Easy Memorial Day Party Recipes: Less Time in the Kitchen and More Time at the Party

If you and the family are going to be cooking out for Memorial Day, you may want to come up with an original menu for your family and friends to enjoy. You can also include some timeless classics that have always been a hit at Memorial Day barbeques and parties; here are a few recipe ideas that will keep you from spending all your time in the kitchen, and more time enjoying the festivities.

If you want to go with a more patriotic theme, you can incorporate red, white, and blue into your foods by creating a fruit parfait using strawberries, blueberries, and cream. You can layer these items in a clear large parfait bowl, or you can make individual servings for each guest using plastic bowls or martini glasses. Or, you can create tasty nachos using monterey jack cheese sauce, blue corn tortilla chips, and tomatoes. Guests can also add their own condiments to the nachos, such as jalepeno peppers, lettuce, onions, and salsa. These dishes are very easy to make, and the colors the the main food items will definitnely make your party dishes stand out.

If your Memorial Day weekend includes a dessert party, you can create oatmeal chocolate chip cookes using white chocolate chips (to add a little patriotism to your cookies), or you can create blondies that you can add red and blue berries to (if you need gluten free or vegan versions of these items, you can visit sites like www.fatfreevegan.com or www.glutenfreeforum.com for more great ideas). Strawberries dipped in white chocolate or vanilla syrup are also a hit, and go great with most of the cocktails you can prepare.

Some people prefer to have a hearty meal for Memorial Day, so classic American fare with your own special twist may be ideal. A hearty beef stew with yellow rice on the side, or smothered chicken with mashed potatoes may be just what your family ordered, or you could try standard dishes with a twist, like skillet lasagna (kids really love this one, too). Adding a blend of Italian herbs, white pepper, or saffron to these dishes could give them just the kick you're looking for, and you may create a new staple dish for your family to enjoy anytime.

Drinks can include berry punch, strawberry tea, iced tea with special flavors (try peach or mango nectars for great flavor), or spritzers made from your favorite fruit flavors; just grab some club soda and the tastiest fruit nectars you can find for refreshments your guests will love. For more great ideas, check out www.ivillage.com. Happy eating!