23 Crowd-Pleasing Labor Day Recipes for the Ultimate Summer Send-Off

Fried Pickle Dip

Pickle lovers, unite! This creamy dip gets its tang from both pickles and their juices—and is even better served with pickle chips.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Rémoulade

What better use for those unripe tomatoes than this super-crunchy appetizer?

Hummus B'Tahini (Hummus With Tahini)

There are plenty of methods for churning out a great hummus, but this foolproof recipe—which comes together in 10 minutes and doesn't require a food processor—takes the cake (or, you know, the chickpea).

Salads

Three-Bean Salad

A crisp-tender, tangy three-bean salad that comes together in minutes—perfect for cookouts, potlucks, or any table that needs a fresh, easy side.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

This may be one of the last chances to use your grill, so don't just grill the chicken for your Caesar—go all out and grill the romaine and croutons, too, for a salad that's a cut above the rest.

Tomato-Watermelon Salad

Crisp, fresh watermelon and ripe tomatoes are a perfect pairing for an easy, fresh hot-weather salad. Here, fresh mint and creamy, salty feta complement the two sweet, juicy fruits (yes, tomatoes are a fruit).

Classic Potato Salad

The classics are classics for a reason, so it's okay to stick with them. This potato salad is tangy, salty, and sweet all at once and features creamy, fluffy potatoes.

Italian-American Pasta Salad

Vinaigrette, who? This pasta salad introduces brightness and acidity with ingredients like capers and olives.

Sides

Slathered Grilled Corn Ribs

Don't let any forks near these! These long strips of corn—tossed in garlic-paprika butter and grilled—are best enjoyed with your hands.

Cowboy Caviar

Since the 1940s, cowboy caviar has been a beloved staple across the South and beyond, prized for its bright flavors, eye-catching colors, and ability to stand on its own as both a dip and a salad. There are no fish eggs here, just a scoopable mix of beans, corn, and veggies dressed to impress.

Crispy Grilled Potato Wedges

Like any well-executed fries, you get a nice crunchy exterior paired with some fluffy insides, but with the added flavors that a little smoke and char from the grill bring to the party.

Charred Corn and Avocado Salad

It's not summer without corn, but grilled corn on the cob isn't the only way to enjoy it. This easy salad delivers smoky, charred kernels without ever touching the grill, thanks to a ripping-hot cast iron skillet that caramelizes the corn and chars the poblano chile. Tossed warm with creamy avocado, sharp scallions, and crumbled queso fresco in a bright, garlicky lime dressing, it's layered, punchy, and satisfying.

Mains

The Ultimate Smash Cheeseburger

Same smash burger size, but twice the amount of crisp, browned crust. Here, we cook two 2-ounce patties instead of one 4-ounce patty—which means we get double the amount of crust—while a slice of cheese in between the patties keeps things moist.

Really Awesome Black Bean Burgers

In its ideal form, a black bean burger should be moist and meaty, with a patty that holds together and forms a substantial crust, packed with robust bean flavor and the seasonings that complement it. Luckily for us, this recipe ticks all those boxes.

Sous Vide Barbecue Pork Ribs

These oversized and fully-loaded hot dogs are generously heaped with sauerkraut, diced tomatoes, mashed avocado, mayonnaise, and more.

Desserts

Lemon Icebox Cake

An icebox cake has summer written all over it, and this one tastes exactly like a lemon meringue pie.

S'mores Brownies

With a sweet, nutty graham cracker crust, a layer of fudgy brownies, and a topping of toasted marshmallows, these bars are a heartier, more substantial take on classic s'mores.

Lemon Water Ice

Water ice, a Philly classic, requires just three ingredients—fruit, sugar, and water—and it's about as low-lift as summer desserts get. 

Easy Fruit-Swirl Ice Cream Sandwiches

No need for an ice cream maker here. With a tub of store-bought ice cream swirled with your favorite jam, all that's left to do is whip up a giant homemade vanilla cookie before assembling these ice cream sandwiches.

Classic Banana Pudding

Our trick for upgrading a classic banana pudding? Use vanilla pastry cream instead of boxed pudding mix. You'll thank us later!

Drinks

Limoncello Spritz

Limoncello, Prosecco, and club soda are all that's needed to whip up this drink and pretend that you're on the Amalfi coast.

Spicy Cucumber-Jalapeño Limeade

Fire and ice and everything nice, right? That's what you get with this limeade, complete with cooling cucumbers and hot jalapeños.