Memorial Day Meals to Impress Your Guests
Appetizer: Grilled Beet Salad With Burrata and Cherries
Ingredients
4–6 servings
6 medium beets (about 2 lb. total)
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
8 oz. burrata or mozzarella, torn into 2" pieces
8 oz. fresh cherries (about 2 cups), halved, pitted
1 cup Castelvetrano olives, smashed, pitted
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Step 1
Prepare a charcoal fire in a grill. Let coals cool to medium heat (coals should be covered with ash and glowing red with no black remaining).
Step 2
Grill beets directly on coals, turning occasionally, until skins are blackened and flesh is fork-tender, 35–45 minutes. (Alternatively, grill, covered, on the grate of a gas or charcoal grill over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, 45–55 minutes.) Transfer to a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam until cool enough to handle.
Step 3
Wearing gloves if you don’t want pink hands, pull charred skins off beets (they should slip off easily), then slice each beet into 6 wedges. Transfer to a large bowl, add vinegar, kosher salt, and 3 Tbsp. oil, and toss to combine.
Step 4
Arrange beet mixture on a platter. Top with burrata, cherries, and olives. Drizzle with oil; season with sea salt and pepper.
Step 5
Do Ahead: Beets can be grilled 2 days ahead. Let cool (do not peel); cover and chill.
Main: Grilled Pizza
Ingredients
Makes four 12" pies
Dough
1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.)
1 tsp. sugar
⅓ cup (42 g) whole wheat flour
2½ tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl
3 cups (375 g) bread flour, plus more for surface
Burst Cherry Tomatoes
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried oregano
Step 1
Stir yeast, sugar, and 1¼ cups warm (not hot) water in the bowl of a stand mixer until yeast dissolves. Let sit until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add whole wheat flour, salt, and 2 Tbsp. oil to yeast mixture and mix to combine. Fit mixer with dough hook and, with mixer on low speed, gradually add 3 cups (375 g) bread flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms, about 4 minutes from when you start adding the flour. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl to incorporate any dry bits into dough. Increase mixer speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to bring together. Shape into a ball, place in a large lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover bowl and let dough sit in warm draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1–1½ hours. Make your toppings while your dough is rising.
Step 4
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until skins start to blister and split, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and toss to coat. Cook, lightly pressing on tomatoes with spoon to release juices without smashing completely, until garlic is softened, about 2 minutes. Mix oregano into sauce; taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Step 5
Do ahead: Sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and stir to combine before using.
Dessert: Fried Ice Cream
Instructions
Corn flakes cereal – these give it that traditional crispy crunch. Don’t substitute another type of cereal.
Butter – I like the balanced flavor of salted butter here but unsalted butter would work too.
Ground cinnamon – no skimping on the cinnamon here, it’s what gives it that classic crave-worthy flavor.
Vanilla ice cream – you’ll need nearly a half gallon. Tillamook’s vanilla is a good option.
Optional toppings (chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, whipped cream, cherries) – I mean I say these are optional, but really are they? They complete the fried ice cream in my opinion.
Crush cornflakes: Pour cornflakes into a gallon size resealable bag, seal bag and then use a rolling pin to crush cornflakes to small bits.
Step 1
Saute cornflakes and cinnamon in butter: Melt butter in a nonstick 10-inch fry pan over medium heat. Stir in crushed corn flakes and cinnamon and increase heat slightly.
Step 2
Cook mixture, stirring constantly until golden brown and fragrant (color will deepen and begin to smell lightly toasty and corn flakes should be crisp), about 2 minutes.
Let mixture cool: Remove from heat, pour mixture in a shallow dish and allow to cool.
Step 3
Shape ice cream: Remove ice cream from freezer, scoop out desired serving size (you should be able to get about 8 individual servings, or 4 big restaurant size sharing servings) and shape into a ball with clean hands.
Step 4
Roll ice cream in cornflake mixture: Immediately drop shaped ice cream ball into corn flake mixture and roll to evenly coat, while pressing corn flake mixture around outer surface for a thicker coating.
Let set: Freeze for 10 - 15 minutes to re-solidify ice cream, keep frozen until ready to serve. Add toppings just before serving.