Everyone thinks of Memorial Day as the official start to summer. Although traditional hot dogs and hamburgers may be a mainstay for your Memorial Day recipes, don’t stop there. Add some red, white, and blue Memorial Day recipes for appetizer and desserts to remind your guests why we celebrate Memorial Day.
Easy Memorial Day Recipes – Appetizer
Red, White, and Blue Boiled Shrimp
If you live near the coast – and even if you don’t – why not enjoy boiled shrimp for Memorial Day? Boiled shrimp is one of those great make-ahead Memorial Day recipes for a picnic. You really can’t mess up this Memorial Day recipe!
Needed for this easy Memorial Day recipe:
Stock Pot (or other large pot)
Water
1 to 2 lbs. medium sized shrimp (de-headed and in shells)
Old Bay Seasoning or Zatarain’s Crab and Shrimp Boil
Optional: Additional items from your pantry (see below)
Strainer
Large Bowl (preferably blue)
Ice
Cocktail and tarter sauce, crackers
Fill a stock pot about halfway with water and pour some Old Bay Seasoning or Zatarain’s Shrimp Boil in the water. The directions on the back of the jar or can will guide you in determining how much you need. A couple of tablespoons is usually good. Add more if you’d like.
Add any or all of these items from your pantry: dehydrated onion and dried parsley (a couple of tablespoons), freshly squeezed juice from a lemon or two, bay leaves, a shake or two of salt and pepper, and my secret ingredients, one or two cloves of garlic (dehydrated or fresh pressed – either is fine) and a few drops of Tabasco sauce.
Bring water to a boil and then add shrimp.
IMPORTANT RECIPE TIP: Cook only until the shrimp tails begin to curl back toward the body of the shrimp (the shells may also look pink) and then remove from heat. This will just take a couple of minutes! Don’t cook too long or your shrimp will be tough. Strain the hot water from the shrimp and lightly rinse them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Fill a bowl with ice and add shrimp. Store in the fridge until time to serve. Serve along with cocktail sauce, tarter sauce, and an assortment of crackers.
MEMORIAL DAY RECIPE HINT: For this Memorial Day recipe be sure to use a blue bowl. The blue bowl, ice, and pink shrimp make this one of the most festive, refreshing, and healthy Memorial Day recipes you could make to start your celebration.
Easy Memorial Day Recipes – Desserts
Think red, white and blue and be as healthy as you want to be with these easy make-ahead Memorial Day recipes for desserts.
Needed for these easy Memorial Day Recipes:
Strawberries (or Raspberries) and Blueberries
Strainer
Whipped Cream or Cool Whip (Lite or Regular)
White angel food cake, pound cake, or sheet cake
White Icing (only used for sheet cake)
Optional – mint leaves for garnish
Clear, wide mouthed glasses with stems (champagne, martini, red wine)
Alternative: Clear Sherbet or small, stemmed water glasses
Healthy Memorial Day Dessert Recipe:
Wash and drain berries. Pat dry with towel. Hull strawberries and cut them in half. Combine strawberries and blueberries in stemmed glasses and top with a dollop of Lite Cool Whip. Garnish with mint leaves. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Another Healthy Recipe Alternative:
Cut up white angel food cake and add it to the bottom of your glass. Top with berries and Lite Cool Whip as described above.
Not for the Calorie Conscious Recipe Alternative:
Substitute white pound cake for the angel food cake. Add berries and Cool Whip or whipped cream.
Forget the Calories Recipe Alternative:
Purchase or make a plain white sheet cake with white icing. Wash and thoroughly drain your berries. Pat dry with towel. Be creative for Memorial Day. Decorate the top of your white iced cake with berries. For a flag design put red strawberries in upper left corner and alternate blueberries for blue stripes across the rest of the cake. Serve slice of cake on red, white or blue plates.
Or use your computer. Print and cut out Memorial Day star shapes (5 pointed stars work best) in different sizes. Lightly place the paper stars randomly over your cake. Lightly trace around the shapes with a butter knife, remove paper stars, and fill in the shapes with red and blue berries.
Be totally random and cover the top of your cake with the red and blue berries. No special design. It will still look beautiful and festive for Memorial Day.
Other Delightful Additions for Memorial Day
Enjoy these easy Memorial Day recipes as part of a traditional welcome to summer but don’t forget why we celebrate Memorial Day.
Please display the flag proudly to welcome your Memorial Day guests.
Please have a moment of silence as a memorial to those who have made all of our Memorial Day picnics possible.
