Labor Day weekend marks that last bit of summer before fall takes over. Enjoy it while it lasts! Celebrate this milestone by making up big batches of dishes to share with your family and friends. Begin with a large bowl of tortilla chips to serve alongside the ultimate 7-layer dip. As sides, mix fresh corn into the batter before baking corn spoon bread. Stir fresh veggies from your garden into the firecracker pasta salad (and yes, it packs a kick!). Use your slow cooker to make easy Crock-Pot Coca-Cola ribs. And to finish the meal, offer a couple crowd-pleasing desserts like banana sheet cake and chocolate chip Oreo cookie bars.
Ultimate 7-Layer Dip
Start your holiday celebrations by putting out this ultimate 7-layer dip from Kraft for hungry guests. And the best part? You don’t need to bake or cook it. Stir together one can of refried beans with a taco seasoning packet and spoon it onto the bottom of a pie pan. Next, smear on sour cream, then chunky salsa followed by shredded lettuce. As finishing touches, sprinkle on finely shredded cheese, green onions slivers and sliced black olives.
Corn Spoon Bread
Make the most of the growing season by baking up a big dish of this corn spoon bread from Taste of Home. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until light before adding milk, eggs, butter, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Stir in cream-style corn, corn muffin mix and two heaping cups fresh or frozen corn. Bake until set. This treat is good warm or cold.
Firecracker Pasta Salad
This recipe for firecracker pasta salad from Buitoni is easy to double or triple depending on how many people are coming to your house for Labor Day. Start by sauteing garlic in olive oil and stirring in vinegar. Prepare a package of tortellini according to the directions. In a large bowl stir together the pasta, olive oil, broccoli florets, diced bell pepper, olives, tomatoes and grated Parmesan cheese.
Easy Crock-Pot BBQ Coca-Cola Ribs
Run out of gas for the grill? Raining outside? No problem. Make your main course right in your slow cooker with this recipe for easy Crock-Pot BBQ Coca-Cola ribs from The Frugal Girls. Place the ribs in the Crock-Pot and season with salt and pepper. Stir together BBQ sauce and Coke before pouring over the meat. Heat on high for 4 hours until done.
Banana Sheet Cake
Moist, dense, and homey – this banana sheet cake from Treats Affair is so good you’ll be glad you have a big pan! The batter, with mashed bananas tucked inside, is akin to muffins but slightly thicker. What makes this cake, though, is the cream cheese frosting that’s spiked with a hint of lemon juice for a tart zing.
Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookie Bars
Here’s a riff on the standard version – chocolate chip Oreo cookies bars from i heart naptime. Whip up a cookie batter with plenty of butter and brown sugar. Then, stir in white and milk chocolate chips plus crushed Oreo cookies. Fifteen minutes into baking remove the pan and sprinkle more crushed cookies and white chocolate chips. Continue baking until just crisped.
Which of these Labor Day recipes do you plan to try? Tell us below!