Are you ready for the holiday weekend? Got plans for a cook-out or maybe a picnic? No matter what your Labor Day menu plans are, I’m here to help! I have all the best recipe ideas for Your Labor Day Menu right here!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
You can definitely count on one thing – our Labor Day menu will certainly have a Southern bent and many of the following recipes will be included. I’ve gathered some of the most popular southern summer recipes to choose from for the perfect spread.
There’s enough variety here that I’m sure you’ll find at least one or two to add to your Labor Day menu! Let’s start with the main course, shall we?
Main Dishes
An always popular menu item here is my Slow Cooker Ribs! Followed closely by Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. Both of these are always a good choice for us because our weather can be really unpredictable this time of year!
If you’re not a fan of the barbecue, then how about a great grilled burger. BeeBop’s Bacon Cheeseburger is a fantastic choice.
1. Slow Cooker Barbecued Ribs
Slow Cooker Barbecued Ribs
These luscious, perfectly tender Slow Cooker Barbecued Ribs are prepped in about 10 minutes and cooked long and low for maximum flavor.
Get This Recipe
2. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Fool-proof recipe with 5-minute prep for making southern style Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. Great for feeding a crowd or dinner on busy days!
Get This Recipe
3. BeeBop’s Bacon Cheeseburger
BeeBop’s Bacon Cheeseburger
A luscious burger topped with bacon and bleu cheese.
Get This Recipe
4. Juicy Grilled Turkey Burgers
Juicy Grilled Turkey Burgers with Gruyere Cheese and Dijon Mustard
Juicy, delicious, lightly seasoned and grilled turkey burgers – an indulgent ground turkey patty made with gruyere cheese, tangy Dijon mustard and breadcrumbs to bind it all together.
Get This Recipe
5. Juicy Meatloaf Burgers
Juicy Meatloaf Burgers
Juicy Meatloaf Burgers are your favorite comfort food transformed into tender, juicy burgers served on toasted buns.
Get This Recipe
6. Air Fryer Taco Burgers
Air Fryer Taco Burgers
Change up your Taco Tuesday with these easy, juicy Air Fryer Taco Burgers! In less than 30 minutes you'll sit down to burgers full of flavor, perfectly juicy, and deliciously seasoned
Get This Recipe
7. Buffalo Chicken Dogs
Buffalo Chicken Dogs
Use purchased Buffalo chicken to make this quick and easy weeknight meal.
Get This Recipe
8. Perfect Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
Oven Baked Buffalo Wings
These Oven Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings have all the classic taste with no messy frying and no added fat! Serve these at your next football party and enjoy the compliments.
Get This Recipe
Salads
You know you can’t have a summer cookout menu without including several salads, right? Some of my favorites are this Black Eyed Pea Salad, old-fashioned Copper Pennies, Fire and Ice Tomatoes, and my traditional Potato Salad.
And if you’re a born-and-bred Southerner (or just one at heart) you know you must include a congealed salad! Polly’s Pink Stuff fits that requirement very nicely.
9. Black Eyed Pea Salad
Black Eyed Pea Salad
Southern marinated Black Eyed Pea Salad is a versatile and effortless side dish for your next picnic or potluck dinner. 15 minutes to make!
Get This Recipe
10. Old Fashioned Copper Pennies
Old Fashioned Copper Pennies
This delicious vintage recipe for Old Fashioned Copper Pennies is a sweet-sour combination of carrots, onions, and peppers that will keep your guests coming back for more!
Get This Recipe
11. Fire and Ice Tomatoes
Fire and Ice Tomatoes
This vintage Southern recipe for Fire and Ice Tomatoes is a sweet-tart salad or side dish combining ripe summer tomatoes, bell peppers, and sweet Vidalia onions.
Get This Recipe
12. Southern Potato Salad
Southern Potato Salad
This Classic Southern Potato Salad Recipe is great to take to a potluck. It's made with tender, steamed potatoes and a mayonnaise dressing.
Get This Recipe
13. Raspberry Jello Mold (“Polly’s Pink Stuff”)
Polly’s Pink Stuff (Raspberry Jello Mold)
A retro recipe for a festive Raspberry Jello Mold. My grandmother's holiday specialty served for every Christmas and Easter dinner.
Get This Recipe
14. Tomato and Avocado Salad
Tomato and Avocado Salad
The very essence of summer! A light, refreshing, and healthy Tomato and Avocado Salad. Ready for the table in just 10 minutes.
Get This Recipe
15. Southern Tomato Cracker Salad
Southern Tomato Cracker Salad
If you like a southern tomato sandwich, then you'll fall head over heels for this 15-minute Southern Tomato Cracker Salad recipe!
Get This Recipe
16. Layered Tortellini Salad
Layered Tortellini Salad
Layered Tortellini Salad with colorful layers of Greek ingredients is perfect for long summer days when it's just too hot to cook!
Get This Recipe
17. Black Bean and Corn Salad
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Low in fat, high in flavor, with a healthy dose of protein from the beans, this Black Bean and Corn Salad is a tasty side for a picnic.
