loved recipes to help you celebrate the unofficial start of summer. This collection includes over 50 recipes perfect for the long weekend. Think easy grilling favorites, fresh salads, berry-filled desserts, and my go-to summer cocktails and mocktails.
I’m always excited for Memorial Day weekend, but this year especially, I couldn’t be happier to welcome summer. It’s going to be a hot one! We’ll be traveling throughout the season, but I’ll also be spending a lot of time in and out of Miami, which I’m really looking forward to.
Ahead of the long weekend, I always love pulling together the recipes I turn to most for summer cookouts and easy dinners outside. It’s such a fun time of year. When I think of summer food, I think simple and effortless. Grilled burgers, fresh sides, no-cook salads, chilled desserts, cookies, and, of course, plenty of ice cream.
For drinks, I love mixing up refreshing, pitcher-style cocktails and mocktails. They make entertaining easy and feel a little more special.
And of course, summer cheese boards are a must for any gathering. I think I need to share a new one this season!
In this collection, you’ll find a mix of classic favorites, newer recipes from last summer, and my personal cookout go-tos. I even added a few of my Nonnie’s old-school recipes, like her peach dump cake and her 5-ingredient chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake. Yum!
What’s on your Memorial Day menu this year?
Our Top Memorial Day Recipes to Kick Off Summer
Drinks
Coconut Mojito
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Peach Thyme Smash
Is there anything more summery than a peachy drink? It's finally peak peach season and I've been dying to share this drink!
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Salted Spicy Watermelon Margarita Popsicles
The only popsicle you need to have stashed away in your freezer at all times.
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Strawberry Lemonade Aperol Margarita.
A refreshing summer cocktail that’s icy, sweet, and spicy…and that salted Tajin-lined rim keeps everyone coming back!
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Frozen Aperol Peach Margarita
With a spicy tajin-lined rim. A refreshing summer cocktail that’s perfectly icy, sweet, and so delicious!
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Frosted Watermelon Rosemary Frosé
Watermelon juice infused with rosemary and lemon with Rosè icecubes for a SIMPLE, delicious, and pretty drink!
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Blackberry Champagne Mule
For your spring (and summer) Saturday Cocktail festivities…the bubbly really seals the deal!
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Watermelon Rosè Paloma
This Paloma is easy to mix up, uses minimal ingredients, and is oh so very good! The perfect to drink to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the warmer days ahead!
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Pink Vodka Watermelon Lemonade
The perfect deliciously refreshing drink to celebrate the first week of June…and the lazy days of summer ahead!
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Spicy Pickle Margaritas
A bold twist on the classic! Made with tequila, lime, jalapeños, and tangy pickle brine for a salty, spicy sip!
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Appetizers
Jalapeño Pepper Jack Cheeseburger Sliders
Easy, cheesy, crowd-pleasing sliders with a spicy kick. Great for summer gatherings and game days!
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Granny’s 7 Layer Dip
Such a special recipe today from Granny! This dip is no-cook, easy to throw together, and so DELICIOUS with chips!
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Strawberry Jam with Honey Whipped Goat Cheese
This easy app can be served in so many ways…simple, yet amazingly GOOD…and pretty too!
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Mexican Street Corn Dip
All the flavors of street corn mixed into the creamiest corn-filled dip. Quick, easy, and so delicious with tortilla chips on the side!
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Avocado Shrimp Salsa
A quick to prepare salsa that's a go-to for entertaining, snacking, and lite meals…perfect for hot days when you don't want to cook!
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Pull Apart Italian Sub Sliders
Spicy and layered with peppers…a fun and easy appetizer for relaxed nights of entertaining family and friends!
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Caprese Garlic Bread with Crispy Prosciutto
Extra summery and easy to throw together, this simple, pretty bread comes together in just minutes!
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Easy White Chicken Chili Corn Dip
Incorporates all the flavors of my favorite white chicken chili into a creamy, cheesy corn-filled dip!
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Pull Apart Street Corn Dip Sliders
All the flavors of street corn mixed into the creamiest baked slider buns…a simple app loved by all!
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Roasted Garlic Bread Caprese Dip
Roasted garlic, shallots, and tomatoes are all mixed into the creamiest dip topped with melty mozzarella cheese!
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Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Burrata
Simple to throw together, fresh, and flavorful…and it doubles as the prettiest centerpiece!
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How to Make an Easy Mediterranean Mezze Platter
Great for year-round entertaining plus everything comes from the store…this platter even doubles as the prettiest centerpiece!
