29 Labor Day Recipes to End the Summer
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Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, and what better way to celebrate than with a table full of delicious recipes perfect for backyard cookouts, picnics, and long weekend gatherings. Whether you’re firing up the grill, whipping up refreshing sides, or finishing the day with something sweet, this collection of 30 Labor Day recipes has you covered. From juicy burgers and smoky ribs to fresh salads, fruity drinks, and crowd-pleasing desserts, these recipes will help you send summer off in the most flavorful way.
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Easy Appetizers
Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa
This quick and easy blender/food processor salsa combines a handful of ingredients and is the perfect dipping salsa for any occasion.
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Cheesy Cajun Chex Mix
This simple Cheesy Cajun Chex Mix combines cereal, assorted crackers, crunchy pretzels, and warm Cajun spices. You really can’t go wrong with this easy snack. It’s so good you may want to make a double batch!
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Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
This easy and incredibly flavorful stuffed mushroom recipe combines spicy sausage, loads of garlic, cheese, and a crunchy panko topping. The perfect bite.
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Triple Chile Queso Dip
A quick and delicious recipe for Triple Chile Queso Dip using prepared salsa, chiles, and cheese. This dip recipe comes together quick and is packed with flavor.
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Texas Caviar Dip
This Texas Caviar recipe is an easy crowd-pleasing bean salad you’ll want to make all summer. This simple dip makes a fair amount so cut this recipe in half if you don’t plan on feeding 8-12 hungry people.
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Simple Sides and Salads
Easy Slow Cooker Baked Beans
This semi-homemade recipe starts with canned baked beans and gets a serious glow-up from fresh onion, green bell pepper, some savory flavor from Worcestershire, tangy yellow mustard, your favorite BBQ sauce, and a hint of sweetness from brown sugar.
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Classic Potato Salad
This summer staple recipe is simple to make and only requires a few ingredients and some fresh herbs. Day 2 is always tastier, but you can absolutely serve this right away.
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Corn Avocado Cucumber Salad
This fresh summer salad is packed full of fresh corn, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, ripe avocados, fresh herbs, and the best part is it’s ready in just about 10-15 minutes.
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Warm Potato Salad with Sausage and Cotija
Warm red potatoes mixed with browned sausage, creamy cotija cheese and an herby vinaigrette dressing. It’s so delicious and is just as great served cold.
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Pea, Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese Salad
This salad is quick and extremely flavorful. With creamy goat cheese, sharp shallots, sweet peas, and fresh red peppers tossed in a tangy red wine vinaigrette.
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Grill it Up!
Easy BBQ’d Ribs
Whether you’re planning a lazy backyard cookout or looking to impress the neighbors at the next block party, these truly are the Best BBQ’d Ribs you’ll ever make.
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Grilled Chili Lime Chicken
This recipe is simple and only requires a few ingredients to make a super flavorful grilled chicken. Chop it up and make tacos and wraps, or serve it on a toasted bun with all your favorite toppings.
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Cuban Burgers
This incredibly easy recipe levels up the standard burger by adding lots of spices, salty ham, fresh tomato, and a pickle on top.
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Veggie Burgers with Spicy BBQ Sauce
This meat-free recipe is loaded with flavor from cooked arborio rice, quinoa, chopped mushrooms, chiles, and panko bread crumbs. Topped with a spicy vanilla barbecue sauce that is a definite keeper!
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Moroccan Meatball Sliders
These little meatball sliders served on mini bagels are the perfect grab-and-go grilled bite. Loaded with flavor and easy to make.
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Buffalo Chicken Burgers
Make them with chicken or turkey, lots of blue cheese, spices, and of course a classic red hot sauce to tie it all together. The patties can be made ahead of time to make it easy on the grill chef when it's time to feed a crowd.
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Pretzel Burger Buns
If you want to take this grilling weekend up another notch, make your own burger buns with this Pretzel Burger Bun recipe. It's easy and delicious.
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Don’t Forget Dessert
Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft, chewy, and egg-free, these chocolate chip cookies are the perfect allergy-friendly treat. Easy to make, freezer-friendly, and kid-approved.
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Chocolate Sheet Cake
This is a simple cake recipe that dresses up a traditional boxed Devil's Food Cake mix with a few ingredients that results in a moist and flavorful chocolate cake recipe.
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Cherry Pie
This fresh cherry pie is soooo tasty, you may want to freeze up some extra cherries and make it all year long.
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Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are a next-level twist on the classic, with crushed Heath bar bits folded into the dough and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top.
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Quick Cherry Ice Cream
This no-churn ice cream recipe is a family favorite. It's incredibly quick and easy to make and can be modified by using other types of frozen fruit.
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Pineapple Mango Upside Down Cake
This is the perfect blend of island flavors. Pineapple rings are filled with mango slices and topped with a moist and flavorful cake batter.
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Soft Ginger Cookies
Make a big batch of these bakery-style soft ginger cookies and watch them disappear.
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Boozy Fresh Peach Yogurt Popsicles
A little coconut vodka, fresh peaches and peach yogurt equals the best Fresh Peach & Yogurt Popsicles ever! Omit the vodka for a kid-friendly version.
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Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe is easy to make and they are soooo tasty that even picky kiddos will love them, because you can't taste the veggies!
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A Few Sippers
Apple Cider Margarita
This margarita recipe is next level and will quickly become your new favorite cocktail. Just a few ingredients and you're ready to sip!
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Mixed Berry Tom Collins
A quick and delicious recipe for a Thyme & Mixed Berry Tom Collins that will be the perfect sipper to cool down on a hot summer day.
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Mango Orange Agua Fresca
So refreshing and delicious, you'll want to make a big batch! Even better, this agua fresca makes a great base for a margarita or fruity slushy drink.
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Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
These Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies are a next-level twist on the classic, with crushed Heath bar bits folded into the dough and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top for balance and flair. Whether you’re baking for a cookie exchange, a weekend treat, or just because Tuesday needs cookies, this recipe will quickly become your go-to.
prep time15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
number of servings Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups brown sugar, light or dark, packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 8 oz Heath Bar Toffee Bits
- sea salt, optional
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to incorporate.
- Add the flour and baking soda and beat just until incorporated. Pour in the heath bits and chocolate chips and use the lowest speed to mix into the cookie batter or fold in with a spatula.
- Use a hinged scoop for uniform cookies or drop by tablespoon. Space the cookies 2 inches apart and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.
- Bake 23-25 minutes. The cookies will look a little underdone in the center, that's OK, remove and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with any remaining cookie dough. Cool completely before storing.
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Nutrition
* Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Co-Founder at Spiceology | More About Heather…
Heather is a recipe developer and content creator living in Vancouver, Washington. She started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, almost 20 years ago, as a way to share recipes with friends and family. Heather is also the co-founder of Spiceology , a unique spice company, which she started in 2013. She shares family friendly recipes for easy everyday meals with a gourmet twist.