Get This Recipe
18. Mexican Street Corn Salad
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Great summer side dish with chicken, pork, burgers…you name it!
Get This Recipe
Side Dishes
Now, on to the sides! What better to go with the pulled pork or barbecued ribs above than a pot of Brunswick Stew? And, of course, Baked Beans are pretty much a given.
Also, if your crew doesn’t care for the mayonnaise type of potato salad, why don’t you try my Lemon-Dill Potato Salad? It’s nice and tangy and you can easily take it to a friend’s house or on a picnic without worrying about the mayonnaise!
And then there’s Deviled Eggs. One of BeeBop’s all-time favorite recipes. I think he could eat a dozen of them right by himself.
19. Copycat KFC Coleslaw
Copycat KFC Coleslaw
This Copycat KFC Coleslaw recipe is almost identical to the side from your favorite chicken restaurant. Great with barbecue, fried chicken and more!
Get This Recipe
20. My Big Fat Greek Appetizer | Feta Dip
My Big Fat Greek Appetizer (Feta Dip)
My Big Fat Greek Appetizer is an easy to make layered Feta Dip with good olive oil, feta cheese, cucumber, green onion, tomatoes, and Kalamata olives. Scoop it up with a pita!
Get This Recipe
21. Old Fashioned Brunswick Stew
Old Fashioned Brunswick Stew
Learn to make the very best Old Fashioned Brunswick Stew recipe! This Georgia staple is an iconic southern barbecue side dish.
Get This Recipe
22. Mama’s Southern Baked Beans with Bacon
Mama’s Southern Baked Beans with Bacon
Everybody loves Mama's Southern Baked Beans with Bacon! Their sweet, smoky flavor makes them ideal for cookouts and potluck dinners!
Get This Recipe
23. Lemon Dill Potato Salad
Lemon Dill Potato Salad
Lemon Dill Potato Salad – a warm potato salad dressed with a mixture of olive oil, garlic, lemon, and dill. No mayo makes it safer for picnics!
Get This Recipe
24. Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs
Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs
Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs are just about perfect for any party, barbecue, or holiday. This classic recipe is easy and delicious!
Get This Recipe
25. Alabama Fire Crackers
Alabama Fire Crackers
Alabama Fire Crackers, soaked through with butter, red pepper, and hot sauce are always a hit at parties and perfect with salads and soups.
Get This Recipe
26. Refrigerator Kosher Dill Pickles – Claussen Copycat Recipe
Refrigerator Kosher Dill Pickles
Delicious, crispy Refrigerator Kosher Dill Pickles without the canning process! You'll love my copycat recipe of the famous Claussen brand of dill pickles found in your grocery store's refrigerator case.
Get This Recipe
Desserts
No celebration would be complete without a delicious dessert, right? One of my favorites and one which I haven’t made in quite some time is good Old-Fashioned Southern Teacakes. Not exactly a cookie but not a cake either and not too sweet, they’re just perfect for a light treat after a big meal.
Or maybe you could go for something cold? Like my Homemade Peach Ice Cream. But if cake is what you’re craving, choose one of these Southern specialties – Caramel Layer Cake or Chocolate Little Layer Cake. Both are delicious and very, very Southern.
27. Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes is a classic, vintage recipe. A cross between a cookie and cake, not too sweet, and utterly delicious.
Get This Recipe
28. Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Southern summers wouldn't be complete without a churn of Homemade Peach Ice Cream.
Get This Recipe
29. Old Fashioned Southern Caramel Layer Cake
Old Fashioned Southern Caramel Layer Cake
This old fashioned southern Caramel Layer Cake with an easy homemade caramel frosting tastes like a little slice of heaven!
Get This Recipe
30. Chocolate Little Layer Cake
Chocolate Little Layer Cake
This southern heritage Chocolate Little Layer Cake consists of tiny layers baked individually and topped with boiled chocolate icing.
Get This Recipe
31. Easy Strawberry Jello Pie
Easy Strawberry Jello Pie
This easy, no-bake Strawberry Jello Pie is full of delicious fruit flavor and the perfect ending for a summer party!
Get This Recipe
32. Blueberry Pie Cookies
Blueberry Pie Cookies
Easy to make Blueberry Pie Cookies use purchased pie crust and canned pie filling to make a unique dessert that all ages will love!
Get This Recipe
So there you have it! A recap of some of the very best recipes from Lana’s Cooking for your LaborDay celebration.
More Recipe Collections
- Best Soups and Stews
- Best Pantry Recipes To Make Today. No Shopping Needed.
- Best St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
- Best Traditional Southern Comfort Food Recipes
- Chocolate Recipes Perfect for Valentine’s Day
- My Best Super Bowl Recipes for Your Best Game Day Ever!
- Best of the Best Thanksgiving Menu Planner
- Best Red, White, and Blue 4th of July Recipes
- Memorial Day Menu Planning
- Christmas Recipe Roundup – Appetizers
- Christmas Recipe Roundup – Homemade Candies
- A Meat and Potatoes Father’s Day Celebration
- Back to School Recipe Roundup
