Memorial Day is a federal holiday full of exciting celebrations and one of the most important aspects of these get-togethers is the food. Whether you’re hosting a large group or attending a potluck barbecue, you’ve got to make sure your snack game is on point.
For a backyard gathering, Memorial Day junk food that friends can indulge in and have fun trying is a fantastic choice.
Patriotic Pretzels
Pretzels are a delicious salty snack that is perfectly complemented by something sweet. Whip up some red, white, and blue pretzel sticks for this exciting occasion and show your American pride. Grab a bag of Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels, three cups of white chocolate, and food coloring.
Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat and then separate it into three bowls. One bowl, which will remain untouched by food coloring, should have two cups of white chocolate in it while the other bowls should each receive half a cup.
Add red food coloring to one bowl and blue to a second. Dip the pretzel sticks into the white chocolate and place them on a tray covered in parchment paper. Set the tray of sticks in the freezer to set.
Now fill one zippered freezer bag with the red melted chocolate and the other with blue. Cut a small hole in the corner of each bag so you can squeeze the chocolate out like icing for decorating.
Remove the tray of pretzel sticks from the freezer and drizzle red and blue chocolate decor over them. Top with some red, white, and blue sprinkles before returning the tray to the freezer for another hour or two.
Chips and Dill Pickle Dip
A barbecue classic side dish is chips and dip and why should this year be any different? Grab a bag of Al Chipino tortilla chips in your favorite flavor, and then start thinking about what style of dip you prefer.
For the most refreshing, creamy, and zesty option, make a dill pickle dip from scratch. It will pair perfectly with other barbecue foods like hot dogs, burgers, and sodas.
All you need is one cup of plain Greek yogurt, an eight-ounce block of cream cheese, a third cup of fresh dill, one and a half cups of diced pickles, three tablespoons of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and garlic to taste.
The best part is, this dip is delicious yet so simple. All you have to do is mix the cream cheese and yogurt until it’s blended smoothly. Then mix in all the other ingredients and garnish with a few pieces of pickle on top.
National Trail Mix
Everyone loves a good party mix and, as long as none of your guests have a nut allergy, this is the perfect salty addition to your Memorial Day snacks. Gather your favorite nuts like Alamo Candy Peanuts & Pepitas or Bobalu Nuts, then mix three-quarters of a cup of almonds with three-quarters of a cup of peanuts. If you have other types of nuts or seeds on hand, incorporate a half cup of each of those as well.
Add in two cups of Flipz White Fudge Pretzels for some extra salt and the start of your sweet ingredients. You’ll want to create a dazzling mixture of red and blue sweet treats to add color to your trail mix and some sugary goodness.
Consider some blue gummy dolphins, red sweet berry candies, red or blue jelly beans, or even some red licorice pieces. If you want, you can throw in some Smarties as well for a creamy chocolate flavor.
Red, White, and Blue Rice Krispies
The Rice Krispies square is a staple in childhood school bake sales and the nostalgia this treat brings is almost as glorious as the way it tastes. Shake it up a bit in honor of Memorial Day and give the classic Rice Krispies square a patriotic makeover.
If you want to keep it simple, you can purchase a box of Rice Krispies Treats pre-made and add other fun toppings that align with your Memorial Day junk food ideas. Some splendid choices are red, white, and blue sprinkles, red and blue smarties, or white chocolate drizzle.
If you’re feeling ambitious, get some blue and red food coloring and whip up the squares yourself. Separate the mixture of 40 marshmallows into two or three separate bowls once they’re melted. In each bowl, add a different food coloring to achieve the desired color. Then add the six cups of Rice Krispies cereal and spread them in a container in different layers to create a red, blue, and regular-colored square.
Add your toppings and let the squares set in the fridge.
All-American Chocolate Pizza
When everyone else is indulging in a classic slice of pepperoni and cheese pizza this Memorial Day, surprise your guests with a homemade dessert pizza slathered in everyone’s favorite goodies.
Make life easier for yourself by starting with pre-made pizza dough for the base. Then you’ll need two tablespoons of butter, a quarter cup of chocolate hazelnut spread, half a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate blocks chopped, two tablespoons of white chocolate chips, two tablespoons chopped and toasted hazelnuts or Sante Candied Pecans.
To begin, preheat the oven to 450ºF. Set your dough on a pizza stone and when the oven is hot, cook the dough until it’s golden brown, which should take around 20 minutes. Once you pull it out of the oven, it’s time to add your toppings. Instead of tomato sauce, cover the dough in your chocolate hazelnut spread, leaving a crust on the edges.
Sprinkle your measured chocolate ingredients evenly across the pizza dough and add on your choice of nuts. Then pop the whole thing back in the oven for another two to five minutes until the chocolate spread begins to melt.
While you let the pizza cool before serving, you can add on any variety of candied toppings you wouldn’t want to melt in the oven. This might include red and blue Smarties, jellybeans, or gummies. Work with red and blues exclusively to make a truly patriotic pizza.
If you want, you can melt some additional white chocolate chips (two-thirds of a cup) in a saucepan and then drizzle the final product over the finished pizza to add some rich white decadence before you wow your guests with it.
Snack on a MunchPak This Memorial Day
Memorial Day junk food recipes are a blast to experiment with and will have your friends and taste buds dancing.
If you’re a foodie who is always up for something new and exciting, you’ll love trying snack subscription boxes from MunchPak. Each MunchPak contains delicious, fun snacks from across the world that you can have delivered monthly or on a three-month, six-month, or 12-month subscription basis.
