Smashed burgers landed at No. 4 and comfort foods took No. 2 on the National Restaurant Association’s own 2026 Culinary Forecast, a survey of hundreds of culinary professionals conducted last October. The group’s chief economist, Dr. Chad Moutray, summed up the throughline: “comfort and value are the twin pillars shaping America’s menus right now.” That framing lands right as Labor Day grilling season hits, and this year’s backyard menus are quietly shifting away from the same plain burgers and hot dogs toward dishes built on exactly those two ideas — familiar, crowd-pleasing food that also stretches a grocery budget further.
None of that means abandoning the cookout basics people actually show up for. It means treating the burger, the sides and the corn as places to make small, deliberate swaps rather than defaulting to whatever’s cheapest at the store without a plan — the difference between a grill that just repeats last year and one that reflects where restaurant menus are actually headed.
Smash Burgers
The trend that topped the professional forecast translates directly to a home grill or griddle: press a loosely packed ball of ground beef flat against a hot surface so the edges crisp into a lacy, caramelized crust, then flip once. Two thin smashed patties stacked with cheese and pickles beat one thick burger for flavor per bite, and the technique cooks fast enough for a crowd. Whatever the cut, the USDA is clear that ground beef needs to hit 160°F measured with a thermometer — the agency notes that a browned patty can still harbor bacteria, since color alone isn’t a reliable safety check.
Loaded Comfort Sides
Baked mac and cheese or slow-simmered baked beans do more for a Labor Day spread than another bag of chips, and they’re the direct expression of the No. 2-ranked comfort trend. Both can be started well ahead of time and finished on the grill’s cooler side while burgers cook, freeing up the host instead of tying them to the stove during the party — and both taste better the longer they sit, which makes them forgiving for a gathering with no fixed start time.
Global Comfort Skewers
The forecast’s No. 7 trend, “global comfort foods,” shows up easily on skewers: marinate chicken thighs or shrimp in a soy-ginger or harissa-yogurt marinade instead of a default barbecue sauce, then grill alongside peppers and onion. It’s a small swap that adds real variety to a table without adding a second cooking method.
Value-Driven Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs cost noticeably less per pound than breasts in most grocery stores and hold up far better to direct grill heat without drying out, which makes them the practical answer to the value half of the forecast’s framing. A simple dry rub and a quick sear give you a main dish that costs less than the burgers next to it, and offering both proteins side by side lets a host feed a bigger group without doubling the meat budget.
Grilled Elote-Style Corn
Corn is already a Labor Day staple, so the actual trend move is in the toppings: char the ears directly on the grate, then brush with a mayo-lime mixture and dust with chili powder and cotija cheese for a Mexican-street-corn treatment instead of the usual butter and salt. It costs almost nothing extra and reads as far more intentional than plain corn on the cob.
Grilled Peaches for Dessert
Halved peaches, brushed lightly with oil and grilled cut-side down for a few minutes, caramelize into a dessert that needs almost no additional effort while the grill is already hot. A scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey turn them into a finish that costs a fraction of a store-bought pie and uses fruit that’s still in peak season through early September.
None of these dishes require specialty ingredients or a bigger grocery bill than a standard cookout. What they do is answer the same question the National Restaurant Association’s own chefs were asked last fall: what do diners actually want right now? The answer — familiar food, done well, without overspending — applies just as much to a backyard grill as it does to a restaurant menu, which is exactly why this year’s Labor Day spread looks a little different from the one before it.
