Sometimes I have to throw on a sweater or maybe dodge a few raindrops, but nothing stops me from having friends over for our yearly Memorial Day cookout. It officially kicks off grilling season in my house. But lets not forget about all the other recipes that help round out our plates on this patriotic and tasty weekend.
The centerpiece of any cookout, to me, is a meat dish and I love to serve a good steak. But steaks can get pretty expensive (aren’t we all watching costs these days?!). That’s why I love Scott Anderson’s Grilled Sesame Flank Steak recipe. Flank steak is a less expensive cut of beef, but you have to watch how you prepare it because it can get tough.
“The biggest tip is to marinate the flank steak overnight to tenderize it and bring out its flavor,” explains Scott. “Grilling bring[s] out the tenderness of this steak.” This is a fabulous method of cooking flank steak. It was a unanimous hit around the Test Kitchen table and sure to be a favorite at your next party. I suggest making a few steaks … leftovers would make a great steak sandwich!
As a Southern gal, I grew up eating pimento cheese sandwiches. I couldn’t get enough of ’em. Add pimento cheese to a burger for another option off the grill? You’ve just married two of my favorite foods! This terrific recipe combines the creaminess of pimento cheese with the savory goodness of beef sliders (hamburgers).
“My mother said that every southern ‘born and raised’ person knows how tasty taking a soft piece of bread and slathering on a nice layer of yummy pimento cheese tastes,” shares Donna Bardocz. “This Down Home Pimento Cheese Sliders recipe was concocted as a tribute and special surprise to my wonderful mother who grew up in North Carolina and just LOVES Pimento cheese.” Make sure to have a few napkins on hand when biting in to these … it may get a little messy.
Since everyone doesn’t have the same tastes as me, I like to serve a few different salads at my parties. I’m going to serve Robin Dextradeur’s Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad and Melanie Miller’s Cornbread Salad. I SAY I like to give people choices. But really, I love them both equally and have a hard time choosing only one!
Robin’s recipe has that great Buffalo chicken flavor which permeates this terrific salad. “As everyone has different tastes you can change this up and use blue cheese dressing instead of ranch and you can vary [the] amount of hot sauce/dressing based on your preference,” says Robin. While it’s got a bit of a kick to it, I add even MORE dressing to mine when I make it.
“This [cornbread] salad is a refreshing side dish or simply on its own,” says Melanie. Serve this in a clear bowl or trifle dish to show off this lovely salad to its fullest… then dig in and enjoy every flavorful bite!
The sweet tooth in me always wants dessert. With preparing everything else, though, I’m always looking for an easy recipe. When I first saw Verlene Feijo’s simple Angel Pudding recipe I knew it was one I wanted to try. You see, Butterfinger is one of my favorite candy bars… and the more chocolate the better! Toss in some angel food cake and you’ve got a real winner! Plus, I used cake from my local grocery store. Your guests will be so impressed with your dessert, they won’t need to know your shortcuts!
Whatever you decide to make, I’m sure your cookout will be memorable. Gather your friends and family around your feast and let’s remember the men and women that have given their lives to allow us our freedoms. Happy Memorial Day!