Fourth of July recipes and their celebrations are such a great way to combine great food with quality time with friends and family. This year try one or all of these delicious recipes to add to and enrich your summer gatherings. Make the recipes your own by taste and decoration, the more patriotic themes the better. Enjoy!
Yield: 4 servings
Try this seafood salad for crab and shrimp in a cold summer salad with just the right amount of kick.
Ingredients:
Directions:
For added kick, try boiling shrimp with your favorite spice and seasoning. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, salt, and peppers. Add all remaining ingredients except seafood and toss gently to coat. Allow to marinate 4 hrs. Add seafood just before serving and stir gently to coat well.
Yield: 4 burgers
Delicious grilled recipes start with tasty portable burgers and this salmon and pineapple recipe is sure to delight!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Place chili flakes, salt, pepper, scallions, garlic, and one tsp of the sugar into a food processor. Pulse until well chopped. Add salmon fillets and cilantro, then pulse a few times until broken down and combined. Shape mixture into four balls by hand. On a pre-heated griddle/barbeque, place pineapple slices sprinkled with remaining sugar. Brush the salmon burgers with half the oil and put the rest of the oil on the griddle/barbeque. Place burgers on the griddle and slightly flatten with a spatula. Cook 2-3 min. until griddle lines appear. Turn over and cook again until cooked through. Place pineapple slices on griddle/barbeque 1-2 min. on each side until slightly caramelized then remove from griddle/barbeque.
Yield: 8 servings
Fourth of July dessert recipes have to include a great red, white, and blue pie like this fruit-filled one.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Spread melted chocolate onto the bottom and sides of the crust. Arrange the sliced strawberries over the chocolate. Beat the cream cheese and confectioners sugar in a bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in the milk. Add the pudding mix and beat on low speed until thick, about 2 min. Spread over strawberries. Decorate the pie with whipped topping, blueberries, and halved strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Recipe courtesy of: tasteofhome.com.
Yield: 2 servings
Nothing is more patriotic or cooling than a bright tomato salad with a delicious herbal dressing such as this one.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Slice tomatoes in thick, half-moon slices, or in large dice if using small tomatoes. Arrange on a serving dish. Drizzle tomatoes with basil vinaigrette, then sprinkle with goat cheese and herbs. Season with sea salt and pepper as desired. For basil vinaigrette, combine chopped basil and olive oil to make a basil puree then mix the puree with your choice vinaigrette or Italian dressing.
Yield: 4 burgers
For chicken-lovers, try this yummy mustard and sweet coleslaw take on brioche.
Ingredients:
Chicken Marinade:
Crispy Chicken Coating:
Honey Mustard Coleslaw:
Also:
Directions:
Place chicken in a bowl. Add buttermilk, salt, pepper, garlic salt, mix together and place in the fridge to marinate at least 1 hr. or overnight. Heat a large pan of vegetable oil or preheat a deep fat fryer until hot. A small cube of bread rising immediately to the surface and bubbling rapidly is a good heat test. You’ll need at least 4 cups of oil but a pan no more than two-thirds full. Mix together the coating ingredients in a small bowl. Dredge the individual pieces of chicken in the coating mixture, with excess buttermilk dripped off. Place each coated piece on a tray. Once oil is hot, add 5-6 tenders, but don’t overcrowd. Cook 3-5 min. until golden brown and cooked in the middle. To make the coleslaw, slice cabbage and carrot thinly and place in a bowl with mayonnaise, mustard, honey, lemon juice, and black pepper. Stir together, cover, and refrigerate until needed. Arrange the tender into four piles and place gouda atop each. Grill or place in a hot oven until just melted. Place the bottom of the brioche buns on four places, top with lettuce and cheesy chicken pieces. Spoon on coleslaw, sprinkle with red onion, and jalapeno. Place tops of buns atop each serving and serve.
Yield: approximately 20 cookies
Apple Pie is always a hit and this cute cookie take is so portable and sure to be a favorite this year!
