21 Make-and-Take Recipes That Are Built for Memorial Day Parties
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Memorial Day parties are all about good company, great food, and easy prep, and these make-and-take recipes check all the boxes. From crowd-pleasing dishes, they’re simple to assemble, travel well, and taste even better when shared. These recipes are the perfect solution if you want to bring something impressive without spending the whole day in the kitchen.
Salsa Ranchera
This bold and vibrant salsa ranchera brings serious flavor with barely any fuss. Made from tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic, it’s ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for scooping with chips or spooning over grilled meats. It travels like a champ and tastes even better the next day, making it a smart choice for any Memorial Day potluck.
Get the Recipe: Salsa Ranchera
Sausage Rolls
These sausage rolls are the kind of party snack that disappears before you even finish setting them down. Wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked until golden, they deliver big flavor in tidy, hand-held bites. Easy to prep ahead and reheat at the party, they’re ideal make-and-take fare for Memorial Day gatherings.
Get the Recipe: Sausage Rolls
Puff Pastry Apple Pie Pockets
Puff pastry apple pie pockets give you all the cozy nostalgia of Grandma’s pie, but with half the effort and zero slicing needed. Flaky layers hold in spiced, tender apples for a treat that feels just right for Memorial Day backyard celebration. They’re portable, crowd-pleasing, and great served warm or at room temp, built for making ahead and showing up with something sweet.
Get the Recipe: Puff Pastry Apple Pie Pockets
Baby Back Ribs
Slow cooker baby back ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender with a sticky-sweet glaze that screams Memorial Day cookout. Prep takes five minutes, then your oven or slow cooker does the work. Wrap them up and bring them along, they reheat beautifully and always wow the crowd.
Get the Recipe: Baby Back Ribs
Cucumber Appetizers
Cucumber appetizers are light, refreshing, and just fancy enough to impress without stressing you out. With smoked salmon, cream cheese, and crisp cucumber slices, they’re cool and delicious bites that look great on a tray. You can prep them in under 10 minutes and bring them to your Memorial Day gathering ready to serve, no heating, no fuss.
Get the Recipe: Cucumber Appetizers
Strawberry Lemonade
Fresh, fruity, and not too sweet, this strawberry lemonade is the drink your Memorial Day table’s been missing. It’s ready in 10 minutes, easy to make in bulk, and keeps its flavor even if it sits out a while. Pour it into a pitcher or prep single-serve jars, it’s a refreshing twist everyone will love.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade
Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread
This cheesy garlic pull-apart bread is the definition of party food made easy. Warm, buttery, and packed with gooey cheese, it’s one of those dishes people hover over. Bake it at home, wrap it in foil, and serve it hot or warm, it travels well and fits right in on a Memorial Day table.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread
Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Bright, tender, and just sweet enough, this lemon blueberry loaf is basically spring in slice form. It’s easy to bake, easy to transport, and always a welcome sight next to burgers and sides. Whether you slice it up or let guests help themselves, it’s a fuss-free Memorial Day dessert you’ll want to bring every year.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Slow Cooker Spinach and Artichoke Dip
This warm, cheesy dip is a guaranteed hit, and the slow cooker means you barely lift a finger. It’s creamy, savory, and pairs perfectly with bread, crackers, or fresh veggies. Bring it straight into the slow cooker to keep it warm at the party or prep it ahead and reheat when you get there, it’s built to make your Memorial Day easier.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple
Sweet and savory bacon-wrapped pineapple bites are perfect for a simple, crowd-pleasing snack. With only two ingredients and minimal prep, they deliver big flavor in a tiny package. Bake them ahead and pop them in a container, they hold up great and are always the first appetizer to vanish at Memorial Day events.
