This roundup includes all the best Labor Day recipes from juicy burgers and smoked brisket to classic BBQ sides, fresh summer salads, and desserts that make the most of late-season fruit. Mix and match your favorites to create the perfect Labor Day menu everyone will remember.

Fire Up the Grill (or Smoker)

Nothing says Labor Day like cooking outside. These backyard favorites are made for feeding a crowd and soaking up the last unofficial weekend of summer.

I added a secret ingredient to make the Creamiest Peaches and Cream Bars! I guarantee you’ll be making them all summer!

These no bake peaches and cream bars are everything I want in a summer dessert. A buttery graham cracker crust is layered with fluffy cream cheese filling and juicy peaches, then fridge-baked until perfect.

The inspiration for this recipe came from a conversation with my friend Sarah. She was telling me about a fresh peach dessert her family has loved for years, but there wasn’t a written recipe—just memories of layers of peaches and cream. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

So I gave it an Oh Sweet Basil twist by borrowing the creamy filling from our favorite Berries and Cream Bars and pairing it with a simple graham cracker crust. After a little experimenting (and discovering that chopped peaches work much better than sliced!), these no bake peaches and cream bars were born. I think they just might become one of your favorite summer desserts too!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Simple ingredients come together to create layers of buttery graham cracker crust, juicy peaches, and fluffy cream filling. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Fresh Peaches: Sweet, juicy peaches are the star of the dessert. Slightly firm peaches hold their shape best.
• Brown Sugar: Brings out the natural sweetness of the peaches.
• Cinnamon: Adds warm flavor without overpowering the fruit.
• Nutmeg: Just a pinch gives the peaches extra depth.
• Cornstarch (or EZ Gel): Thickens the peach juices into a light syrup that keeps the bars from becoming watery.

Graham Cracker Crust

• Sugar: Adds just a little extra sweetness.
• Graham Crackers Crumbs: Create a buttery, no-bake crust that’s sturdy enough to hold the creamy filling.
• Salted Butter: Holds the crust together while adding rich flavor.

Cream Filling

• Heavy Cream: Whips into a light, fluffy

These stuffed zucchini boats are filled with savory Italian sausage, marinara sauce, tender vegetables, and plenty of melty cheese for an easy dinner that is hearty, naturally lower carb, and one of the very best ways to use up summer zucchini.

Every spring growing up my dad was in charge of tilling the garden and mom would plant. Then we’d spend all summer weeding that thing clear through harvest. I hated it. I didn’t like tomatoes or zucchini. In fact the only vegetable I’d eat was corn, and can we really call that nutrition?

The only good thing about zucchini was mom would let us make zucchini boats and float them in the big utility sink in the mud room. I wonder if kids are struggling these days because they are missing out on both the confidence from hard work and the peace from the simplest things in life.

This year we are planting a garden and since I’ve learned to not merely tolerate but absolutely love vegetables I thought it was high time to show off just how delicious they can be! These zucchini boats are not only good, they are an entire meal in one!

Ingredients You’ll Need

These stuffed zucchini boats use simple ingredients that come together for a hearty Italian-inspired dinner that feels comforting while still being packed with vegetables.

• Zucchinis: The perfect tender veggie base that holds all the delicious Italian filling while baking up soft and flavorful.
• Salt and Pepper: Essential for seasoning both the zucchini and sausage filling.
• Olive Oil: Adds richness and helps sauté the sausage and vegetables.
• Mild Italian Sausage: Adds hearty savory flavor with classic Italian seasoning already built in.
• Dried Italian Seasoning: Brings warm herby flavor that makes the filling taste extra comforting.
• Sweet Onion: Adds sweetness and depth as it softens and cooks down.
• Garlic: Adds bold savory flavor that pairs perfectly with the marinara sauce.
• Red Bell Pepper: Adds sweetness, color, and texture to the filling.
• Marinara Sauce: Brings everything together with rich tomato flavor and keeps the filling moist and hearty.
• Mozzarella Cheese: Melts into gooey cheesy perfection over the zucchini boat

Every August my mom would start looking around the kitchen wondering what she was going to do with all the zucchini coming out of the garden. There were only so many loaves of zucchini bread we could eat, so she’d pull out this creamy zucchini corn chowder recipe instead.

