Ree Drummond's Top 10 Favorite Labor Day Recipes
It's one last chance to taste summer.
It's the end of summer and that means one last cookout of the year!
At Drummond Ranch, it's a busy time of year when the cowboys work hard to wrangle the last load of cattle arriving for the season, the garden's homegrown produce is dwindling, and the kids are headed back to college. Hence why everyone looks forward to the long weekend.
"It's Labor Day, which is, symbolically, the last summer holiday of the year... and the day of the year that I suddenly feel compelled to drink all the lemonade and eat all the watermelon I can get my hands on," Ree Drummond says. That includes some classic American fare like steaks hot off the grill paired with delicious picnic sides like creamy potato salad, summer fruit, and fresh corn on the cob.
Ree's list has all these Labor Day recipes you need to throw one last hurrah for summer: garden-fresh fruit and vegetables like corn and tomatoes, grilling recipes courtesy of the cowboys, and her go-to cocktail that's so refreshing in sweltering hot weather. And because it's those last few days when berries are ripe, it wouldn't be a proper list without Ree's "favorite kind of cobbler in the universe." (Hint: She got the recipe from her stepmom Patsy!)
If you're enjoying the long weekend with family, this list has plenty of PW-reader favorites. Share your favorite in the comments!
Ranch Water
Ree first learned about this cocktail from her Food Network pal Eddie Jackson and it's been a Drummond favorite ever since. It's light and bubbly with a hint of lime—all it takes is three ingredients!
Get Ree's Ranch Water recipe.
Corn Fritters
Hot from the fryer, these golden brown fritters are a treat. "They're delightfully yummy!" Ree says. Serve them as quick bites before the grilling starts or as an accompaniment to a big shrimp or crab boil. Just don't forget to sprinkle them generously with powdered sugar or take Ree's sinfully good suggestion: drizzled in maple syrup.
Get Ree's Corn Fritters recipe.
Perfect Potato Salad
Ree will be the first to admit that she's "picky" about potato salad. And while folks enjoy potato salad all kinds of ways, but this recipe is her favorite. "I like to smash and mash my potatoes quite a bit," she says, "but it's still delicious if you like to leave yours chunkier."
Get Ree's Perfect Potato Salad recipe.
Tomato Tart
"This was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten," Ree says of this tomato tart. "The crust was cooked perfectly, the cheese was just the right amount, the caramelized onions sent the flavor through the roof, and the tomatoes were roasted and glorious."
Get Ree's Tomato Tart recipe.
Watermelon Feta Salad
"Cool, colorful, stunning!" That's how Ree describes her watermelon salad mixed with sliced cucumbers, feta cheese, fresh mint, and roasted pistachios. In her words, it's a "gorgeous, glorious salad."
Get Ree's Watermelon Feta Salad recipe.
Lemon-Pepper Grilled Rib-Eyes
Fire up the grill one last time for Ree's favorite cut: rib-eye! Her suggestion: Look for a boneless rib-eye with "good marbling," which adds flavor, juiciness, and tenderness to the meat.
Get Ree's Lemon-Pepper Grilled Rib-Eyes recipe.
Grilled Zucchini
Here's a delicious idea for any summer gardeners with too much zucchini by the end of August: char it on the grill! It's great "in case your garden explodes with them this summer... as mine tends to do because I overplant!" as Ree admits.
Get Ree's Grilled Zucchini recipe.
Pickle Cheeseburger Bites
Ree's newest food obsession is one a lot of folks share: pickles! And these skewered appetizers are great for a cookout. "As each day of my life passes, I become more and more obsessed with pickles," she says. "Like, I might turn into a pickle someday."
Get Ree's Pickle Cheeseburger Bites recipe.
Peach-Whiskey Barbecue Chicken
"Divine, divine, divine," Ree says of this recipe using late-season peaches: "The chicken will finish cooking, the sauce will become magical, and the meat will eventually fall off the bone."
Get Ree's Peach-Whiskey Barbecue Chicken recipe.
Blackberry Cobbler
Dessert means one of her all-time favorite homemade cobblers and the "intense debate" it stirs up in the family: Should it have a piecrust topping or lumpy biscuit topping? "Cobbler can mean many different things, but this is the cobbler my sweet stepmom Patsy has always made... and it's a dream," Ree says. "Cakey and so comforting. Ice cream is required!!"
Get Ree's Blackberry Cobbler recipe.
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