5 Recipe Ideas for Memorial Day Weekend

Here are 5 recipe ideas for this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. I hope you enjoy!

Memorial Day is so special. Its a time where we honor those that have served our country. This upcoming weekend is a time for us to reflect and be grateful.

Not only is Memorial Day weekend so special, it always feels like it’s the kick-off weekend into summer. I’m ready to get out of spring and hope we have great weather all summer long.

#1: 7 Ingredient Breakfast Casserole

Whether you’re hosting guests this upcoming weekend or want something a little extra special in the morning, this 7 Ingredient Breakfast Casserole is a great option.

7 Ingredient Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1.5 cups half & half
  • 1 tsp Lawry’s Season Salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 16oz ground sausage
  • 16oz shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3 cups frozen breakfast potatoes
  • Optional: chives for topping

Recipe

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cook sausage then set aside.
  3. In a large bowl – whisk together eggs, half & half, salt, and pepper. Add sausage and 1 cup of cheese. Mix until combined.
  4. Spray an 8×10 casserole dish and layer the potatoes evenly across the bottom.
  5. Pour the ingredients from the large bowl over the potatoes in the casserole dish. Use a spatula or spoon to even the top layer.
  6. Top the casserole with cheese.
  7. Bake for 35 minutes. The center of the casserole should be at least 160 degrees.
  8. Sprinkle the casserole with chives for garnish then enjoy!

#2: Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Mediterranean Chicken Salad is a great side dish for almost any occasion! The recipe calls for rotisserie chicken but you could make it without if you’re looking for a vegetarian option.

Ingredients

  • 1/2-1 rotisserie chicken 
  • 16oz macaroni noodles
  • 1-1.5 cups halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup diced red onions
  • 4 mini cucumbers
  • 1 cup halved kalamata olives
  • 6oz feta cheese
  • 1-2 cups olive oil 
  • 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1-2 tbsp pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp salt
  • 1-2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1-2 tbsp onion powder
  • 1-2 tbsp oregano 
  • Parsley (for garnish) 

Recipe

  1. Boil noodles and begin chopping veggies. 
  2. Dice the onion, cut cherry tomatoes and olives in half, and chop mini cucumbers into small pieces. Set aside in a medium size bowl. 
  3. Shred chicken and set aside.
  4. For 1 serving of the dressing: whisk together 1 cup of olive oil, 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp pepper, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp garlic, 1tbsp onion powder, and 1 tbsp oregano. Depending on your preference, double the recipe and save some of the dressing for adding more to the salad later on if needed. 
  5. After the noodles have been boiled and drained, add your veggie mixture and shredded chicken together in a large bowl. Then, stir in the dressing.
  6. Chill for 30 minutes and add any more dressing depending on your preference. 
  7. Garnish with parsley and feta cheese before serving.

Special Notes:

The recipe gives you enough for 1 serving of dressing. Simply double that and make an extra serving if you’d like more. I recommend doubling it right away so that you have more to add over the time you’re serving it or if you’re enjoying it the next day.

#3: Layered Taco Salad

Easy layered taco salad recipe! Takes roughly 30 minutes to make and should be chilled for at least 1 hour before serving. A layered taco salad prevents the dish from becoming soggy too quickly and looks pretty in a glass container. I recommend using a trifle bowl.

Ingredients

  • 1 iceberg lettuce head
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 can black beans (drained)
  • 1 can corn (drained)
  • 3 taco seasoning packets
  • 1-2 cups shredded cheddar
  • 1 container cherry tomatoes
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 16oz salsa bottle
  • 2 cups Hellman’s mayo 
  • 2 cups sour cream 
  • 3 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot
  • Optional toppings: red onion, cilantro, or black olives.

Recipe

  1. Cook the ground beef and mix in 1 taco seasoning packet. Set aside and allow too cool. 
  2. Start making the sauce. Mix the mayo and sour cream together in a small bowl. Add in the remaining 2 taco seasoning packets and a 1/2 cup of salsa. Stir. Add more mayo, sour cream and salsa as you wish. I recommend adding Frank’s Red Hot for a little extra heat.
  3. In your serving dish/bowl, add the ingredients in the following order – lettuce, beans, corn, beef, small layer of salsa, and sauce. 
  4. Sprinkle cheese on top. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and avocado cubes. You can add other toppings like black olives, red onion, and cilantro if you like. 
  5. Chill for at least an hour before serving. 

Special Notes:

Make sure all ingredients are dry and cooled before you begin layering the salad. Otherwise, you’ll have a soggy mess on your hands. 

You’ll have extra sauce and beef. I recommend mixing them together and setting it next to your salad when serving. Throw in some tortilla chips in an additional bowl. People can use the extra sauce for more dressing on their salad or use it as chip dip.

#4: Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

You’ll love these Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies. This recipe takes about an hour and a half to make since the dough needs chill for 60 minutes before baking. It makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature) 
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp lemon zest
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1.5 cups white chocolate chips 
  • 6oz can raspberry cake/pastry filling

Recipe 

  1. In a medium size bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the egg and fresh lemon juice to the bowl then mix until combined. 
  2. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and white chocolate chips to the bowl. Use your hands or a spatula to mix everything together until combined. 
  3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 60 minutes. 
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  5. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Roll cookies into balls and place them about 2 inches apart on a non-stick sprayed cookie sheet. 
  6. Bake for 11-13 minutes and place cookies on a cooling rack to cool. 
  7. While cookies are cooling, add the raspberry cake/pastry filling to a small pot. Heat on low and slowly stir in small amounts of water until the consistency is thin enough to use as a drizzle. It’ll take a couple tablespoons of water. 
  8. Remove raspberry drizzle from heat. Drizzle cookies and enjoy!

Special Notes:

  • Lemons You’ll Need – you’ll need at least 1 lemon for the zest and juice but…buy an extra lemon just in case. 
  • Refrigerate Dough – don’t skip this step. Refrigerating the dough for 60 minutes will make your cookies thicker and chewier. 
  • Raspberry Drizzle – line cookies on tin foil or parchment paper when drizzling. It’ll contain the mess because it’s quite a sticky process. Use a whisk to drizzle the cookies. 

#5: Cheesecake Banana Bread

This Cheesecake Banana Bread recipe is a great breakfast treat or afternoon snack paired with a super hot cup of coffee. The recipe takes a little over 1.5 hours to make and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The loaf takes about an hour in the oven, the middle of the loaf should be set and the top should be a darker golden brown. If the top is browning too quickly to your liking, simply cover the loaf loosely with tin foil.

Ingredients

Banana Bread: 

  • 3 ripe bananas 
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp baking soda 
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt 
  • 1 tbsp vanilla 
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Filling Layer: 

  • 8 oz room temp cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp vanilla 
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Recipe

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. Start with the banana bread dough – in a large bowl, peel and mash your bananas. Mix in the butter, sugar, egg, baking soda, sea salt, and vanilla until combined. Then, slowly mix in the flour until the dough pulls together. Set aside. 
  3. Make your cheesecake filling layer – in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Then, incorporate the flour until combined. 
  4. In a non-stick sprayed 9×5 baking pan, spread half of the banana bread dough for the first layer. Next, spread the cheesecake layer then top with the rest of the banana bread dough. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top. 
  5. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the loaf is set, the top should be a darker golden brown.
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