55 Labor Day Recipes That Will End Summer on a Delicious Note
Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, meaning there's no better way to celebrate than with lots of seasonal produce, cookout essentials, picnic favorites and barbecue fare. We're talking all the staples, from mac and cheese to ribs to baked beans. Read on for 55 easy Labor Day recipes that are as simple as they are impressive.
RELATED: 90 Easy Summer Dinners That Everyone Will Love
1. White Sangria with Peaches and Berries
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
No one likes a diluted cocktail. That’s why we freeze fresh peaches and raspberries to use in place of ice cubes for this summer sangria.
2. Grilled Watermelon-Feta Skewers
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Sweet, juicy watermelon and tangy, salty feta are a match made in BBQ heaven. Plus, salad just tastes better on a stick.
3. Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
Cauli florets > boring spuds. Mayo can sit this one out too; Greek yogurt and sour cream have it covered.
4. Skillet Blueberry Cornbread
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Meet pulled pork’s new best friend. They’ll get to meet atop your patio table in just 40 short minutes.
5. Jalapeño-Avocado Mac and Cheese
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: one pot, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
And we thought our go-to comfort food couldn’t get any better. Bring on the pickled jalapeños, green chiles and all the white cheddar.
6. Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken
Time Commitment: 7 hours and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, high protein, crowd-pleaser, one pot
Not only is this recipe pretty hands-off, it’s also super versatile. Serve the meat in tacos, over salad or on a brioche bun.
7. Grilled Corn with Spicy Aioli
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
No barbecue is complete without a few charred ears of corn. And our simple spicy aioli in place of humdrum butter and salt will put them over the top.
8. Grilled Peach and Halloumi Salad with Lemon-Pesto Dressing
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Well, aren’t you fancy? Bet you never thought salad would be the star of your picnic spread. Chalk it up to the charred grilled peaches.
9. Chilled Cucumber Salad
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes (including marinating time)
Why We Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, vegan, one bowl
Leave lettuce behind for a cucumber app that’s ten times more refreshing. Especially after a few sunny rounds of cornhole.
10. Light and Tangy Coleslaw
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, one bowl, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
The quintessential summer side. Whether you pile it high on a pulled pork sandwich or eat it straight out of the fridge, you can’t go wrong.
11. Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, one pot
These beat the canned kind by a mile. Think chopped bacon, ketchup and dark brown sugar.
12. Peaches-and-Cream Ice Pops
Time Commitment: 2 hours and 40 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Roasted peach puree transforms into marbled magic when it meets swirls of sweet Greek yogurt in this Insta-worthy ice pop.
13. Salmon Burgers
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, one pan, high protein
If you have beef with red meat, salmon is here to save the day. The patties are seasoned with a mix of garlic, green onions, lemon, dill and Old Bay.
14. Honey-Lime Chicken and Veggies in Foil
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, high protein, beginner-friendly
Maximum flavor, minimal cleanup. Just pop each foil packet on the grill and your work is done.
15. Lemon-Berry Sheet Pan Trifle
Time Commitment: 3 hours and 45 minutes
Why We Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
There’s nothing a sheet pan can’t do, but our favorite trick is light-as-air meringue topped with summer fruit and fresh whipped cream.
16. Grilled Flatbread Pizza with Artichoke, Ricotta and Lemon
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Sorry, pizza stone. Come summer, 'za is a job for the barbecue. We'll take extra crushed red pepper flakes on our slice, please.
17. Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, beginner-friendly
Just the ticket for an alfresco family dinner. A drizzle of sour cream or avocado crema will take the tingly edge off the shrimp, if your kids are picky.
18. Grilled Zucchini Caprese Salad
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
We’ll never get tired of the O.G., but thin slices of charred summer zucchini are a total game changer.
19. Campfire Grilled S’more Calzones
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Stuff store-bought pizza dough with chocolate and marshmallows before grilling until ooey-gooey. And the s'mores-loving crowd goes wild.
20. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Time Commitment: 7 hours and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, one pot, high protein, crowd-pleaser
Bun or no bun, this Crockpot classic is an easy win. But we like it best on a sandwich with lots of crispy coleslaw.
