Steal This Grocery List For Your Best Memorial Day Cookout Yet

Memorial Day cookouts have long been used to mark the unofficial start of summer and make the most of a long weekend of gorgeous May weather. Inviting family and friends to share a meal and conversation is also a great way to celebrate, honor, and remember service members. But before you start sending out text invites or imploring the essential tips and tricks for cleaning your grill, you should take the time to create a thoughtful, seasonally-appropriate menu for your Memorial Day barbecue. 

From burger recipes, kebabs, and juicy hot dogs to hummus and fresh fruit salads, coleslaw, beans, corn, and more, Tasting Table created a simple menu of classic cookout dishes that you can pick and choose from, as well as a grocery list of ingredients you'll need for your best Memorial Day cookout yet. On the menu are seasonal salads, grill favorites, hearty side dishes, vegetarian options, kid-friendly fare, and of course, the perfect summer dessert. All that to say, you'd better get ready to head to the grocery store. 

While you're free to pick, choose, and even customize, the following list of ingredients will set you up perfectly to prepare a menu of these classic Memorial Day recipes: burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken and vegetable kebabs, grilled salt and vinegar potatoes or potato salad, mint and melon fruit salad, strawberry chicken salad, Asian-inspired coleslaw, easy grilled corn on the cob and garlic butter,  Bloody Mary pasta salad, simple creamy hummus, hearty black bean burgers, and three-bean salad or slow cooker baked beans. Lastly, for dessert, you'll have everything you need to serve your guests a white cake topped with fresh berries and honey whipped cream.

One of the first things you should do before going shopping is decide what types of meat you want to grill. You'll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts for grilled chicken and vegetable kebabs and strawberry chicken salad, as well as bacon for the Bloody Mary pasta salad and homemade slow cooker baked beans, which you can make ahead of time to allow the flavors to fully develop. You'll also need enough hot dogs and ground beef for the number of guests at your cookout.

Once you know which entrees you'll be grilling up, add the right type of breads and buns to your grocery list. Fresh, brioche hot dog buns, oversized sesame buns, and bakery-style onion rolls are the perfect vessels for hot-off-the-grill cheeseburgers, dogs, and hearty black bean burgers. You may also want pita bread if you're going to serve the simple creamy hummus.

Not everyone considers potatoes to be a staple of backyard barbecues. But if you plan on wowing your guests with a potato salad recipe that'll steal the show, you'll need russet, red, or baby potatoes. Add Yukon gold potatoes to your list if you want to make grilled salt and vinegar potatoes, which are a kid-friendly cookout favorite that makes the perfect side for hot dogs or burgers.

A sweet, juicy mint and melon fruit salad is the perfect balance for heavy, smoky grilled meats and veggies. You'll need fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. Pick large, heavy melons with a fragrant aroma and creamy yellow field spot on the end opposite the stem. The melon's skin should give slightly when pressing down on it, and make a hollow sound or deep thud when you tap on it.

In addition to the melons, pick out some organic strawberries and blueberries. The blueberries will be used in the melon salad, and the strawberries in the strawberry chicken salad. Both will double as a topping for your dessert. 

Brighten up each dish you're making with seasonal veggies. Pick up red, green, and yellow bell peppers as well as tomatoes, red onions, scallions, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, celery, carrots, and corn on the cob. The ears of sweet corn will be used for easy grilled corn on the cob, bell peppers for your grilled chicken and vegetable kebabs, and the other veggies for burger toppings, salads, and an Asian-inspired coleslaw.

You will use fresh herbs in a number of your dishes — specifically mint, parsley, basil, dill, and oregano. You'll need fresh mint for the melon salad, mint and parsley for the kebabs, basil for the pasta salad, and parsley for the bean and potato salads. If you want to make roasted potatoes on the grill, make sure you have dill and oregano on hand.

No holiday party is complete without an array of cheeses. You will need feta cheese for the melon salad, American cheese for your burgers, goat cheese for the strawberry chicken salad, and mozzarella pearls for the Bloody Mary pasta salad. You may also want other sliced or block cheese varieties if you plan to serve cheese and crackers.

Another crucial cookout staple is chips, because they appeal to guests of all ages. Make sure you have a variety on hand, from everyone's favorite barbecue-flavored chips and classic potato, tortilla, or pita chips. Having trouble lighting your grill? You may even want to keep a bag of Doritos next to your essential grilling tools.

Pasta salad is a cookout classic. To make a cookout-ready pasta salad that combines all of the flavors of a Bloody Mary cocktail, pick out a short pasta variety like rotini, farfalle, or penne to pair with the bacon, cheese, and tomatoes. Or, for a vegetarian-friendly side dish that makes for a great alternative to a veggie tray or chips and dip, consider another pasta salad recipe you and your guests won't get enough of. 

Canned beans are used in many of these Memorial Day party recipes. You'll need black beans for veggie burgers, garbanzo beans for the simple and creamy hummus, and navy, black, and kidney beans if you're making baked beans from scratch (or cans of baked beans if you just don't have the time). You'll also want to pick up some cans of kidney, green, and white beans for the delicious and filling bean salad.

It can be hard to think of a seasonal dessert that is simple to make, will appeal to everyone on your guest list, won't spoil or melt in the May heat, and can be dished up quickly. Luckily, a white sheet cake topped with honey whipped cream and fresh blueberries and strawberries fits the bill perfectly. To make whipped cream from scratch, you'll just need a quart of heavy cream, a bowl, and your hand mixer.

You don't need to spend hours baking a delicious dessert that can feed a crowd. Grab a couple of boxes of Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker white cake mix, and make two sheet cakes according to the instructions. While they're baking, wash and slice your strawberries and soak them and the blueberries in grenadine syrup. When it's time for dessert, top each slice of cake with a generous spoonful of whipped cream and fruit.

Each of these recipes requires seasonings and pantry staples. Check your cupboards to make sure you have enough of everything, including salt, pepper, paprika, saffron, turmeric, coriander, red pepper flakes, vinegar, olive oil, white and brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic, butter, eggs, and lemons and limes. You'll also need grenadine and honey for the dessert, honey for the spinach salad dressing, and maple syrup for the mint and melon fruit salad.

Don't assume you already have all the condiments and toppings to elevate your hot dogs and hamburgers at your cookout. Stock up on ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, dill pickles, and BBQ sauce. Buy horseradish, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce for the pasta salad dressing, yogurt for the kebabs, and soy sauce if you're making veggie burgers or coleslaw.