Can you use some help with a Memorial Day Menu to help you make the day extra special? When gathered together, our family is large, and we cook all of our meals at home when we get together. Here’s our menu for you! When I worked running my mortgage company, I looked forward to three-day weekends so much since I tended to work long hours and didn’t interact with family and friends as much as I would have liked.
Now that my daughters have moved on to create their own life stories and memories, we started our once-a-year get-together on Memorial Day at our home in Southern Utah with the whole crew, or at least whoever could make it.
One year, the count was 22 people, and it took a bit of planning before Memorial Day weekend arrived. We didn’t have any burial graves close by that we could visit and place flowers, but we still made memories together as a family. I purchased four flags to display on four curbs of homes surrounding my home because it’s a memorable national holiday.
American Flag
In years past, I’d pay to have our neighborhood Boy Scout troop post an American flag in front of my home. It looked lonely to have only one flag, so the troop decided to place flags on neighbors’ homes even though they weren’t home. It was beautiful to look at the five flags around our part of the neighborhood. They were kept in place all three days of the weekend. You gotta love it!
If you haven’t already, you might want to start a tradition of showing your patriotism by displaying the American flag at your home or business every national holiday or all year long. My husband belongs to a civic club called The National Exchange Club. Every year, clubs throughout the country are asked to honor a family and a business that displays the flag all year long.
“Proudly We Hail Breakfast”
They call this their “Proudly We Hail Program.” The family and business owner are invited to the club’s weekly breakfast or evening meal and asked to tell their story regarding why they feel inclined to display the flag so consistently. We have heard some incredible stories of heroes from the past, and not too distant past. The guests are given a plaque to hang on their work or home wall to acknowledge the club members’ appreciation for their display of Love of Country. Check it out at the National Exchange Club.
In case you didn’t know, I have four daughters and 17 grandchildren. Everyone has jobs or commitments, so not everyone could come to our home in Southern Utah on Memorial Day. Our family is so large now that it’s difficult for us all to get together for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Now we live up north, the weather is extreme in some areas, and the cost of getting together for all holidays at this stage of our lives is prohibitive.
We don’t like to eat out because we can’t mingle at a restaurant with this many people, and the cost would be ridiculous. Besides, we call ourselves the sister-wives because everyone pitches in to make the meals, snacks, and clean up.
We had a swimming pool in our backyard, thanks to the inheritance my mother left us after she died. I know she was looking down from heaven and knew we were all together and making memories. The whole family would sit outside, and we’d laugh from morning until night, literally. We wouldn’t leave the house for meals because we made all meals right here, ate our favorite snacks, and enjoyed cold water—lots of water.
Here are some fun meal ideas for special holidays and family get-togethers. I hope you enjoy them.
Memorial Day Menu
Breakfasts:
- Mickey Mouse pancakes, bacon, and orange juice
- Scrambled eggs, link sausages, and orange juice
- Egg, cheese, and sausage patties on toasted English muffins with orange juice
Cold cereal is always available with bananas and milk.
Milk and chocolate milk
Lunches:
My chicken and egg salad recipes are easy to make, and everyone loves them.
Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken breasts
- 1 cup chopped apple
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2-3 chopped green onions
- 1 cup sliced red grapes
- 1 cup Mayo or Miracle Whip (I used Mayo)
- 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Shred the cooked chicken.
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Combine the cooked shredded chicken, chopped apple, chopped celery, chopped green onion, and sliced red grapes.
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Mix everything together in a large bowl.
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Grab a small mixing bowl, and combine the mayo or Miracle Whip with the dill weed, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed.
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Scoop the "dressing" over the chicken mixture. Stir well. Serve on a bed of lettuce or in a roll/croissant.
Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 8-9 hard-boiled eggs peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 cup Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
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Boil your eggs in a saucepan, pressure cooker, in the oven, or a Sun Oven outside.
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Drain the hot water, cover the cooked eggs with ice and water. Peel when cool.
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Chop the eggs as finely as possible. I use a chopper.
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Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, or Miracle Whip.
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Stir in the salt, pepper, and sugar. Serve on a bed of lettuce or make a sandwich with the mixture.
- Lunch meat, bread/rolls, vegetables, and fruit
- Chicken salad, egg salad, croissants, vegetables, and fruit
- Crackers, sliced cheese, sliced turkey/chicken, vegetables, and fruit
Dinners:
Here are a few recipes to make your weekend cooking a little easier. Life is good when we eat together as a family.
Copy Cat Café Rio Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken breasts or equal amount of chicken tenderloins
- 2 cans Rotel Tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1-2 limes squeezed over the cooked shredded meat when ready to serve
Instructions
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Put everything in a slow cooker and set on low for about 8-10 hours. Use two forks to shred the meat just before serving or leave as cubed meat. Squeeze fresh limes over the meat just before serving. Great with flour or corn tortillas.
Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork tenderloin
- 1 12-ounce can Dr Pepper or 20-ounce Bottle Dr Pepper
- 1 onion, chopped or sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- Barbecue Sauce of choice
Instructions
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Grab a slow cooker and put the onions in the bottom. Next, place the pork in the slow cooker on top of onions and salt and pepper to your taste. Pour the can or bottle of Dr Pepper over the meat. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6-8 hours until meat is fork-tender and easy to shred with two forks. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce on French Bread Rolls with coleslaw, if desired.
Cheesy Potatoes
Ingredients
- 12 Potatoes (shredded or sliced)
- 1 Pint Sour Cream
- 2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1/4 Cup Butter
- 2-3 Cups Cheese-grated
- 1 Cup Frosted Flakes type cereal
Instructions
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Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Grease a 9 by 13-inch pan and scoop the mixture into the pan.
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I crush the frosted flakes and sprinkle them over the casserole.
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Bake at (350°F) = (176°C) degrees covered with foil for 1 hour, or until bubbly.
Swiss Cheesy Potatoes by Food Storage Moms
Ingredients
- 3 packages-3.5 ounce dehydrated potatoes re-hydrate according to your brand of potatoes-mine takes 45 minutes covered with water and drain or fresh potatoes sliced, peeled or cubed to fill a 9 by 13-inch pan about ½ full because you will add the cheese
- 3-4 cups grated Swiss Cheese depending on how cheesy you want yours
- ½ cube of butter melted
- 1 tablespoon minced onion I use freeze-dried
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
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Place 1/2 of the rehydrated potatoes in a 9″ by 13″ greased pan. Next, layer with 1/2 of the cheese, and sprinkle the minced fresh or freeze-dried onion over this layer.
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Add the remaining potatoes and drizzle the butter over this layer.
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Add the remaining Swiss cheese, then pour the whipping cream over the last layer.
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Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour or until heated through and bubbling.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- One bag of baby spinach or salad greens (your choice, any size)
- 6 pieces of thick bacon (cooked, drained and crumbled)
- 1/4 cup chopped cashews or sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup craisins
- 1/4 chopped red onion
- 8-10 ounces of sliced fresh strawberries
DRESSING:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/8 cup of your favorite balsamic vinegars (strawberry is good for this salad)
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
Instructions
Strawberry Spinach Salad
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Grab a large bowl and layer the spinach, bacon, cashews, Craisins, chopped red onions, and freshly sliced strawberries.
Strawberry Spinach Salad Dressing
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Use a blender to mix the ingredients for the dressing. Chill the dressing and pour it over the salad just before serving.
- Slow cooker copycat Cafe Rio chicken
- We cook a large pork tenderloin cut into four pieces with our favorite barbecue sauce in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.
- Swiss cheese and shredded potatoes
- Baked broccoli and sliced baked yams/sweet potatoes
- Spinach, chopped apples, and strawberry salad with a poppy seed dressing
Barbecued Hamburgers, etc.
I want to share my hamburger and hot dog bun recipe with you, they’re easy to make. All you have to do is change the shape of the dough.
Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- 2-3/4 cups flour – I use bread flour
- 2-1/2 tablespoons SAF instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2/3 cups parmesan cheese-grated
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cups water
Instructions
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Combine the ingredients in the order shown above into your Bosch or Kitchen Aid Mixer with a dough hook. This is by far the easiest recipe to make hamburger or hot dog buns (depending on how you shape them).
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I add more flour until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rise with some greased plastic wrap for about one hour. Remove plastic and evenly divide the dough into 6 balls.
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Roll each ball, tuck the edges under, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball to about 3-1/2 to 4 inches wide.
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Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350°F) = (176°C) degrees for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Hamburgers and hamburger buns
Hot dogs and hot dog buns
Ready-made salads, sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, and cheese slices
Baked homemade French fries with homemade fry sauce
Ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, and relish
Snacks
This is one of my favorite dishes to make for friends and family.
Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cans black-eyed peas or black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 cans of corn (drained)
- 3-4 tomatoes chopped
- 3 avocados-chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro-chopped
- 1/2 sweet purple onion, minced
- Juice of 2 Limes
- Good Seasonings Italian Dressing Packet-prepared or just make it yourself vinegar and oil dressing
Instructions
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Mix all together with the amount of dressing you prefer, then just Salt & Pepper to taste! Serve cold with tortilla chips. Great as a side dish, too!
Chips-salsa
Fruits, vegetables, and nuts
Harmon’s Grocery Store cream cheese ball and crackers
Chocolate milk, regular milk, orange juice, smoothies
Marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers (S’mores)
Frozen Creamies, banana, chocolate, and orange flavors
Water is served at every meal and outside in the backyard
Final Word
My menu costs about $10.00 per person for the entire three days. It sure beats eating out, and I know what’s in our food. We would eat very frugally at our Memorial Day three-day weekend. Please have a wonderful and safe weekend. May God bless our country at this time. Linda
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