21. Grilled Flank Steak with Lemon-Herb Sauce
Time Commitment: 2 hours
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein, beginner-friendly
Don’t let grilling meat (especially steak) intimidate you. All it takes is a killer marinade, five to seven minutes of browning per side and a 15-minute rest before serving.
22. Boozy Lemonade Granita
Time Commitment: 6 hours
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, no cook, crowd-pleaser
Aren’t you glad you’re one of the grown-ups? Spike this frosty take on summer's official drink with vodka, gin or tequila.
23. Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Whipped Cream
Time Commitment: 20 minutes (plus chilling time)
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, gluten free
For everyone who thinks their diet takes dessert off the table. Garnish the smoky pineapple pieces with toasted hazelnuts and fresh mint.
24. Avocado Chicken Salad
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, high protein, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Sliced grapes and copious amounts of of mayo? Yawn. Upgrade to avocado, rice vinegar, fresh dill and lemon juice. The store-bought rotisserie chicken will be our little secret.
25. Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce
Time Commitment: 10 hours and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: slow cooker recipes, high protein, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
The trick to drool-worthy brisket? Popping it on the grill or under the broiler to caramelize the outer crust before serving.
26. Fresh Fruit Ice Pops
Time Commitment: 3 hours
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, make ahead, kid friendly, crowd-pleaser
See ya, artificial flavors and dyes. These pops are the real deal and totally customizable (though we're partial to using peaches, raspberries and blueberries).
27. Roasted Cauliflower Sliders
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
Vegetarians rejoice. You can still sink your teeth into a stick-to-your-ribs main (thanks, cauliflower), and it’s slathered in sriracha yogurt for good measure.
28. Loaded Baked Potato Chips
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, one pan, sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Wouldn’t it be cool if potato chips and nachos had a delicious baby? We made it happen—and it’s amazing.
29. Bacon Cheddar Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, high protein, beginner-friendly
With chopped bacon, shredded cheddar and Worcestershire sauce in the patty mix, these handhelds are beyond juicy and flavorful.
30. Honey-Peach Semifreddo
Time Commitment: 8 hours and 20 minutes (includes freezing time)
Why We Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Picture digging into a luscious, ice cream-like mix of heavy cream, egg yolks, peach jam and diced peaches. (With a glass of prosecco, of course.)
31. Grilled Peach, Chicken and Ricotta Pizza
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
No one’s passing on a slice fresh off the barbecue. We’re betting it tastes just as good eaten cold the next morning too...just sayin'.
32. Fourth of July Ice Cream Cake
Time Commitment: 4 hours (includes freezing time)
Why We Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Labor Day is a patriotic holiday, but we’d be lying if we said we needed an excuse to eat cake (especially one made with three types of ice cream and sorbet).
33. Sweet-and-Sour Pork Skewers with Pineapple
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Any reason to put pineapple on the grill, right? There’s pineapple juice in the glaze too, along with soy sauce, rice vinegar and sriracha.
34. Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Don’t look now, but the ground beef in your fridge is getting jealous. There's no need to be shy with the homemade yogurt sauce (but you already knew that).
35. Crispy Baked Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, high protein
Sorry, messy frying—not today. Top the tilapia with fresh slaw, sour cream and lots of lime juice. (A margarita on the side wouldn't hurt, either.)
36. Kale and Brussels Sprout Caesar Slaw
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, one bowl, vegetarian, <10 ingredients
Your two favorite green veggies, together at last. Shredding the sprouts is easier than you think, we promise.
37. Broiler S’mores
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
Forget about rounding up a million skewers so everyone can toast their own marshmallows. Try this once and you'll change backyard bonfires at your place forever.
38. Strawberry-Mango Hawaiian Shave Ice
Time Commitment: 5 hours and 30 minutes (includes freezing time)
Why We Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients, no cook, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
A trip to Maui is only 30 minutes of prep and a stint in the freezer away. It tastes even better from inside a massive pool float, if you ask us.
