Looking Forward to Labor Day: Chef Crafted Cookout Recipes

Did you know that Labor Day has been around since the 1800s? It was first observed in 1882 in New York City. After being adopted by many states in 1894, President Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday. Labor Day is all about celebrating the social and economic achievements of American workers. Since then, it continues to be celebrated with parades, picnics, and parties – always including delicious food! Keep reading for Labor Day recipes created by our very own Corporate Executive Chef, Howard Cantor, in honor of this annual celebration!

You can’t go wrong with this delicious recipe – it’s perfect for the last party of the summer. Here, we take a classic burger and give it a little flair. Featuring our World’s Best Burger Seasoning, our Onion Smash Burger recipe is sure to be a crowd favorite!

• Onion Smash Burgers
  • Ingredients:
    • 2 lbs. of 90/10 ground beef
    • ½ of a Sweet White Onion finely sliced
    • 2TBSP World’s Best Burger Seasoning
  • Steps:
    • Preheat your fire to a medium high temperature (around 375-400F). Add a cast iron skillet or plancha over the fire about 2 minutes before cooking.
    • First, add your bacon to the skillet and cook until they are done to your liking. Once done, pull them off and set aside.
    • Pull the ground meat out of the fridge and let come up to room temp for about 10 minutes.
    • Grab a handful of meat (about 4-6oz) and gently roll it into a ball. Repeat this for 6-8 balls or until your out of meat.
    • Add the ground meat balls to the skillet, top each with a small handful of sliced onions, then season.
    • As the meat sizzles, get out a small piece of parchment paper and a larger spatula/burger smasher.
    • Place the parchment over one ball and then firmly press with the spatula until the burger is “smashed” on the skillet.
    • Repeat this for each burger and let cook for another 1-2 minutes.
    • Carefully flip each burger over and then season the new side.
    • Top each burger with a slice of cheese and let melt for 1-2 minutes.
    • Once melted, pull each burger off and rest.
    • ENJOY!

When there is a celebration, you have to wrap it up with a sweet and mouthwatering dessert! This unique recipe takes strawberry shortcake to the next level by making it into a handheld treat. Chef Howard takes you step-by-step to create this homemade craveable dessert.

• Strawberry Shortcake Bars
  • Ingredients:
    • Vanilla Bars:
      • 1 box vanilla cake mix
      • 2 large eggs
      • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
    • Strawberry Vanilla Crumble:
      • 1-3 oz. box strawberry Jell-O mix – dry
      • 1-3 oz. box vanilla instant pudding
      • 1 cup flour – divided and 1/2 cup butter – softened
    • Cool Whip Frosting:
      • 8 oz cream cheese – softened
      • 1 cup powdered sugar
      • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      • 1 tub – 8oz cool whip – thawed
      • 1-pint fresh strawberries – tops cut off and sliced
  • Steps:
    1. 1. Preheat oven to 350º.
       2. Line a 9×9″ cake pan with aluminum foil and spray. Set aside.
       3. In a large bowl mix the cake mix, eggs and veg. oil until combined and a dough forms.
       4. Spread dough evenly into pan.
       5. Bake 20 minutes until edges are lightly brown. Let cool before frosting.
       6. In a small bowl Combine the Jell-O, 4 Tablespoon butter and 1/2 cup flour. Using a fork, mix ingredients together until crumble forms, set aside
       7. In another bowl combine vanilla pudding, 4 Tablespoon butter, 1/2 cup flour, mix until crumble forms, set aside.
       8. In a large bowl beat cream cheese, powered sugar, vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add cool whip and fold in until fully incorporated.
       9. Frost top of the cake and sprinkle a generous amount of crumble on top.
       10. Top with sliced strawberries
       11. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Feeling inspired? Request a free sample of our World’s Best Burger Seasoning here!