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Peach Burrata Parmesan Crusted Crostini with Hot Honey
These look and taste fancy, but are so simple to make – and so amazingly GOOD!
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Jalapeño Cheddar Popovers with Honey Butter
Each airy roll is wonderful right out of the oven with a smear of salty-sweet honey butter!
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Tomato Peach Caprese with Brown Butter
A fresh take on caprese with roasted peaches, burst tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and brown butter!
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Smashed Burrata with Jam and Pistachios
A 5-minute summer go-to made with creamy burrata, sweet jam, and salty pistachios. So easy, so good!
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Prosciutto Wrapped Peach Baked Brie in Pastry
An easy summer appetizer that’s quick, crowd-pleasing, and perfect for last-minute hosting!
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Whipped Goat Cheese and Calabrian Chile Oil Dip
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Hot Bacon Corn Dip
The ultimate warm appetizer, perfect for parties, BBQs, and laid-back summer nights – bonus, it's ready in under an hour!
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Mini Cheeseburger Slider Bites.
Bite-sized burgers stacked with toppings and served on skewers. Easy to make – perfect for summer parties and BBQs!
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Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
Cheesy, spicy, and sweet with crispy tops. The ultimate easy game day or dinner recipe everyone loves!
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Buffalo Chicken Corn Dip
Creamy, cheesy, spicy, and bubbly. The ultimate easy appetizer for game days, holidays, and nights with friends!
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Dinners, Sides, and Salads
The Italian Salad Sandwich
I put my favorite salad inside a crusty loaf of ciabatta – DELICIOUS…you'll crave this sandwich all summer long!
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Lemon Parmesan Sesame Salad
This is best served with steak dinners, plates of pasta, BBQs, and anything else that needs a good green salad!
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Pull Apart Cheeseburger Sliders.
Cheesy inside, golden and toasty outside, with a delicious garlic sesame butter topping. Perfect for the 4th!
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Watermelon Peach Salad
A colorful salad that’s almost effortless to make, pretty, and so delicious…it really is summer in a salad!
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BLT Caesar Pasta Salad
There isn't a better dish to make on hot nights when you want something a little more filling than just a salad.
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Greek Chicken Skewers with Feta Fries
A spring and summer GO-TO…add a side of homemade garlicky feta fries for a deliciously fun family dinner!
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Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Definitely not your everyday salad. Delicious, easy to throw together, egg-free, colorful, healthy, and filling!
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Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad
This salad takes little effort, comes together quickly, is colorful, almost no-cook, and so delicious! Perfect for the 4th!!
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Grilled Caprese Pesto Chicken Skewers
Grilled Caprese Pesto Chicken Skewers: Easy to toss together, extra colorful, super flavorful, a family favorite, and perfect for the 4th!!
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Creamy Avocado Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
The creamy dressing with the pasta, spicy salsa, cheese, avocado, and bacon is the yummiest!
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Buffalo Chicken Dip Sliders
Cheesy on the inside, golden and toasty outside, with a delicious garlic butter topping, perfect for game night!
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Honey Mustard Chicken Avocado Sandwich with Tahini Ranch
The flavors are light for warmer weather, but it’s also super hearty…and so good!
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Caprese Caesar Pasta Salad
Almost completely no-cook, comes together quickly with very little effort, delicious, and perfect for Mother's Day!
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These Chipotle Pineapple Bang Bang Chicken Skewers:
Seasoned chicken with bang bang sauce plus chunks of pineapple for a tropical island flare!
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Chopped Honey Buffalo Chicken Skewer Salad
A perfectly balanced summer salad, and the skewers make it even more fun, exactly how a salad should be!
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Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Burgers
Simple to make and full of so much flavor…a great burger recipe for summer, and of course, July 4th too!
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Greek Chicken Chopped Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette.
This simple Pan-seared Greek chicken salad is tossed together with greens, chickpeas, tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, cucumbers, and a deliciously creamy, lemony tahini vinaigrette.
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Roasted Tomato Basil and Feta Orzo
For a quick + simple dinner. Every bite bursts in your mouth, it’s hard to beat this simple summer pasta.
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Lemon Chicken Skewers with Creamy Feta Sauce
It doesn’t get more delicious…simple, healthy, extra colorful, super flavorful, and so delicious!
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Crispy Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
Baby Yukon gold potatoes, vinegar, cheese, fresh herbs, plenty of flaky sea salt and black pepper. Serve over a bed of tangy Greek yogurt for the perfect crunchy, to creamy balance. Simple and beyond good.
