Do you have your meal plan in place for Memorial Day? Memorial Day weekend is next week so it’s the perfect time to start planning and thinking what great foods you can enjoy with your friends or family this Memorial Day! We had a trial run of our Memorial Day plans last night with a fun backyard barbecue with a few of our friends. We took on a challenge from Sam’s Club to create our whole meal on the grill. Here’s what we prepared:
Our “Whole Meal on a Grill” Meal Plan
Hamburgers & Hot Dogs
Grilled Pineapple
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Potato Salad
First, we headed off to Sam’s Club to pick up the needed ingredients. I love shopping at Sam’s Club as the store and aisles are so much more open then at grocery stores. That means when my little ones are along with me we aren’t taking up the whole aisle! I also really love buying in bulk! It saves me the effort of frequent store visits and I store and freeze what we can’t use right away. For $50 I was able to get a fresh pineapple, 8-ct package of sweet corn, romaine hearts, 6-ct tomatoes, hot dog and hamburger buns, large package of Ball Park hot dogs, 18-ct package of 1/3 lb Angus Burgers, and a tub of Red Potato Salad! This much food would have easily fed a good size group but we had just a few friends over and still have enough extra for another few meals! I was able to easily find everything I needed throughout the store for our Barbecue meal and picked up some other things we were in need of while there as well.
When it was time to get the meal ready, we didn’t need to do too much prep work. My husband created up his own spice rub blend to put on the pineapple (see recipe below). Then, we sliced cheese, tomato, lettuce, and onion to top our burgers. We also brushed the corn lightly with olive oil before placing it on the barbecue. Other than that, it was as easy as adding the foods to the grill and waiting for them to cook. The potato salad isn’t technically a “grill” item, but it doesn’t need to be cooked at all, so I included it to round out the meal. Everything turned out absolutely delicious! The pineapple served on top of the burgers with the bit of spice and kick to the pineapple really made the burgers fabulous and mouthwatering! It was so nice to use the frozen hamburger patties, too, as they took no effort at all to make and we didn’t have to worry about thick spots on a homemade patty that wouldn’t cook all the way through. Our grill meal turned out great and I’m glad we have some leftovers and extras so we can head out to the barbecue again for Memorial Day weekend!
Grilled Pineapple Recipe
Cut off the peel and core 1 fresh pineapple. Slice the pineapple into 1/2 inch thick slices. Prepare the spice rub: 2 Tbls of each, crushed: Mustard Seed, Coriander Seed, Cumin Seed; 2 Tbls Hot Chili Pepper, 2 Tbls Garlic Powder, 1 Tbls Salt, 1 Tbls Pepper, 6 Tbls Brown Sugar. Combine spices and mix well. Sprinkle the pineapple slices with the rub. Lightly oil grate and then add pineapple rings to the grill. Grill 2-3 minutes per side.
Grilling Tips from a Barbecue Champion
Sam’s Club has some great barbecue tips to share form Barbecue Champion Troy Black! Check out these tips to help make a great grill cooked meal this upcoming Memorial Day weekend!
- Start with Oil – Before heating up the grill, apply oil or nonstick cooking spray to the grates. This will help keep food from sticking and tearing, thereby losing its natural juices.
- Trim the Fat – Guard against flare-ups by trimming asway excess fat from meats. Leaving only a 1/4-inch of fat will help retain the flavor.
- Keep Vegetables Cool – Vegetables tend to burn more quickly than meats. To avoid burning and to prevent produce from losing its crunch, cook vegetables at the outer, cooler edges of the grill.
- Let Steak Sit – All meat to rest for five minutes before serving so that natural juices reabsorb and lave steaks juicy.
You can find more great meal plans and suggestions for your own “Whole Meal on a Grill” challenge online at SamsClub.com/meals. Plus, Sam’s Club offers a 200% satisfaction guarantee on fresh meats, crisp produce, seafood, and gourmet-to-go bakery items, so you’ll know you will get good quality food you can count on! Be sure to stop by your local Sam’s Club to grab everything you need for your Memorial Day festivities!
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Disclosure: I received a $50 Sam’s Club gift card to purchase food supplies as well as a Sam’s Club membership in exchange for my shopping trip and cooking experience and this post. I was not compensated in any other manner. The opinions expressed above are my own and any claims should be verified on the sponsor’s site.