Memorial Day is next Monday, and we’re making plans for a barbecue! My menu isn’t set in stone yet, but my husband wants to barbecue ribs. With that in mind, here’s my preliminary menu.
Main Course: Barbecue Ribs
Ribs on the grill can take hours, and if you don’t cook them just right, they can turn out rather tough. With that in mind, we’ll probably be pre-baking them in the oven and finishing them up on the grill.
Since I love to try new recipes, I think we’ll go with Southern Grilled Barbecue Ribs from Allrecipes. I already have everything on the ingredients list, so I don’t have to spend a lot of money on exotic ingredients just for Memorial Day. I think I’ll add a little liquid smoke to the recipe, just to give the ribs a smoky flavor.
Side Dishes: Potato Salad, Corn, Green Salad
A barbecue isn’t a barbecue at our house without potato salad and corn on the cob. And thanks to my Angel Food Ministries box, I have plenty of produce for a green salad, too!
I don’t have a specific recipe for potato salad. I just cube some cooked potatoes and mix them up with mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, dill pickles, and pickle juice to taste. Sometimes I add onions, celery, and boiled eggs, if I’m in the mood for them.
I like to cook my corn on the grill. I shuck the corn and wrap each ear along with a pat of butter in foil and toss them on the grill while the meat is cooking. Delicious!
My salad will include whatever greens and veggies I happen to have in the house. Add some croutons and dressing (thanks again to Angel Food Ministries…we have both!), and we’re all set!
Dessert: Patriotic Flag Cake
I got this idea from a magazine years ago. It’s not my idea, but I don’t know where the credit should go. For dessert we’ll have a cake, decorated to look like the American Flag. It’s actually quite easy to do.
Just make your favorite flavored cake in a 9×13 pan. Frost with a thick layer of Cool Whip. Place blueberries in the upper left corner to resemble the stars on the flag. Then slice strawberries and place them in lines across the cake as the red stripes. Leave a space between the strawberry lines, and the Cool Whip is the white stripes. Easy and yummy!
Now hopefully the weather will cooperate. It’s been more like winter than spring around here lately!
What are you doing for Memorial Day?
Photos by: Maggie Hoffman, Gudlyf, and mmatin.
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Sounds good! We’re having a BBQ on Saturday with a similar menu except for the main dish. We’re having burgers (beef and turkey) and hot dogs for about 12 people.
Thanks for the idea on the cake. I love a recipe that’s easy and impressive.
I just posted my favorite potato salad recipe on Facebook. Check it out if you like. Even my son (who hated vegetables) loves this potato salad. He was watching me make it one day, and asked if I HAD to put “all that stuff” (vegetables) in it. I told him, “if you want it to taste right, I do.” He never complained again. Your menu sounds really good to me. Have a great barbecue!
I use heavy cream, whipped, with sugar instead of the Cool Whip. To me, it has a fresher flavor and fewer chemicals.
A nice twist on the cake is to poke holes in it after it’s out of the oven and pour jello (any flavor, just mix per directions and pour over hot cake before the jello sets). Makes for a moist, delicious cake and the cool whip goes well with this. Hmmm… now I’m thinking I want to make one tonight. A nice, light treat on such a humid day!
I think it was Family Circle or Women’s Day that had that cake featured several years ago …. it does come out beautifully. Last time I make it I used raspberries and red currents, as that’s what was ripe when the blueberries were ripe :)
My stomach just growled! I can’t wait for Memorial Day, so ready for a 3 day weekend!
Gosh, I could just jump through my computer and dive into that cake.
If I am cooking pork ribs on the bbq I usually boil them before placing them on the grill, they cook nicer that way.
Now what did you say your address was again? I seemed to have misplaced it, that’s all.
Nothing exciting here. Hubby will probably golf and i will probably be hooked to the internet. What exciting lives we lead…..
The cake looks so good! I’m going to attempt to make this for our first night of VBS which falls on Memorial Day! Blessings!
That is one great looking dessert!