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Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
The perfect quick fix salad that’s almost no cook and comes together in minutes. Grab your favorite pasta, fresh cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, basil, cheddar cheese, and an avocado…toss it all together, and done…summery, healthy, and so good!
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Quick Chicken Souvlaki Rice Pilaf
Grilled chicken, buttery rice pilaf, veggies, and Tzatziki. A fresh, easy Greek-inspired dinner bowl!
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BLT Pasta Salad
Simple to toss together, super flavorful…one of those recipes everyone LOVES…serve this up at your next backyard dinner!
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Picnic Style Pesto Turkey and Avocado Bacon Sandwich
What every summer picnic needs…it takes minutes to make, but only seconds to devour!
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Dessert
No Churn Strawberry Jam Ice Cream
The perfect easy summer dessert to keep stocked in the freezer for the hottest days of the year.
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Caramel Peach Dump Cake
Perfect for summer nights that crave an easy (peachy) dessert, enjoy just out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream!
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Strawberry Icebox Cake
This simple cake is sweet, heavy on ice cream, swirled with berries, and has just the right amount of crunch!
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Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie
This creamy, sweet, and fudgy ice cream pie is easy to make and no-bake—it's everyone's favorite summer pie!
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Easy Blueberry Cherry Galette
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and flaked sea salt…a delicious summer tart to kick off the season!
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Creamy Fruit Popsicles
The healthier dessert we all need to have stashed away in our freezers this summer!
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Old School Easy Brown Sugar Peach Cobbler
Juicy peaches, a crisp topping, and soft buttery center. Top with ice cream for the best peach treat of the summer!
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Easy Ginger Blackberry Peach Cobbler
The sweetest way to use ripe batches of summer berries and peaches…serve warm with vanilla ice cream!
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No Churn Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream
Made with only 7 ingredients, takes just minutes to prepare, requires zero eggs, and no fancy ice cream machine!
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Frozen Chocolate Banana Yogurt Clusters
Easy to make, only 7 ingredients, and no baking…like a mini ice cream bar, but much healthier!
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Cinnamon Maple Brown Butter Blackberry Peach Crisp
This easy fruit crisp is the perfect way to enjoy the summertime fruit you have on hand!
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Blackberry Lavender Naked Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream
Every bite is layered with fresh berries, hints of lavender, and sweet vanilla cake. The perfect berry-filled cake for any and all occasions.
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Nonnie’s 6 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake
The go-to summer dessert…super easy, yet so delicious…and SO SIMPLE. This is everyone's favorite summertime ice cream cake!
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No Fuss Lemon Tart.
Made with only 4 base ingredients and a crust of sweet graham crackers, salty pretzels, and a touch of butter. Combine with the creamy lemon filling – perfection!
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Simple Blueberry Basque Cheesecake
Flaky puff pastry crust surrounding a creamy cheesecake filling and topped with fresh summer blueberries.
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Toasted S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches
Every bite has toasted marshmallows, fudge sauce + sweet vanilla ice cream…the perfect summer treat!
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5 Ingredient Raspberry Peach Sherbet
Naturally colored (no weird food dies), takes only minutes to prepare (no fancy ice cream machine), and so delicious!
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Salty Pretzel Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake
Nostalgic banana pudding recreated in vanilla ice cream cake with a salty pretzel crust – YUM!
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Blackberry Lavender Ice Cream Sandwiches
Every bite is layered with fresh berries, hints of lavender, and sweet vanilla ice cream…the perfect summer treat!
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Swirled Blackberry Lavender Sheet Cake
Layered with fresh berries, hints of lavender, and sweet vanilla cake. this is the perfect berry-filled cake for any and all occasions.
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6 Ingredient Peach Magic Cookies
Juicy peaches, coconut, and white chocolate – Chewy, sweet, and so easy – the perfect summer treat!
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Homemade Hostess Cupcake Cake
Rich chocolate cake with caramel marshmallow fluff then topped with fudgy glaze. Fun, messy, and delicious!
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5 Ingredient Magic Cookies
These cookies take just a few minutes to prep, then bake, and kind of like magic you'll have delicious cookies!!
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Strawberry Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwiches
An easy, no-bake summer dessert that's perfect right from the freezer!
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No Churn Vanilla Bean Olive Oil Ice Cream
Made quickly using a super simple method and everyday ingredients. Everyone's favorite – made better!
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This post was originally published on May 20, 2026
