YOUR MENU FOR MEMORIAL DAY
Smashed potatoes, baked beans, curried rice are stellar sides
The backyard grill — with juicy burgers, hot dogs and wonderfully sticky saucy barbecued chicken — is often the superstar of any Memorial Day celebration.
America’s love of all things grilled, barbecued and smoked has never been stronger, with 56 percent of U.S. grill owners planning to cook out over the three-day holiday weekend, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association’s 2020 State of the Barbecue Industry survey.
But just like in Hollywood, a leading man or woman needs a stellar sidekick to move the story along.
On Memorial Day, that means pairing burgers and ribs with side dishes that help make the first
cookout of the year a blockbuster.
Crunchy slaws, mayonnaise-based potato salad, fruit and pasta salads and veggie trays are standard fare at the holiday celebration, along with chips with guacamole and/or salsa. This year, why not celebrate the gradual lessening of coronavirus social distancing regulations with something more, well, memorable?
Instead of dishing up Grandma’s potato salad, boil fingerling potatoes until they’re barely tender, smash them with the bottom of a mug and then fry the patties to a crisp in bacon fat or olive oil. Then top them, as you would a loaded baked potato, with a savory mix of bacon crumbles, scallions, Parmesan cheese and spicy chipotle sour cream.
Rather please the palate with baked beans? Our showstopping version is made with molasses, bacon and brown sugar, with yellow mustard and apple cider vinegar adding a bit of tang. It starts with canned beans to make it less work, but can easily be adapted to dried beans.
And for the vegetarians in the bunch, may we suggest a bright and vibrant curried rice salad. Simple but still satisfying, it’s chock-full of crunchy nuts, plump raisins and colorful vegetables. A squeeze of lemon juice adds a bright finishing note.
Consider it a harbinger of sunnier things to come this summer.