Kara's Sights & Bites: Time to start planning for Labor Day

By Kara Kimbrough

    It’s August, which means Labor Day weekend can’t be far behind. "Summer" as we know it is officially over for those who are either in school or have children/grandchildren in attendance, but a long Labor Day weekend offers “one last chance” to host friends or simply prepare a special meal. As summer’s final holiday approaches, I'm sharing a few recipes to make Labor Day a time for relaxing, not laboring in the kitchen. 

     I can’t let the summer end without sharing the Best-Burger-Ever recipe I was given by a restaurant owner. To create it for your Labor Day table or cookout, combine 1-1/4 pounds of lean ground chuck, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and two tablespoons of grated onion in a bowl. Gently shape into large patties and place on a platter in preparation for grilling or baking in the oven.

    Just before cooking, lightly sprinkle each patty with a special combination of spices: two teaspoons paprika, one teaspoon each of salt and ground black pepper, half teaspoon dark brown sugar and quarter teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder and ground cayenne pepper.

   Speaking of burgers, I enjoyed a great one this summer at Cuz’s Old Town Oyster Bar & Grill in Bay St. Louis. If you haven’t dined at Cuz’s, I highly recommend stopping by the next time you’re driving down Beach Blvd. in The Bay. Everything about Cuz’s large, juicy burger was delicious (especially when paired with Cuz’s famous Swamp Fries!) but it was the “brown sugar bacon jam” topping that elevated the taste to new heights. While I don’t have the restaurant’s special recipe, I found a similar one that I’m sharing below.

     Last, for some, a Labor Day cookout isn’t complete unless the grill is smoking. But since temperatures will still be close to triple digits, I’m sharing an easy barbecue chicken recipe that can be prepared indoors.    

    However or wherever you celebrate the end of summer, may it be filled with fun, friends, family and of course, delicious food.

Easy Oven Barbecue Chicken

1 cup barbecue sauce

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts 

Dash of onion powder

Dash of garlic powder

Cooking spray

     Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken on bottom of pan, sprinkle with onion powder and garlic powder (to taste) and brush barbecue sauce over chicken. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Brown Sugar Bacon Jam

1-pound thick sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 yellow onion, diced small

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

     Cook the bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned, but not burned or overly crispy. Scoop out the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate. Cook the onions and garlic in bacon grease until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.

    Add all the bacon back to the skillet and combine with cooked onions and garlic. Add the vinegar and brown sugar to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Cook stirring and scraping up browned bits from the skillet for 2 minutes Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the liquid turns syrupy; about 30 minutes.

Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at [email protected].