5 Yummy Memorial Day Recipes to Kick Off Summer!

Today we are sharing Memorial Day recipes that are not only easy to make, but are Memorial Day food ideas that the entire family can celebrate the unofficial kick-off of the summer season! We have done your menu for Memorial Day including family favorite foods like hot dogs on a stick, our favorite potato salad recipe, watermelon served in a fun way, Memorial Day brownies and a fun patriotic punch that is kid-friendly.

Easy Memorial Day Menu

Memorial day is a federal holiday where we honor and mourn those in the military who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Most people have this day off and it is now the official start of summer because it occurs on the last Monday in May.

–>This year Memorial Day is on Monday, May 30, 2022

What better way to start your summer by planning your Memorial Day menu perfect for celebrating with cookouts and picnics.

Related: We the the best picnic ideas for the whole family…over 50 to choose from!

These Memorial Day recipes can also be easily scaled for a crowd so you can commemorate the holiday together with friends and family.

EASY MEMORIAL DAY RECIPES

These Memorial Day food ideas is a great start and the perfect additions to a larger BBQ or picnic. Also, the easy food recipes are great for any summer gathering or special family picnic.

Let’s get cooking for Memorial Day…

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1. Hot Dogs on a Stick Recipe

Want to spice up the meaty mains? This is perfect, and the best part, it’s literally like a hot dog and bun in one.

This is one of the easier Memorial Day dishes and a hit among kids. Plus it’s one of my favorite Memorial day recipes. The bread is warm and fluffy and who doesn’t like hot dogs? I love the twist on the traditional Memorial Day hotdogs because it makes them look almost…fancy? {Giggle}

Ingredients Needed To Make Hot Dogs On A Stick:

• Hot Dogs (makes 16 or 2 packages)
• A can refrigerated bread stick dough
• Skewers
• Mustard or ketchup for dipping

How To Make Hot Dogs On A Stick:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stick skewer in each of the hot dogs at the end pushing the stick all the way through.
3. Wrap one piece of bread stick dough around each hot dog.
4. Put in oven for 20 minutes, or until the dough is cooked and browned.
5. Serve with mustard or ketchup.

2. Dee’s Potato Salad Recipe

Nothing goes better with hot dogs and hamburgers than Dee’s Potato Salad, from Burnt Macaroni! It soooo good and our family’s favorite potato salad. And I just feel like no Memorial Day food list is complete without a traditional potato salad!

This is the perfect side dish to really all bbq. I’ve never been to a Memorial day cookout or really any backyard bbq without some delicious potato salad. There may not be any patriotic colors in this dish, but no backyard cookout is complete without it.

Ingredients Needed To Make Dee’s Potato Salad:

• 4 medium potatoes peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 3 hard boiled eggs
• 1.5 cups mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons mustard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1.5 teaspoon pepper

How To Make Dee’s Potato Salad:

You can find how to make Dee’s delicious potato salad here with step by step instructions with pictures. Here is how to make this Memorial Day food favorite:

1. Peel and chop the potatoes.
2. Place the potato pieces into a large pan, cover with water and boil until soft.
3. Let the potatoes cool down before mixing things together. One easy way to speed up the cooling process is to place the potatoes spread out on a cookie sheet and then placing in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Once potatoes are cool place them in a large mixing bowl add the chopped celery, chopped onions and chopped hardboiled eggs.
5. In a separate small bowl, mix the sauce together by combining the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper.
6. Add the sauce to the large bowl with the potatoes and stir gently with a rubber spatula until all the ingredients are coated.
7. Add a dash of paprika on top for color and flavor.

3. Red White & Blue Watermelon Blueberry Salad Recipe

My kids looked at this red white and blue Memorial Day salad skeptically until they tasted it. The sweet flavors of the watermelon and blueberry fruit is tasty next to the tangy feta and mint. Nothing beats fresh fruit in the summer. It’s a healthy sweet treat that is sure to be a hit at any summer cookout or backyard bbq.

This is the perfect summer dish for warm days. Your whole family will love this sweet fruit salad! It’s sweet, citrusy, with a bit of salty cheese, it is the perfect Memorial Day recipe.

Ingredients To Make Watermelon Blueberry Salad:

• 1 Mini Watermelon, cubed
• 1 cup Fresh Blueberries
• 1/2 cup Feta, crumbled
• Mint Leaves, chopped
• 2 Limes, juiced
• (Optional) 1 diced avocado

How To Make Watermelon Blueberry Salad:

1. In a serving bowl, combine watermelon, blueberries, mint, cheese and optional avocado.
2. Pour the lime juice on top and mix gently until all the salad ingredients are combined.
3. Serve, and enjoy your red white and blue Memorial Day salad!

4. Patriotic Marshmallow Crunch Brownies Recipe aka Memorial Day Brownies

Looking for the perfect treat or perfect dessert for this long holiday weekend? There are perfect for any Memorial day celebration. After good food and the main course, you need the perfect dessert and this is it.

This fun Memorial Day recipe has become a tradition at our house and we call them Memorial Day brownies. I love the red white and blue toppings for this delicious, rich and chocolatey brownie recipe. Oh, and don’t be surprised that I serve it again for the 4th of July and call it 4th of July brownies!

Supplies Needed To Make Patriotic Marshmallow Crunch Brownies:

• Box Family Size Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix (for the mix you will need 2 eggs, 1/4 cup water, 2/3 cup oil)
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 1/2 cups Mini Marshmallows
• Red and blue M&M’s
• 1 cup White Chocolate Chips

How to Make Memorial Day Brownies:

Head on over to Back for Seconds for this fun recipe and step by step instructions on how to make it easily.

5. Memorial Day Punch Recipe

Speaking of warm weather! These are the delicious Memorial day recipes everyone loves. No cookout is complete without a refreshing drink! This is one of the more fun Memorial day recipes that is kid-friendly and refreshing. It’s such a simple recipe, but so tasty. Perfect for family cookouts.

This Memorial Day drink is patriotic with red white and blue colors while tasting sweet, cold, and tart. Perfect for Memorial Day! Perfect for any summer day!

Ingredients Needed To Make Memorial Day Punch:

• Cran-Cherry Juice
• Lemonade
• Blue Raspberry Kool-Aid
• Ice
• Twizzlers

How To Make Memorial Day Punch:

1. Using a mason jar as a glass, fill the glass 1/4 the way up with the red Cran-Cherry Juice, then fill the glass with ice.
2. Next, water down the lemonade, so the color is closer to white than yellow. Fill the glass another 1/4 the way with lemonade.
3. Finally, top with the blue color (Blue Raspberry Kool-Aid) the rest of the way to the top.
4. Cup the tip of the Twizzlers candy to use as a straw.
5. Serve.

More Delicious Summer Recipes from Kids Activities Blog

One of my favorite things about summer is all of the yummy food!

• 18 Flavor-Filled Backyard Grilling Recipes if your Memorial Day menu includes grilling this year
• 5 Homemade Slurpees Recipes are among my kids favorite things to make
• 15 Delicious Watermelon Recipes just in case our Memorial Day watermelon salad was a little out there for your family!
• Camping desserts that you don’t need to be camping to make for Memorial Day
• Popsicle recipes that pair perfectly with Memorial Day celebrations

Looking for more Memorial Day ideas – we have a bunch! Don’t forget to grab our Memorial Day coloring pages.

What is on your Memorial Day menu? What is your favorite Memorial Day food?