Easy Entertaining: Vegetarian Labor Day Menu Idea

Why this menu works

It's entirely vegetarian. Each recipe was picked and vetted to ensure that it was a solid vegetarian recipe and not just an adapted meat-free recipe. You don't need to worry about adjusting any of these* to fit your, or your guests, dietary preferences.

Most of the dishes are easy to make in advance. They can either be made fully in advance or they will require very little day of preparation or reheating.

Once each dish is piled onto a guest's plate, each plate will look beautiful!

The flavors and textures meld together perfectly and complement each other rather than competing. The Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are savory, the Watermelon and Feta side is both sweet and salty, and the Kale and Brussels sprouts salad is tangy, salty, and slightly bitter. Combined with a beautiful Mixed Berry and Sage mocktail, this menu will be an easy success for Labor Day celebrations and entertaining.

*Ooookay, so the Kale and Brussles Sprouts Salad does call for bacon, but that is super easy to leave out and I note it in the recipe.

Drink Recommendation

Mixed Berry and Sage Craft Mocktail

Earthy, fresh, and slightly floral, with a tang from lemon soda, this Mixed Berry and Sage Craft Mocktail is a perfect way to say goodbye to summer.

Check out this recipe

Related: If you like mint more than sage, you could try the Mint Rose Mojio Mocktail.

Side Dish: Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad

Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad Recipe

There are only a few simple steps to a perfect watermelon, feta, and mint salad. This easy recipe lays them out.

Click here for recipe!

Photo credit: Serious Eats / Liz Voltz

Salad: Shaved Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

Shaved Kale Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon and Parmesan

Chopped kale and shaved Brussels sprouts are tossed in a tangy and zesty dressing made from lemon juice, garlic, shallot. Topped with salty bacon and shaved parmesan, and easy to scale up to feed a larger group, this salad is perfect to make for guests.

Check out this recipe

Dessert: Berry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream

Helpful Hint: Get vanilla ice cream if the weather is hot or if you need to stretch the dessert a bit. I keep ice cream in the freezer when I'm entertaining because it's an easy backup in case something goes wrong.

Slow Cooker Berry Cobbler (with video)

This Slow Cooker Berry Cobbler is an easy dessert recipe that uses fresh or frozen berries so it’s easy to make and is great for a crowd.

Check out this recipe

Photo credit: Ashley Fehr | The Recipe Rebel

When to Start Cooking: Order of Operations

The night before your Labor Day celebration:

• Prepare the peppers by making the filling, stuffing the pepper halves, and topping with cheese and store them in the fridge.
• Cube watermelon and crumble feta, and store separately.
• Shave the brussles sprouts and kale and toss them together, then store in a ziplock bag, pressing out the air. Make the dressing, and store in the fridge.

Day of: Labor Day!

• Start the berry cobbler about 4 hours in advance.
• About an hour before dinner, start heating up the oven for the peppers.
• Just before guests arrive, finish the Kale and Brussles Sprouts Salad, toss the watermelon and feta with the mint, and make the Mixed Berry and Sage moctails!

Hosting Tips:

Place cutlery and napkins at the END of the table if you're serving food buffet style.

If the weather is hot, make sure to have extra ice on hand and plenty of water in addition to your other drinks.

If the weather is cooler than normal, consider starting up a fire pit or setting out some throw blankets.

Answering "How can I help?"

If you know guests will ask you, "How can I help?" Have a list of small, simple tasks a guest can do.

Some ideas are:

• Give them a specific task related to food, such as "Would you mind chopping the mint?"
• If you don't want or need help, acknowledge and thank them for their desire to help, then move to the next topic with a follow-up question, such as "Everything is ready, but thank you so much for the offer. Were you able to enjoy the long Labor Day Weekend?"

Elsewhere on the blog

Related: Drink inspiration for your next party