Memorial Day is quickly approaching and it’s time to finalize your menu for your BBQ. It’s the first official three-day weekend of the year in the U.S. and you want everything to be perfect. Grilling burgers and having some delicious side dishes is key to pleasing your guests.
Grilling And Chilling Part Two
In the first part of “Memorial Day Grilling and Chilling“, we provided some delicious ideas for some killer burgers. We had a fantastic burger recipe sure to please, and also the Salsa Burger and legendary Juicy Lucy recipes. Each of these are “crowd pleasers” that your guests will love.
In part two of “Memorial Day Grilling And Chilling”, we offer up some side dishes that will impress your guests. We have the ever popular baked beans recipe, and a unique recipe for potato salad that will be he hit of the BBQ.
We’re going to introduce you to grilled potato salad. You heard that correctly, grilled potato salad. Every one of my guests who have tried it absolutely loved it. The sampling of it usually followed some questions from the guests that needed answering. “How do you grill potato salad?” “Doesn’t it fall through the grill grates?” As you read on, you will learn how this incredible side dish gets created.
Beverages and Desserts
We will also be highlighting some of our impressive beer selections and incredible desserts from Last Word’s own Nic Hendrickson and Angela Dack
Side Dishes
Baked Beans
You’ll need several cans of your favorite baked beans, 5-6 slices of bacon cut into small squares, a small chopped red onion, brown sugar, and honey. Take a corningware dish or sturdy foil pan and place the beans on the bottom. Sprinkle the chopped red onion across the top of the beans, then add the bacon almost covering the beans. Spread out a thin layer of brown sugar and then drizzle the honey across the top. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours. Uncover the pan and bake for an additional one hour. Right before serving give the beans a good stir to mix in all the flavors.
Legendary Grilled Potato Salad
Before we begin with the recipe, we will address the questions surrounding grilled potato salad. Yes, we use a charcoal grill. No, the potato salad does not fall through the grates.
Ingredients
- 8-10 Large Red Potatoes
- 1 Medium Red Onion Chopped
- 5-6 Stalks of Celery Chopped
- 1 Medium Sweet Red Pepper Chopped
- 3-4 Hard Boiled Eggs Chopped
- 1 Medium Pickle Chopped (optional)
- 2-3 Cups of Your Favorite Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons of Mustard (optional)
- Olive Oil
- Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
- Cajun Spice
- Granulated Garlic
- Black Pepper
It’s All In The Potatoes
Take your potatoes and cut them into quarters lengthwise. You can cut them into sixths if the they’re really large ones. Put the potato slices into a large bowl and drizzle them with the olive oil. Next up, season all sides of the slices with the spices listed above.
Grill Time
Light your grill, placing a mound of 20-25 charcoal briquettes in the center. Once the coals reach that “perfect grey,” place your potato slices around your grill grate evenly. Grill them for ten minutes, then turn them over. After another ten minutes, turn them over again. Do this until the potato slices are cooked through, making sure to grill them evenly on all sides. Remove the slices and allow to cool.
Building The Masterpiece
Take the cooled potato slices and cut them into bite size portions. Place them into a large bowl, then add in the mayonnaise and mustard. Gently stir them until they are completely covered. Next, add in the chopped onion, pepper, celery, pickle, and hard-boiled egg. Gently mix everything together, trying not to break up the potatoes. It’s at this point that you will have to judge the consistency you’re after. If you want your potato salad creamy, add in some more mayo. Allow your potato salad to sit in the fridge at least an hour or two. This will allow all the goodness to sink into every bite. There’s something about the grilling of the potatoes that adds an incredible flavor to the dish.Your guests will notice the difference.
Beers And BBQ
Check out these beers as featured by Last Word’s Beer Guru Nic Hendrickson:
Central City Brewers – Lucky Dog
Howe Sound Brewing – Sky Pilot NW Pale Ale
These tasty beers and others are brewed in Canada and available in the U.S.
Dessert Time
Enjoy these dessert creations from Last Word’s own Angela Dack:
Roasted Dutch Apple And Pumpkin Tart Recipe
Pumped up Apple and Rhubarb Crumble Recipe
Both of these will be a great finish to your BBQ menu.
Three Day Weekend Ahead
There you have the makings of a fantastic Memorial Day BBQ. I hope you are adventurous enough to try the Juicy Lucy’s and grilled potato salad. Both of them will be a hit at your feast. And if anyone is still asking whether any of the potato salad fell through the grate, send them outside to check and then lock the door behind them. Have a great Memorial Day BBQ everyone!
Part 1 Memorial Day Grilling And Chilling
For more grilling ideas and recipes, follow me on Twitter @boakleyLWOS.
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