Start the cookout season this Memorial Day with this delicious menu and refreshing cocktail recipes. Since it's a long weekend, there's a plenty of time to try all these dishes and drinks. Here are some easy and delicious Memorial Day Food Recipes for Your Cookout. 

Beef Burgers with Jalapeños, Cheddar, and Crispy Pepperoni

By Charlyne Mattox

Total Prep Time:   30 Minutes

Yields: 4 Servings

Here's What You Need:

• Canola oil, for grill grates
• 1 ½ lb. ground beef
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices deli-style pepperoni
• ½ jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 oz. Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
• Hamburger buns, lettuce, and desired condiments, for serving

How to Prepare and Cook:

1. Set up grill for direct and indirect cooking and heat to medium-high. Once hot, clean and lightly oil grates. 
2. Gently shape beef into 4 balls; flatten into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Using your thumb, make a shallow, 1 1/2-inch-wide indentation in top of each patty. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Grill, uncovered over direct heat, indent sides up, until browned and patties easily lift from grates, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and grill to desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes more for medium. Meanwhile, grill pepperoni, turning often, until sizzling and starting to crisp, 1 to 2 minutes, transfer to a platter. 
4. Transfer burgers to indirect heat and top with jalapeño and Cheddar, dividing evenly. Grill, covered, until cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. 
5. Serve on buns topped with pepperoni, lettuce, and desired condiments.

Charred Baby Peppers with Lime and Cashew Vinaigrette

By Erica Dungan and Kate Merker

Total Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Yields: 4-5 Servings

Here's What You Need:

• Canola oil, for grill grates 
• ½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. roasted cashews, chopped
• 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. mixed baby peppers

How to Prepare and Cook:

1. Heat grill to medium. Once hot, clean and oil grill grates with canola oil. Combine cilantro, scallions, lime juice, cashews, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. Toss together peppers and remaining tablespoon olive oil in a second bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until charred, 3 to 5 minutes. 
3. Serve peppers topped with vinaigrette.

Cheeseburger Dip

By Erin Merhar and Kara Zauberman

Total Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Yields: 8-10 Servings

Here's What You Need:

FOR THE DIP:

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 8 oz. bag shredded cheddar jack cheese
• 1 c. thinly sliced lettuce, such as romaine
• ½ c. diced tomatoes
• ¼ c. diced red onions
• ¼ c. chopped dill pickles
• For serving: Kettle cooked potato chips or pita chips
• FOR THE SPECIAL SAUCE:
• 1/3 c. mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. mustard
• 1 ½ tbsp. ketchup
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. onion powder 
• ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp. pickle brine (juice from the jar)

How to Prepare and Cook:

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚.
2. For the dip: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook, while breaking apart into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Spread the cream cheese to fill the bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Top with ½ of the shredded cheese, the cooked ground beef, then the remaining shredded cheese on top. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges are bubbly.  Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.  
4. For the special sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, and pickle brine.  
5. Top the dip with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickle slices. Drizzle with special sauce. Serve with kettle-cooked potato chips or pita chips.

Greek Pasta Salad

By Kara Zauberman and Erin Merhar

Total Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Yields: 6-8 Servings

Here's What You Need:

• 1 16-oz. box bow tie pasta
• ½ c. olive oil
• 1/3 c. red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ c. chopped red onion
• 1 ½ c. chopped cucumber
• 1 c. pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• ¼ c. capers, drained (optional)
• ½ c. chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, dill or parsley
• ½ c. crumbled feta cheese

How to Prepare and Cook:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and let cool. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.  Add the tomatoes and red onions and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the cooled pasta, cucumbers, olives, capers, and herbs. Mix well to combine and dress the pasta.  
3. Top with crumbled feta cheese.

Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

By Kara Zauberman; Recipe by Erin Merhar

Total Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Yields: 8 Servings

Here's What You Need:

• 8 ears yellow corn, husks removed
• ¾ c. mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 c. crumbled or grated cotija cheese
• ¼ c. chopped cilantro
• 3 limes, cut into wedges

How to Prepare and Cook:

1. Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the corn, turning three or four times, until it is slightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.
2. Brush the corn with a layer of mayonnaise and sprinkle with chili powder, cotija and cilantro. Serve warm with lime wedges.

Salt-and-Pepper BBQ Ribs

By Dawn Perry

Total Prep Time: 3 Hours and 20 Minutes

Yields: 8 Servings

Here's What You Need:

• ¼ c. light or dark brown sugar
• ¼ c. coarsely ground black pepper
• ¼ c. kosher salt
• 10 ½ lb. spareribs (about 3 racks)
• Canola oil, for grill grates
• 1 ½ c. barbecue sauce

How to Prepare and Cook:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine brown sugar, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Place each rack of ribs on a large sheet of foil (it should be long enough to fold over ribs lengthwise), sprinkle ribs with rub. Wrap each rack individually and place on 2 large, rimmed baking sheets. 
2. Bake until ribs are very tender (meat will separate from bone when you wiggle it), 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Set aside until cool enough to handle. 
3. Carefully unwrap each rack of ribs; pour off any accumulated juices into a liquid measuring cup. (Ribs can be made up to this point up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate ribs and cooking liquid until ready to eat.) 
4. Set up grill for direct cooking and heat to medium-high. Once hot, clean and oil grates. Remove any fat that has settled at top of cooking liquid and discard. Transfer liquid to a small saucepan and add barbecue sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and combined, 4 to 6 minutes. 
5. Brush both sides of ribs with sauce mixture. Grill ribs, turning and basting occasionally, until ribs are deeply browned and shiny, 5 to 8 minutes. Cut ribs between bones and serve with any remaining sauce.

Red, White and Blue Trifle

By Kara Zauberman; Recipe by Erin Merhar

Total Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Yields:  8-10 Servings

Here's What You Need:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• 1 ½ c. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 lb. pound cake, cubed 
• 2 6 oz. containers blueberries (about 2 cups)
• 2 6 oz. containers blackberries (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 qt. strawberries, stems removed, sliced

How to Prepare and Cook:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. With the mixer on medium, slowly add the heavy cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Switch to the whisk attachment and whip at medium speed until soft peaks form and the mixture is easy to dollop.
2. In a large trifle dish (about 12 to 14 cups), place a single layer of cake cubes. Top with two-thirds of the blueberries and blackberries, then one-half of the whipped cream (about 2 cups), then two-thirds of the strawberries. Repeat the cake and cream layers once more, then decorate the top with the remaining berries. Serve immediately or make in advance and store for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Whether you'll have a picnic, beach party or a backyard cookout to celebrate Memorial Day weekend, these tasty Memorial Day Food Recipes are a must-have. Bring out the charcoal and start grilling! These red, white, and blue magnetic wine charms are also a must-have on your cocktail glasses this coming Patriotic long weekend. These are the best Patriotic Wine Charms to make your cookout more festive all summer long. Cheers!