Recipes To Spice Up The Memorial Day Meal

Memorial Day is the perfect time to get together with friends and family for the first cook-out of the season. Here are some great recipes from the main dish to sides to dessert that you can try in your own backyard. So gather up the gang, fire up the grill and tuck in!

Karen Hunt, senior administrative assistant at , shared her homemade mac & cheese recipe. It's a favorite year-round, and perfect as a Memorial Day side dish, especially since you can make it in advance and cook it right before dinner.

Ingredients:
1 lb macaroni or other small pasta that will hold the gooey cheese

8 ounces Velveeta

8 ounces Muenster

8 ounces White American Cheese

8 ounces Yellow American Cheese

1 quart milk

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. 

Dice the cheeses and place them in a large pot or skillet with sides.  Allow them to melt, but keep an eye on them and stir frequently to avoid scorching.

Slowly add the milk and stir once the cheese is mostly melted. 

When everything is smoothly incorporated, drain the pasta and add it to the cheese. 

Pour all of the mixture into a 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until hot and bubbly throughout)

May be made ahead and refrigerated.  Bake when ready about 40 minutes.

Joyce Able Scroth, director of the Westlake Community Services Department shared this oriental broccoli salad recipe with us. This fresh salad is really easy to make and perfect for welcoming summer.

Ingredients:

2-12 oz. packages shredded broccoli slaw

2 packages beef flavored Ramen noodles

1 cup sunflower seed kernels

1 cup sliced almonds

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sugar

1/3 cups cider vinegar

Directions:

Mix oil, sugar, vinegar and one Ramen seasoning packet. Pour the mixture over the slaw and mix them together. Keep the mixture chilled in the refrigerator.

Just before serving, add nuts, 1 ½ packages of the noodles (broken up) and sunflower kernels.

Burgers

But what will you put on the grill? Better Homes and Gardens has a great recipe for the traditional All-American burger. With Worchestershire sauce, garlic, hot sauce and just a little bit of sugar, these burgers are a notch above your standard patty.

Salsa

If you want to spice it up a litte, check out this fresh rhubarb salsa recipe from AllRecipes.com.  Lime, apple and a little bit of honey make it a great topping for chicken or fish.

Dessert

Blackberries are in season, so why not put them to delicious use with Martha Stewart's blackberry crumbles? Each is made in its own cup, so they're easy to serve and share.