39. Grilled Asian-Inspired Garlic Steak Skewers
Time Commitment: 3 hours and 20 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly
Once you have this recipe is in your back pocket, you’ll save a fortune on takeout. Finish the skewers with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
40. Chicken Tinga Tacos
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, special occasion-worthy
You take care of the roasted tomato-chipotle chicken, we’ll bring the margaritas (and guacamole). Thanks to a store-bought rotisserie bird, you'll only need 30 minutes to prepare it.
41. Tender Oven-Baked Ribs
Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, high protein
Homemade dry rub *and* sauce—who's a grill master now? We'd make a double batch of the three-ingredient BBQ sauce for using on burgers, chicken, salmon or tofu.
42. Shrimp Boil Skewers with Corn, Sausage and Potatoes
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein
Looking for a break from burgers and dogs? Enter the most low-maintenance, mess-free main you’ve ever made. Serve it on a newspaper-lined picnic table for minimal cleanup.
43. Grilled Parmesan Garlic Asparagus
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, <30 minutes
Say cheese: Five-ingredient vegetable sides always make us smile, but our favorites are teeming with salty Parmesan.
44. Baked Sesame-Ginger Salmon in Parchment
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein
She’s light, she’s healthy, but most importantly, she only takes 30 minutes to make. Bake it in the oven or trade parchment for foil and upgrade to the grill.
45. No-Bake Berry Tiramisu
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, crowd-pleaser, one pan, special occasion-worthy
Red, white and wow. It doesn’t get any simpler than store-bought ladyfingers, raspberry jam and fresh fruit.
46. Seared Scallops with Citrus-Shallot Salad
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Say it with us: I can cook scallops at home. The dish takes only 20 minutes from start to finish, and all the scallops need is a few minutes of searing per side. Just be sure to pat them as dry as possible before plopping them in the pan.
47. Tomato and Yellow Zucchini Risotto
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegan
In case you needed yet another excuse to raid your local farmers market. This decadent (and vegan!) dish puts the best flavors of the season front and center, including yellow and green zucchini, plum tomatoes and red onion.
48. Tiny Coconut Cookies with Hibiscus Glaze
Time Commitment: 35 minutes (plus chilling time)
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
C'mon, aren't they just the cutest? Believe it or not, the vibrant glaze doesn't contain a single drop of food coloring, but instead, tart hibiscus tea concentrate.
49. Grilled Honey-Sriracha Chicken Drumsticks with Fennel-Cabbage Slaw
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy
Wings? We don't know her. Drumsticks hold their own against the grill with ease, resulting in a crispy, juicy piece of chicken every damn time. Douse it in the sticky, spicy glaze and you've made magic.
50. Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread with Tomatoes and Scallions
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
This crisp, tender cornbread topped with summer's bounty pairs beautifully with everything from pulled pork to ribs to burgers. That said, it's also hearty enough to stand as a meal on its own.
51. Easiest-Ever Blueberry Biscuit Cobbler
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, one pan, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
The three best things about summer: 1) beach days, 2) bonfires and 3) in-season berries. Blueberries star in this decadent skillet dessert that boasts an impossibly fluffy biscuit topping. (We won't tell if you substitute store-bought biscuit dough, though.)
52. Classic Pressed Burger
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, high protein
Many burger connoisseurs consider pressing a patty down while it cooks to be sacrilegious, but getting it as thin as possible guarantees a drool-worthy, crisp outer crust. Pass the ketchup, please.
53. Rodney Scott’s Honey-Butter Fish
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, high protein
This seafood dish has the steaks and chops at the barbecue shaking in their boots. We're betting the dreamy honey butter topping and bold rib rub are to blame.
54. Mini Key Lime Pies
Time Commitment: 40 minutes (plus chilling time)
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
Hi, we're PureWow, and teeny-tiny desserts are our love language. Don't let their size fool you: The pies' filling is bursting with flavor, courtesy of fresh lime juice and sweetened condensed milk.
55. Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Three delicious secrets are hiding inside this flaky strawberry-filled wonder. Zingy balsamic vinegar brightens up the fruit filling, while rosemary in the crust and sour cream in the whipped cream add additional nuance and tang.
RELATED: 72 Easy Summer Desserts to Devour from Now Until Labor Day
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.