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Celebrate Labor Day Weekend With a Stellar Cookout

Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob

Wow… did summer fly by or what? In my mind, Memorial Day was last weekend. Summer’s unofficially coming to an end, but I’m not going to let the weekend go by without at least one more cookout (or more!). And, of course, there will be some stellar recipes on the menu.

Burgers and hot dogs are a must. But for this cookout, I’m going to add a couple other proteins. I’m planning to make Shelley Simpson’s (Swartz Creek, MI) Grilled Pork Kabobs and Kathy Griffin’s (Oneonta, AL) Semi-Spicy Grilled Chicken.

Shelley’s kabobs are so versatile they’re a great snack before the meal or a great addition to the main course. It’s one of her family’s “favorite grilled meals” and I love them too.

The marinade is what makes the recipe special. The meat turns out extremely tender and flavorful. You can bake them in the oven if you have too much on the grill, but I’d suggest grilling them. It just adds to the flavor.

Kathy’s Semi-Spicy Grilled Chicken is packed with flavor. Again, it’s a marinade that works its magic on the meat. It was slightly tangy and sweet with a little bit of spice… but not too overpowering.

I suggest prepping this recipe the day before and letting the chicken marinate overnight. It lets the marinade really permeate through the meat. The result – juicy and flavorful chicken.

A kitchen gadget I’m trying to use more of is my Instant Pot. You can read 5 reasons why we love it in the Test Kitchen here and I really loved using it for Deb Baldwin’s (Blanchard, ID) Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob.

“I was telling my sister that I was cooking my ribs in the pressure cooker and was going to have corn on the cob,” explains Deb. “My sister suggested cooking it in the pressure cooker and that I’d never eat it any other way. So I made it and it’s wonderful.”

Deb’s sister was definitely onto something when she suggested that. I’m wondering why I didn’t think of using the pressure cooker for corn before? It makes cooking corn seriously easy and it turns out perfect. Crisp and juicy, just slather a bit of extra butter (if you want) plus a hint of salt and you have corn perfection.

Catie B’s (Los Angeles, CA) Island Tuna Salad is cool and refreshing – perfect for a Labor Day cookout.

“During the years I made the heavy vinegar, spicy, Italian dressing rotini pasta salad and although beloved by all, I could not eat it,” shares Catie. “Being allergic to vinegar, I needed an alternative I could enjoy, eat healthily, yet offer something different from a regular pasta and veggie with mayo salad. This recipe was my answer for healthy, light, and satisfying.”

This tuna salad is full of delicious flavor and textures. I chose to use fresh minced onions and they provided a little crunch along with the green pepper. I also loved the mixture of mayo and sour cream, it really made this salad creamy.

A must have at any cookout is creamy potato salad. Janet Crow (Quinwood, WV) has an unusual recipe that she loves to serve – Cauliflower Potato Salad. “This is a wonderful alternative to regular potato salad and is absolutely delicious,” thinks Janet.

The flavors in this recipe remind me of a mustard potato salad (which is one of my favorites). I like the idea of using cauliflower instead of potatoes. You can tell you’re not eating a traditional potato salad, but this is just as good.

Finish the day with Vonna Pauls’ (Trenton, TN) Gooey Butter Cookies. Y’all… they’re so good. “These cookies are so easy to make and everybody loves them,” says Vonna. “It’s fun to experiment with different cake flavors, too.”

These cookies are easy to prepare and MUCH easier to enjoy. I love the crunchiness on the outside and the gooey inside. With over 12,000 pinches this is one of the most popular recipes on Just A Pinch so I know your guests will love these. They are seriously simple to make and yummy.

I’m ready for pumpkin and apple season, but not before celebrating the end of summer with a few cookout favorites. I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend and Happy Pinching!