Our Summer Zucchini Corn Chowder is loaded with sweet fresh corn, tender zucchini, potatoes, smoky bacon, and herbs, and it’s become one of those end-of-summer dinners I look forward to every year. If you’re swimming in zucchini and fresh corn, this is the recipe you need.

Ingredients You’ll Need

One of the best things about this soup is that it uses so many fresh summer ingredients. Sweet corn, zucchini, yellow squash, fresh herbs, and smoky bacon all come together to create a fresh corn chowder with zucchini that’s hearty enough for dinner but still tastes bright and fresh.

• Bacon: Adds smoky, savory flavor throughout the chowder, plus a crispy topping for serving.
• Yellow Onion: Builds the aromatic base of the chowder as it softens in the bacon grease.
• Celery: Adds a subtle, savory depth and a bit of texture to the base.
• Garlic: Brings warm, aromatic flavor that rounds out the onion and celery.
• Zucchini: The star of the show and the whole reason for this recipe. It softens beautifully into the chowder while adding fresh, garden flavor.
• Yellow Squash: Adds even more of that fresh summer squash flavor and a pop of color alongside the zucchini.
• Smoked Paprika: Reinforces the smoky flavor from the bacon.
• Ground Nutmeg: Just a touch adds warmth and depth to the creamy broth.
• Cayenne Pepper: Adds a subtle background heat that balances the sweetness of the corn.
• Fresh Thyme: Brings an earthy, herby note that pairs perfectly with the vegetables.
• Fresh Parsley: Adds fresh, bright flavor to round everything out.
• Russet Potatoes: Add heartiness and help thicken the chowder as they cook.
• Corn on the Cob: Fresh corn kernels (and the cobs themselves!) bring natural sweetness and the best flavor. Using the c

This easy Chickpea Salad Recipe comes together in minutes! It combines protein-packed chickpeas, crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and a bright lemon dressing. We love that it’s healthy, easy and naturally gluten-free! It’s perfect for healthy lunches, meal prep, picnics, and potlucks!

There’s something about a giant bowl of fresh, colorful salad sitting in the fridge that makes me feel like I totally have my life together. And this chickpea salad? Oh my word. It’s bright, crisp, creamy, herby, tangy, and honestly so satisfying that I keep sneaking bites straight from the bowl every time I walk through the kitchen.

This recipe is all Claire’s! She is the queen of sandwiches and salads, and this healthy chickpea salad is one of her faves! Every bite has a little crunch, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, salty feta, and that bright lemony dressing soaking into the chickpeas and holy cow…it’s so good.

It comes together in minutes with simple ingredients. We’ve been eating it for lunches, serving it with grilled chicken, scooping it up with pita chips, and sometimes just calling it dinner because it’s that good.

Whether you’re making it for meal prep lunches, summer BBQs, potlucks, or an easy dinner on a busy night, this is the salad recipe you’ll find yourself making all year long. One bite and you’ll see exactly why we’re completely obsessed with it!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Simple, fresh ingredients are what make this healthy chickpea salad absolutely irresistible. Here is what you will need:

For the Dressing

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and helps create a silky, flavorful dressing that coats every bite of the salad beautifully.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: Brightens the entire salad with fresh citrus flavor and gives the dressing its zippy, refreshing taste.
• Red Wine Vinegar: Adds tang and depth that balances the creamy avocado and hearty chickpeas perfectly.
• Garlic: Gives the dressing bold savory flavor and a little bite that makes the whole salad pop.
• Dijon Mustard: Helps emulsify the dressing while adding subtle sharpness and extra fla