There would be dire consequences to repeatedly forgetting Christmas or, God forbid, my sister’s birthday, but there’s nothing better than forgetting that Memorial Day is coming and realizing – with a sudden rush of unbridled shout-hallelujah joy – that THIS weekend IS Memorial Day weekend.

A three-day weekend that’s all about hanging out and grilling!

Couldn’t you just lean in and kiss it right on the mouth?

Here are some of my favorite grilling recipes. (I’m just noticing that most are from “Emeril at the Grill,”which is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. Every grill should come with a copy.)

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri. I’d tried to love flank steak, but this recipe sold it to me. The leftover steak (if you have any) is great in salads and fajitas, and the chimichurri also works with grilled chicken.

Caribbean Pork Tenderloin. The tropical flavors (coconut, ginger, lime and rum) give the meat a little sumpin-sumpin, but they don’t take over. The first time we made this, we ate it with our fingers straight off the grilling plate.

Sirloin Sliders with Bacon and Horseradish Mayo. Little burgers. Lotsa flavor. And they’ll clear your sinuses!

Rattlesnake Sliders. Mini chicken-andouille burgers slathered with chipotle mayo. Spicy and scrumptious.

Portobello Burgers with Pesto, Provolone and Roasted Red Peppers. Delicious and good for you, but you could easily pretend they’re not. Perfect with sweet potato fries.

Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Sandwiches. The color! The flavor! Holy goodness, I love this sandwich.

Grilled California Pizzas. I know. You think the dough is going to slide through the rack, but the intense heat sort of flash-bakes it into place. Great for parties with small, picky children. And adults.

Mexican Grilled Corn. This is our Official Summer Side Dish. We eat it with just about everything. If you want to get crazy, roll it in  crumbled cotija cheese. Baby.

Need more grilling ideas? Check out the new “Grilled” section in the Recipe Index! Long may it grow.

*Pictured at the top of this post: Ribeye, New Potato and Portobello Kebabs. Need to make a 16-ounce ribeye feed four? The ribeye and mushroom pieces are marinated together, so it tastes like you’re getting more meat. Sneaky good.

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