It’s hard for us to believe that Labor Day, marking the unofficial end of summer, is just around the corner.
At this point, kids are back in school, getting us back into the school day routine. By the time Labor Day rolls around, parents are eager and ready for a well-earned long weekend. The whole point of the day is to rest from your labors, right? So why are you spending so much time and energy on your Labor Day party? We have the perfect labor-less Labor Day recipes to get you started.
BBQ Bacon-Habenero Burger
Give your burgers and your friends at the party a sweet and spicy kick. With pineapple rings, habanero cheese, bacon and BBQ sauce, this smoky burger is not for the faint-hearted.
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- ¼ cup BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce
- 4 KRAFT Big Slice Hot Habanero Cheese Slices
- 4 drained canned pineapple rings
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, broken in half
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- Heat grill to medium heat.
- Shape ground beef into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Grill 5 to 6 min. on each side or until medium doneness (160°F), brushing with barbecue sauce for the last few minutes.
- Top burgers with cheese; grill 1 min. or until melted. Meanwhile, add pineapple rings and buns, cut sides down, to grill; cook 1 to 2 min. or until buns are lightly toasted. Remove buns from grill. Turn pineapple; grill an additional 1 to 2 min. or until heated through.
- Fill buns with cheeseburgers, pineapple, bacon and lettuce.
Grilled Potatoes and Peppers
Sure, a bag of potato chips is fast and easy, but why not try a healthier, yummier option? From realmomkitchen.com, here’s an easy, healthy recipe that makes clean up effortless.
- 8 medium red potatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced into thin wedges
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 (18 inch) squares of heavy duty aluminum foil
- In a large boil combine all of the ingredients until well coated.
- Divide mixture between the 2 pieces of aluminium foil. Seal edges tightly.
- Grill covered, over medium heat for 40-45 minutes until potatoes are tender, turning over halfway through the cooking process.
- Open foil carefully allowing steam to escape. Serves 8.
Skinny Barbecue Chicken Kabobs
Is chicken more your speed? Without much prep, you can have these delicious kabobs also from skinnymom.com ready to go. Again, these are also easy to make ahead of time and have ready to throw on the grill.
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- ½ cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned in it's own juice
- 2 medium-sized red bell peppers, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1 medium-sized white onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- ½ cup reduced-sugar BBQ sauce
- 3 Tbsp reduced-sugar frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- Soak 8 wood skewers in water for about 15 minutes.
- Heat grill to medium-high heat.
- Thread chicken alternately with pineapple, onion, and pepper onto skewers.
- In a small bowl, mix BBQ sauce and orange juice concentrate. Brush ½ of sauce evenly onto threaded skewers.
- Grill 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining sauce.
No-Oven Peanut Butter Squares
Your turn to bring treats to the Labor Day party? We’ve got you covered. These no-bake peanut-butter and chocolate bars are a taste of paradise.
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
- Line 13x9-inch pan with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil, with ends of foil extending over sides.
- Melt butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 45 sec. Add next 3 ingredients; mix well. Spread onto bottom of prepared pan; cover with chocolate.
- Cut partially through dessert to mark 48 squares. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan; cut into squares.
Labor Day is supposed to be the ultimate day to relax. Nothing can be more simple and delicious than our recipes. Remember all the ingredients can be picked up at your local Market Basket. From our family to yours, enjoy your holiday weekend.
