All-Grilled Labor Day Meal (Even the Drinks and Dessert Are Grilled!)

Let the grill do all the work this Labor Day weekend! Grilling adds wonderful flavor to any food—meats, veggies, and yes, even drinks and desserts. So fire up the grill for this all-grilled menu and enjoy! 

Grilled Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce 

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
10 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 lb.)
White Barbecue Sauce

White Barbecue Sauce
Stir together 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 Tbsp. coarse ground pepper, 1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. horseradish until blended. Cover and chill 2 to 4 hours. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Preparation
Combine first 7 ingredients until blended. Rinse chicken, and pat dry; rub seasoning mixture over chicken. Place chicken in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Seal and chill 4 hours.

Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Remove chicken from bag, discarding bag.

Grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 180°. Serve with White Barbecue Sauce.

Related: Great Grilled Chicken Recipes

Grilled Lemonade

Ingredients & Preparation
Cut about 16 lemons in half. Dip cut sides in sugar, and place over hot coals.
Make a rosemary simple syrup by pouring equal party water, sugar, and honey into a disposable aluminum foil pan. Add a few fresh rosemary sprigs, and plan pan on grill. (Other herbs, such as basil and mint, would work too.) Place aluminum pan on grill with the lemons.

Grill lemons about 10 minutes or until you see a golden caramelized color on the lemons. Remove lemons when ready. Meanwhile, your simple syrup should be heating up nicely and getting lots of good flavor from the herbs. 

Let the grilled lemons cool slightly once you remove them from the grill. Place a wire-mesh strainer in a pitcher, and squeeze the juice from the lemons. (The heat softens the lemons for easy squeezing.) Add water and rosemary simple syrup to taste. Add a splash of bourbon, if desired, for a mellow finish; serve over ice.

Related: Cool Off with Refreshing Fruit-Filled Drinks

Grilled Potato Salad

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Ingredients
8 bacon slices
4 medium-size red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 5 cups cubed)
1 large white onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Potato Salad Dry Rub
Potato Salad Dressing
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Potato Salad Dry Rub
Stir together 2 tsp. salt, 1 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. dried thyme, 1/4 tsp. dried crushed rosemary, and 1/8 tsp. celery seeds. Store in an airtight container up to 1 month.

Potato Salad Dressing
Stir together 5 1/2 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, and 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Preparation
Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Cook bacon, in batches, in a large skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon.

Add potatoes, onion, and Potato Salad Dry Rub to hot drippings in skillet, tossing to coat. Remove potato mixture with a slotted spoon.

Grill potato mixture, covered with grill lid, over 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat in a grill wok or metal basket 30 minutes or until tender, stirring every 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add Potato Salad Dressing, and toss to coat. Stir in bacon. Garnish, if desired. Serve warm.

Related: 13 Tasty Potato Salad Recipes

Panzanella Salad

Photo: William Dickey

Ingredients
1 (12- to 16-oz.) ciabatta or Italian bread loaf
12 plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 large red onion, cut into 8 wedges
5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 seedless cucumber, halved and sliced
1/2 cup firmly packed chopped fresh basil
4 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Cut bread loaf into 8 (1-inch-thick) slices; cut slices in half, if desired.

Drizzle tomatoes and onion with 2 Tbsp. oil, tossing to coat.

Grill tomatoes and onion, covered with grill lid, over 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until lightly charred.

Coarsely chop grilled tomatoes and onion, and place in a medium bowl. Add 2 Tbsp. oil, cucumber, and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Brush bread slices with remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Grill, without grill lid, over 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and toasted.

Place grilled bread slices on individual serving plates; top with tomato mixture.

Related: 35 Crisp Summer Salads

Grilled Cheesy Corn

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Ingredients
Ears of fresh corn
Salt
Melted butter
Chili powder
Smoked paprika
Grated Cotija or Parmesan cheese
Fresh lime wedges

Preparation
Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Pull back husks from ears of fresh corn; remove and discard silks. Tie husks together with kitchen string to form a handle. Soak in cold salted water to cover 10 minutes; drain. Grill corn, covered with grill lid, 15 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally. Remove from grill. Brush corn with melted butter; sprinkle with salt, chili powder, smoked paprika, and grated Cotija or Parmesan cheese. Serve with fresh lime wedges.

Related: 16 Must-Try Barbecue Sides

Cream-Filled Grilled Pound Cake

Photo: Ralph Anderson

Ingredients
4 Tbsp. pineapple cream cheese
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices pound cake
Sweetened whipped cream
Fresh strawberries and blueberries

Preparation
Spread pineapple cream cheese evenly over 1 side of 4 pound cake slices. Top with remaining 4 pound cake slices.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Top with whipped cream and berries. Serve immediately.