Get the Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Pineapple
Chicken Quesadillas
Crispy chicken quesadillas are cheesy, delicious, and the perfect party food for Memorial Day. Made with salsa chicken and melty cheese, they’re easy to slice and share, and they reheat just as well, whether served warm or at room temperature. Wrap them in foil, cut into wedges, and serve with sour cream or guac, this make-and-take dish is sure to be a hit.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Quesadillas
Parmesan Potatoes
These crispy parmesan potatoes bake up golden and cheesy with a buttery center that’s practically irresistible, perfect for Memorial Day parties. They’re super easy to prep, stay tasty even after sitting out, and pair well with anything coming off the grill. Make a double batch because once you bring these to the party, you’ll definitely be asked to bring them again next year.
Get the Recipe: Parmesan Potatoes
Copycat Lawson’s Chip Dip
This 3-ingredient chip dip tastes like the store-bought version, only fresher and better. Creamy, tangy, and packed with ranch flavor, it’s made in minutes and gone just as fast. Bring it to your Memorial Day get-together with a bag of chips and watch it disappear.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Lawson’s Chip Dip
Avocado Deviled Eggs
These avocado deviled eggs offer a creamy, tangy upgrade to the classic for your Memorial Day party and ditch the mayo in favor of fresh ingredients. They’re easy to make ahead, hold up well in the fridge, and travel perfectly in a covered tray. Whether it’s your first time bringing them or your fourth, they always get compliments.
Get the Recipe: Avocado Deviled Eggs
Parmesan Chicken Wings
These crispy Parmesan chicken wings are the kind of appetizer that disappears fast at any Memorial Day party. Coated in a cheesy herb crust and baked to golden perfection, they pack serious flavor without much effort. Serve them warm or at room temp, they travel well and hold up great on a party platter, an easy make-and-take recipe that is always a hit.
Get the Recipe: Parmesan Chicken Wings
Herb Cheese Ball
This herb cheese ball is your secret weapon for an easy party appetizer that travels well and feeds a crowd. It’s creamy, flavorful, and rolled in herbs for that classic look, but skips the nuts to keep things simple and allergy-friendly. Just grab some crackers and bring them along, it’s the kind of dish people hover around at Memorial Day parties.
Get the Recipe: Herb Cheese Ball
Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie
This tropical smoothie brings the vacation vibes straight to your Memorial Day celebration. It’s a blend of berries and tropical fruit that’s refreshing, easy to whip up, and perfect for a cooler full of drinks. Pour it into jars or a big pitcher with ice and let the sunshine do the rest, it’s a fun, fruity option that’ll stand out from the usual soda and punch.
Get the Recipe: Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie
Cheese Curds
Cheese curds are the ultimate make-and-take snack for anyone who wants a little nostalgia and a lot of flavor. Whether you pan-fry them or use the easy oven method, they come together in a snap with just four ingredients. Bring a tray of these to your Memorial Day gathering and watch them vanish faster than anything else on the table.
Get the Recipe: Cheese Curds
Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Bruschetta al pomodoro is a fresh and flavorful appetizer that’s just begging for a spot at your Memorial Day celebration. Juicy tomatoes, basil, and garlic piled on crusty bread, it’s simple, bright, and always a crowd favorite. When you want something easy, fresh, and totally devourable, this is the one to make and take.
Get the Recipe: Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Cheesy Pickle Chips
These cheesy pickle chips are a fun and unexpected appetizer that’ll get people talking and reaching for more. With just pickles, cheese, and optional seasoning, they crisp up in the oven and come out tangy, salty, and totally snackable. Perfect for Memorial Day parties, they travel well and reheat easily, or just serve them room temperature and let people go wild.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Pickle Chips
4-Ingredient Guacamole
This 4-ingredient guacamole is the fast-track way to bring something fresh and crowd-pleasing to your Memorial Day gathering. Creamy avocado, lime juice, salt, and salsa come together in one bowl for a dip that’s chunky, flavorful, and ready in minutes. It pairs with chips, veggies, or anything off the grill, a no-fuss, big-reward dish that’s made for sharing.
Get the Recipe: 4-Ingredient Guacamole
