Memorial Day Barbecue Recipes | Keep Costs Down

Celebrate Memorial Day

Memorial Day is one of those holidays that you can really pull off without spending a lot of money. Many holidays have turned into big, commercial events. Memorial Day could be this way, if you let it, but keeping your costs low and celebrating Memorial Day right is easy as pie.

Having a picnic or barbecue is a great way to celebrate Memorial Day, and there’s really no need to spend any extra cash other  than what you would spend on a regular meal. Of course, it’s always more fun to include friends, so I found some super-cheap recipe ideas for Memorial Day.

Don’t discount hot dogs

Hot dogs are some of the most inexpensive protein you can find. Furthermore, most kids like them, so if you make them for your family you probably won’t end up wasting food and thus money because of picky eaters.

Hot dogs at the grocery store I go to are $1.50 for a pack of eight. That’s less than 20 cents a dog! Add in the buns, and still you are looking at less than 50 cents per serving. Of course, just a hot dog and bun doesn’t sound like a very exciting meal. However, I came across a whole slew of hot dog recipes on Razzle Dazzle Recipes that will help your barbecue be exiting, delicious and inexpensive.

Crunchy Kraut Dog

Thousand Island Dressing:
1/2 C. mayonnaise
2 T. chili sauce
1 T. minced onion
1 T. minced green bell pepper
1 T. minced dill pickle, sweet pickle or drained pickle relish
2 t. minced fresh parsley

Other ingredients:
3/4 C. sauerkraut
8 wieners
8 hot dog buns, preferably bakery-made
3 bacon slices, chopped and fried crisp

Prepare the dressing, combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sauerkraut with the dressing.

Grill the wieners for about 3 to 5 minutes over high heat until deeply browned, rolling to crisp all surfaces. Toast the buns on the edge of the grill if you wish.

Toss the bacon with the sauerkraut mixture. Place the dogs on the buns and the sauerkraut over the dogs.

Serve immediately.

Chicago Dog

8 all-beef wieners
8 poppyseed hot dog buns or other hot dog buns
yellow ballpark mustard
chopped cucumber
pepperoncini, chopped
chopped onion
chopped red-ripe tomato
celery salt
dill pickle spears, optional

Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high.

Grill the wieners uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes over high heat until deeply browned, rolling to crisp all surfaces. Toast the buns at the same time on the edge of the grill.

Place the dogs on the toasted buns and top each with a good squiggle of mustard. Then pile on, in approximately equal portions, generous spoonfuls of cucumber, peppers, onion and tomato. Sprinkle celery salt over each bulging bun. Serve with dill pickle if desired.

Serves 8.

Southern Spice Hot Dogs

1 pkg. (16 oz.) hot dogs
1/2 C. chunky salsa
1/2 C. barbecue sauce
8 hot dog buns, split
1 small onion, chopped
1  C. shredded cheddar cheese

Heat hot dogs as directed on package or grill until thoroughly heated (160°F).

Mix salsa and barbecue sauce in small saucepan; cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Serve in buns topped with salsa mixture and onion; sprinkle with cheese.

Greek hot Dog Sauce

1 lb. ground beef
1 t. red pepper
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. chili powder
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. cumin powder
1 t. salt
2 medium onions, diced small
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can water
1 T. prepared mustard

Brown ground beef and drain. Place all ingredients in saucepan and simmer for 1/2 to 2 hours. The longer it cooks, the better the flavor. Serve as a topping on grilled hot dogs and enjoy!

Texas Wiener Sauce

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
6 beef bouillon cubes which have been dissolved in 3 C. hot water
1 fresh onion, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion)
1/2 T. black pepper
1 T. chili powder
1 T. paprika
1 T. dried oregano
1/2 T. dried thyme
1/2 T. dried marjoram
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. Worcestershire sauce

Brown beef in large skillet. Stir in tomato paste and water-bouillon mixture. Add remaining ingredients; cover and simmer for one hour. Serve on hot dogs with mustard and chopped onion. Sauce may be frozen.

Coney Dog Sauce

2 C. finely chopped onion
1/3 C. cider vinegar
1 C. sugar
3 lbs. ground beef
2 T. salt
4 T. celery seed
1 #10 can tomato puree
2 T. chili powder
1 T. pepper

Brown hamburger and onions in a very large skillet, drain. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 3 1/2 hours. Stir frequently as it will tend to stick. This freezes very well.

Check out the sales

So, if you’re just not into the hot dog idea, another great way to save money on Memorial Day is just to check on what is on sale at your local grocery store. A friend of mine recently found a sale on pork for 99 cents a pound. If your grocery store is having a pork sale, you might try out this recipe:

Barbecued Coca-cola Ribs

4 lb Pork Ribs
3 c Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper
3 c Ketchup
1 c Packed Dark Brown Sugar
6 tb Chili Powder
4 tb Ground black pepper
2 tb Dry mustard
1 tb Ground cinnamon

Transfer the ribs to a large non-reactive glass or ceramic dish pour 2 cups of Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper over them. Reserve the third cup of the soda for a sauce to be made later. Let the ribs marinate, tightly covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, overnight. About 6 1/2 hours before you plan to serve the ribs, start a fire in your smoke/cooker and begin heating a quantity of coals.

Then turn your attention to the sauce. Pour the remaining 1 cup of soda into a blender or food processor and measure in the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, pepper, dry mustard, and cinnamon. Mix until smooth and well blended. No need to cook this one, as least for now.

Add some well-soaked aromatic wood such as hickory or mesquite to the glowing coals in your cooker.
Set a pan filled with hot water in place, and smoke cook the ribs, covered at 220 to 240 degrees F. for about 3 hours. After this initial smoking, turn the ribs, slather them with the sauce, check the supply of wood and water in their respective pans, and continue cooking for another 3 hours, this time turning the ribs every 30 minutes and mopping them with sauce each time they’re turned.

By the end of the 3 hours, they should have long since reached the internal temperature of 160 to 170 degrees recommended for pork. After the last basting of the ribs, tote the remaining sauce inside and simmer in a medium-size saucepan over low heat until quite thick. Serve the gloriously gooey sauce in dipping bowls with the finished ribs.

Have a great Memorial Day!