Celebrate Labor Day by kicking back, lounging on the porch, in the park, or by the beach. Wherever you are, lounging is critical. To help you keep things breezy, here are 16 low-labor recipes that will leave you plenty of time to soak in the remaining days of summer.
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Almost-Instant Soft-Serve

1.Corn on the Cob with Seasoned Salts

Corn on the Cob with Seasoned Salts. Photo © Con Poulos
在劳动节原本打算celebrate, well, labor, now it’s come to represent a last gasp of summer vacation, so you don’t want to work too hard. Here are fast and easy recipes that will leave plenty of time for lounging and soaking up as much end-of-summer sun as possible.
| Credit: © Con Poulos

Simple grilled corn sprinkled with seasoned salt is an amazing summer dish.

2.Golden Gazpacho with Avocado

hd-201408-r-Golden-Gazpacho-with-Avocado.jpg

The blender does all the work in this fresh, tangy gazpacho.

3.BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs

BBQ Baked Chicken
Hosting a cookout this Fourth of July? Follow these summergrillingrecipes and enjoy the most delicious BBQ you've ever tasted. From glazed chicken breasts with coffee BBQ sauce to easy BBQ chicken enchiladas to BLT hot dogs with caraway remoulade, you'll be all set with the grill.
| Credit: © Kristen Stevens

Hosting a cookout this Fourth of July? Follow these summergrillingrecipes and enjoy the most delicious BBQ you've ever tasted. From glazed chicken breasts with coffee BBQ sauce to easy BBQ chicken enchiladas to BLT hot dogs with caraway remoulade, you'll be all set with the grill.

4.Blueberry and Watermelon Slushie

Blueberry and Watermelon Slushie

Celebrate summer parties with this delicious blueberry and watermelon slushie. It’s the perfect cooling drink on hot days. Since this recipe doesn't call for any alcohol, it's the perfect frozen drink for the whole family. However, you should feel totally free to spike it. We especially like it with rum.

5.Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad
Credit: © Lucy Schaeffer

Tangy and refreshing, this easy salad comes together in just 25 minutes (10 of which are spent in the fridge).

6.Berries with Lemon Mint Syrup

Berries with Lemon Mint Syrup
Credit: © The Jewels of New York

If you can boil water, then you can make this summery dessert.

7.Mexican Skillet Corn with Chicken and Cilantro

Mexican Skillet Corn with Chicken and Cilantro

This one-skillet dish is the best way to use leftover chicken.

8.Watermelon and Charred-Tomato Salad

watermelon salad
Tim Byres uses a smart trick here: He sears the tomatoes on one side only, so they’re fresh and smoky at the same time.

Seared tomatoes give a terrific complexity to this simple salad.

9.Peach-and-Fennel Slaw

Peach-and-Fennel Slaw
This sweet and crunchy salad with lots of immune-boosting vitamin C is delicious with grilled pork or in a pulled-pork sandwich. To wilt the fennel slightly, Michel Nischan briefly marinates it in vinegar and salt before tossing it with firm, ripe peaches.

This sweet and crunchy salad is the perfect grilling side dish.

10.Tomato Salsa and Cucumber “Chips”

Tomato Salsa with Cucumber "Chips"
Credit: © Maura McEvoy

Healthy, fat-free and super-refreshing, this take on chips and salsa just requires some basic chopping skills.

11.Almost-Instant Soft Serve

Almost-Instant Soft-Serve

For this quick and delicious dessert, just puree frozen fruit with sweetened condensed milk.

12.Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad
Credit: © Abby Hocking

It’s not summer without Caprese salad, so do this weekend justice with this classic dish, which you can basically make with your eyes closed.

13.Brown Sugar Cake with Ricotta and Blueberries

Brown Sugar Cake with Ricotta and Blueberries
Credit: Jennifer Causey

This cake, which is basically like a giant blondie, takes no time to come together, but is impressive enough to woo a crowd.

14.Honey-Thyme, Chicken-and-Apricot Kebabs

Honey-Thyme Chicken-and-Apricot Kebabs
Credit: © Nicole Franzen

Whisk, brush, grill. This recipe is as quick as the come, but you wouldn’t know if from the depth of flavor.

15.Garlic Aioli BLTs

Garlic Aioli BLT
Sandwiches are a lunchbox staple for a reason. They're portable, can cover most major food groups and are filling enough so that you're not hungry until the final bell rings. Whether you're looking for a healthy vegetarian option or a tried and true classic sandwich, these delicious recipes don't disappoint. Find everything from a hearty eggplant parm sub to a delicious BLT.
| Credit: © John Kernick

Put those peak season tomatoes to good use with this classic sandwich, and don’t let the aioli put you off.

16.Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Peaches and Cream

Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Peaches and Cream
Credit: © Con Poulos

If you want to get really serious about relaxing, use a store-bought pound cake. You have our blessing.