11 Festive Labor Day Cookout Recipes Everyone Will Love

Labor Day in Phoenix counts as a favored holiday over here at Brian Eastwood Real Estate. Since the holiday is the last hurrah before the onset of fall, it’s a good excuse for me to pull out all of my favorite Labor Day recipes and invite friends, family, and former clients over for an end-of-summer feast. This backyard celebration lends itself to fresh seasonal veggies and salad, choice cuts of meat on the grill, and your favorite fruity beverage in a chilled glass. It’s all so tasty!

Here are some tasty Labor Day recipes. I invite you to try making some of these tasty treats wherever you’re celebrating Labor Day 2020.

1. Simple Grilled Steak Recipe

It’s not a Labor Day cookout without some sort of meat on the grill. Usually, I opt for steak (New York or rib-eye), and in this regard, I’m of the opinion that the best grilled steak is the simplest grilled steak. I like to rub a little olive oil and some salt and pepper on my steak.

That being said, I know that some of my guests may want something a little fancier. It’s for this reason that I will also serve something on the side, like a pesto sauce or…

2. Mango Salsa

Labor Day in Phoenix wouldn’t be complete without mango salsa. As I alluded to in the previous paragraph, it’s an excellent topper for grilled steak. The plump, juicy mangos, combined with avocado, red onions, strawberries and the works, bring out the savory of the steak. These ingredients also add a flavor-filled pop to your corn chips or fresh vegetable slices.

The beauty of mango salsa is that it’s just the right thing to serve as a summertime appetizer. The mangos are fresh in season. They’re sweet enough to provide balance to hotter foods. They’re also not too heavy, which allows you to leave room for more.

3. Barbecue Shrimp on Toast

This shrimp appetizer adds the “surf” element to a surf-and-turf meal. It’s also simple to make and delish to eat. Moreover, the toast part of the deal makes this an easy finger food – a must for those impromptu walk-around meetings that happen between guests at my Labor Day parties.

4. Parmesan Spinach Dip

This starter is soooo good… so much so, that I often wonder if I should be running a restaurant that serves this decadent Parmesan spinach dip instead of running Brian Eastwood Real Estate. Okay. I’m kidding about that one. I love what I do.

But you should take that declaration for what it is: a testament to how yummy this dip truly is!

It’s all about getting the freshest ingredients in one place. Naturally, you’ll want to start with fresh spinach that you found at the local farmer’s market. Ditto for the cheeses.

5. Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

Certainly, you could serve a standard green salad with your feast, but this tomato and mozzarella salad just has so much more pizzazz! It only requires a few ingredients, the most important of which is the tomatoes. Hothouse tomatoes are best, though if you can find a couple of heirloom tomatoes in a friend’s garden, all the better. Yum.

6. Baked Barbecue Tofu

Not everyone enjoys eating meat, and if you’re hosting a summer barbecue in Phoenix, you’ll want to make a dish or two for your vegetarian and vegan friends. That’s where this tasty baked barbecue tofu recipe comes in. It gives your vegetarian/ vegan friends a good source of protein that’s in keeping with the barbecue theme. It’s a win-win for sure!

7. Vegetable Kabobs

Veggie kabobs give you a chance to try out some of those fresh, seasonal vegetables in a new and tasty way. Aside from being delish, they add color to the spread and an explosion of flavors.

8. Pesto Potato Salad

While the traditional mayonaise-based potato salad is still popular among the barbecue set, this pesto potato salad offers a nice alternative. It combines fresh red potatoes, pesto and other seasonal ingredients. It’s one mean salad.

9. Pulled Pork on Hoagie Rolls

After having hosted a few Labor Day weekend barbecues, I’ve learned that some people just love a good sandwich, even when you’re serving steak. It’s for this reason that I always serve the fixings for a pulled pork sandwich. It’s a popular sandwich that’s easy to make. You can even make a vegan version of this recipe by substituting jackfruit for pork.

10. Banana Split Ice Cream

This no-churn banana split ice cream dessert is an excellent way to top off your meal. Make it up a day or two before the big event and then stash it in your freezer once it’s done. The trick to this homemade ice cream is the sweetened condensed milk and fresh fruits. You won’t believe how good it is.

11. Strawberry Shortcake

Here’s another summer dessert that everyone usually loves: strawberry shortcake. Start this out with a fluffy biscuit and then top with strawberries or seasonal berries and some whipped cream. Add sliced strawberries and mint to the top as garnishes.

Now, you know what my favorite Labor Day recipes are. What about you? What grilled concoctions make your tastebuds sing?