The official summer send-off is
tomorrow, and you can wish it well on its way with a not-so-labor-intensive
Labor Day dinner for family and friends.
You can hold a simple gathering with a few bags of groceries and an easy
plan to execute on your day off.
Instead of the traditional burgers
off the grill, try your hand at serving mini sliders instead. Little buns (sliced and toasted dinner
rolls), your favorite condiments, sliced dill pickles, small lettuce pieces, Roma
tomato slices, a little bacon, and melted cheese all go wonderfully with mini
beef patties, chicken tenders, or pulled pork.
Set up a tray with your compiled mini masterpieces, using wooden
grilling skewers to hold them together.
For a side dish, make a recipe of macaroni and cheese and scoop into
foil cupcake liners for buffet-ready portions.
Or slice up a few sweet potatoes, coating the sticks in olive oil before
baking on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and serve your oven “fries”
with roasted garlic mayo.
While your oven, grill, or skillet is
at work, put together laidback appetizers perfectly portioned for each
person. Use short clear plastic cups or
glass juice glasses for a popular layered dip.
Stack refried beans, sour cream, salsa, diced avocados, sliced black
olives, grated cheese, cilantro, and squirt of lime juice in each and serve
with salted tortilla chips. With every
person having his own, you prepare just the right amount, and the layered look
gives you more showmanship appeal than when one big dish is served and devoured. Use the same type of cups with a layer of
Ranch dressing in the bottom to offer a mini selection of carrot and celery
sticks, along with some red, green, and/or yellow pepper slices and cherry
tomatoes.
Get crafty with drinks and dessert in
one when you dish up large glasses or mugs of vanilla ice cream floating in frothy
root beer. Insert cute straws and offer
refills until every thirst is quenched and sweet tooth is satisfied. Keeping it simple with a single drink menu
item ensures you don’t have to have a slew of ingredients on hand or end up
with a bunch of unused leftovers.
Kicking back on a typical work day is
a rewarding way to spend a holiday Monday.
Whether it’s just family or you invite a few friends over, spend your
Labor Day relaxing and enjoying while keeping your kitchen prep short and
sweet, just like your easy-going Labor Day dinner.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star September 1st.
