This Labor Day Menu Will Help You Create the Ultimate Dinner Party, from Drinks to Dessert

Produce
4 oranges
6 lemons
One 2-pound muskmelon (such as cantaloupe or honeydew)
1 large bunch fresh basil
1½ pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes
9 shallots
8 garlic cloves
12 apricots
1 bunch fresh tarragon
2 large heads broccoli
3 scallions
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch fresh mint

Meat
8 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)

Dairy
¼ cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnishing
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2¾ cups heavy cream

Canned and Packaged Goods
1 bottle prosecco
1 bottle Aperol
½ cup tahini
¼ cup chili oil
4 cups cubed olive bread, ciabatta or sourdough
1 bottle dry white wine
¼ cup almonds
12 ounces green olives
4 ounces dark chocolate
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Peppermint extract
Green food coloring (optional)

Pantry Ingredients: sugar, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, sesame seeds, freshly ground black pepper, sherry or Champagne vinegar, Maldon smoked sea salt or flaky sea salt, all-purpose flour, coconut oil

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2 to 3
• Pairs With: Roasted Mixed Nuts

Want a break from the rosé? This festive take on the classic summer cocktail is one part boozy, two parts refreshing and will become your new favorite drink at first sip. Double or triple the recipe (except for the simple syrup) to make enough for a crowd.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, dairy free, gluten free
• Serves: 4 to 6
• Pairs With: Spicy, Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad

Salt and melon are a classic combination, but adding a nutty, creamy element (tahini) makes the pairing feel fresh. "I recommend using cantaloupe or honeydew here," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen writes. "Watermelon is delicious, but tends to get mushy when you put it on the grill."

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
• Serves: 4
• Pairs With: Crispy Grilled Chicken

With juicy, colorful heirloom tomatoes and an herb-infused oil, this lettuce-free salad tastes like summer on a plate. "If you can’t get olive bread, just use any rustic loaf and add a handful of chopped olives instead," recipe creator Odette Williams suggests. "Nothing wrong with adding burrata or buffalo mozzarella to the mix either."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 6
• Pairs With: Grilled Sweet Potatoes with a Dilly Dip

This is the type of dish you make once or twice a year, and then you wait all year to make it again when apricots are in season. "In some ways, it's a typical skillet chicken dish," recipe creator Erin McDowell explains, "but you add whole shallots, a little bit of white wine and cream to make this irresistible gravy. You can't really mess it up; it's always going to be crazy delicious and, on top of that, it's super-duper beautiful.”

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4 to 6
• Pairs With: Ranch Potato Salad

Roasted broccoli on its own? Totally fine, if not overplayed. But if you add a garlicky, olive-y pesto and a shower of Parmesan shavings, the vegetable takes on a new life. The dish serves six people, but it never hurts to make extra (you know, as a chef’s treat). Drizzle any leftover pesto onto beans, roasted cauliflower, raw carrots or pasta.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, gluten free
• Serves: 8
• Pairs With: Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Your Labor Day menu wouldn’t be complete without a little sweetness at the end, and homemade ice cream fits the bill. Don’t have an ice cream maker? No sweat: This version can be made with a stand mixer, hand mixer or even a whisk. (And the fresh mint flavor is like nothing you’ll find in a store.)