Homemade Sauces, Spreads and Relishes

Brush this super-easy sauce on burger patties, chicken or other meats for a punch of smoky flavor. 

Delicious with pork, this sweet, tangy chutney (recipe above) would also be a good match for chicken or a cheese board. At Chef Camp in Minnesota, it's served with Chilean-Spiced Pork Roast.

Dollop this sauce on grilled chicken, fold it into a Greek wrap, or use it to top a hamburger, along with lettuce and tomato. The recipe comes from Chef Camp in northern Minnesota.

Slather this spicy mayonnaise on sweet corn or a chicken sandwich, or use it as a dip for grilled shrimp or fresh veggies. The recipe comes from Chef Camp in northern Minnesota.

Serve on grilled hot dogs, brats or hamburgers garnished with sliced green onion, if you like.

Pickling is no mystery, especially if you leave out the canning part. Serve this kicky condiment on a relish tray or charcuterie board, or spoon it over grilled Italian sausages.

Add kick to your burgers or sandwiches with this quick four-ingredient condiment.

Inspired by the flavors of South Africa, Angola and Mozambique, this smoky pepper sauce will punch up any grilled meat or vegetable and would even be good spooned over a brat. The recipe comes from Chef Camp in Minnesota.

A natural with corn on the cob, this sweet and spicy butter sauce would be equally good spooned over cornbread, baked sweet potato or roasted Brussels sprouts. The recipe comes from Chef Camp in northern Minnesota.

Serve this quick sauce with purchased rotisserie chicken, or use it as a spread on a wrap or sandwich. It would also taste great with ham or smoked turkey.

Creamy, zesty and tangy, this sauce (from Chef Camp in Minnesota) goes with just about anything: grilled steak, lamb, pork, chicken, seafood or vegetables.

Pile these sweet-and-sour onion strips on hot dogs, hamburgers or sandwiches.

This luscious (and easy!) sauce is good enough to eat with a spoon. If you're feeling more civilized than that, try it over pasta or seared or grilled chicken or whitefish, or as an appetizer dipping sauce with bread.

Just three ingredients yield a surprisingly flavor "quickie" barbecue sauce. Try it as a dipping sauce for purchased roasted chicken or breaded, baked chicken breast. You can also toss shredded chicken meat with the sauce for a simple pulled-chicken sandwich. (Bonus points if you add cheddar cheese and toast the sandwich in a panini press!)

This classic Argentinian sauce with fresh parsley and cilantro is made for spooning over grilled meats (especially steak), but we also love it with scrambled eggs or roasted potatoes. The recipe comes from chef Michael Ollier of Certified Angus Beef in Wooster, Ohio.

This easy sauce spices up hot dogs, sandwiches or any grilled meat.

Twin Cities-based barbecue competitor David Fries says the spicy sauce on his smoked chicken wings is also a great match for pork chops, pork tenderloin or any grilled chicken.

How can just three ingredients taste so good? This crazy-simple pantry fix-up begs to be drizzled over a chicken wrap or salad, or tossed with shredded cabbage for an easy slaw.

Don't let any hard, unripened tomatoes go to waste! Pile this gingery, sweet-tart relish on brats or hamburgers, or serve it over grilled fish. The relish keeps well in the fridge for 1 week, but if you like, it can be canned for longer storage or to be given as gifts.

If you have a few chard leaves leftover from a recipe, this is a creative way to use them up. Chimichurri is pesto's bolder Argentinian cousin and tastes incredible with steak. But it's just as good with grilled chicken, pork and fish, or even eggs or baked potatoes.

Try this easy, crunchy topper on sliders, hamburgers or hot dogs. 

This easy and versatile relish requires only 15 minutes of prep, then an hour of chilling time for the flavors to meld. Sweet and hot peppers add contrasting flavor. Try the relish with pita chips, as a topping for grilled chicken breast or by itself.

Blueberries add a pop of juiciness, while corn contributes sweet crispness to this fresh-tasting relish. It's good over grilled meat, poultry or fish.

This sauce, delicious for both hamburgers and hot dogs, comes from Joan Wagner of Overland Park, Kansas. The recipe combines green tomatoes, apples, onion, sugar and vinegar. "My two sons, Chris and Ken, gave this recipe the name 'secret sauce' because no one guessed what was in it," Joan says. It's a nice balance of sweet and tangy.

You could also try burgers with the Cranberry-Orange Relish pictured here, a versatile spiced topper that goes well with grilled meats such as bratwurst and pork chops.