Ingredients:
Dough:
To assemble:
Directions:
You can use a store-bought crust but this made dough is tastier and fairly easy to make! To make the pie dough, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir with a fork to blend. Using a pastry cutter or preferred method, cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse and in small pea-sized pieces. Stir in water and gently mix until together in a ball and fully moistened. Form the dough into a disc and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Transfer to the fridge and chill at least 1 hr. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Peel the apples and cut off the sides into four large chunks, removing the cores. Further slice into thin slices. Using a small round or biscuit cutter, cut round discs out of the apple slices. Place the rounds into a bowl and toss with lemon juice. In another bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and whisk to blend. Transfer half of the chilled dough to a lightly floured work surface and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out very thinly. Using a larger round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Transfer half the rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the rounds lightly with water. Take a few apple slices at a time and coat in the cinnamon-sugar mix. Place each on top of a round of pie dough and layer a second dough round on top of each apple slices, gently pressing the edges to seal. Repeat for all dough and apple slices. Crimp and seal the edges of the mini pies with fork tines and lightly brush each cookie top with egg wash. Using a small paring knife, cut tiny slits in the tops of each cookie and sprinkle with additional sugar as desired. Bake 25-28 min. or until golden brown.
Yield: 8 servings
Barbeque mashed potatoes are one of those new takes on traditional backyard recipes that you’ll be craving.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Place potatoes in a large pot of well-salted water. Boil 8-10 min. or until tender. Place milk, butter, and marinade in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter is melted and remove from heat. Strain potatoes and mash with a potato masher or whisk. Add milk and marinade mix in small amounts, mashing after each addition. Stir in bacon, onions, and cheese to potatoes.
Yield: 4 servings
Summer fish recipes should include this crispy sandwich you’ll love. It’s another must-try if you like coleslaw.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Mix the beer, flour, baking powder, salt, and egg in a bowl. Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the fish pieces in the flour and shake off excess. Dip the fish pieces into the batter and lightly shake off excess. Fry the fish pieces in preheated 375 degrees Fahrenheit oil until cooked to golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 min. Assemble sandwiches and enjoy!
Nothing says Fourth of July recipes like this patriotic and colorful fruit salad side dish.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Fold together cottage cheese, cool whip, and packet of berry blue Jello powder in a large bowl. Add crushed pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and gently fold again until well-mixed. Add marshmallows and coconut and fold. Smooth out the top and clean messy edges of the bowl. Cover and chill 3-5 hrs.
The zucchini, squash, and corn are so tasty together in this great casserole with a crumb topping.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring first 2 ingredients and water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil 5 min or until tender. Drain and gently press between paper towels. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and add onion. Saute 10 min. or until tender. Add garlic and saute 2 min. Stir together squash, onion mixture, corn, next 6 ingredients, and ½ cup each of breadcrumbs and Asiago until just blended. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13×9” baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter. Stir in remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup Asiago, and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake 45-50 min. or until golden brown and set. Let stand 15 min. before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
Add this chili cheese char dog to your Fourth of July recipes this year for a grilled classic you can’t get wrong.
Ingredients:
Crock Pot Chili for Hot Dogs:
Cheddar Cheese Sauce:
For assembly:
Directions:
For the chili, in a pan season the ground chuck and bratwurst with salt and pepper, and cook with ¾ of the diced onion and all the diced yellow pepper. Stir frequently to break up to fine texture. Add the minced garlic and half the beer to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently until most of the beer is evaporated. Transfer to a slow cooker and add the reserved beer and all remaining chili ingredients. Mix well, cover, and cook on low 4 hrs. or high for 2 hrs. For the cheese sauce, toss the shredded cheese with the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Bring the evaporated milk to a boil in a med. saucepan. Add the coated cheese in batches to the hot milk. Whisk the mix after each addition. When smooth, reduce heat to low and keep warm. To assemble, place a char dog in a bun and top with hot chili and a drizzle of warm cheese sauce. Sprinkle with diced onions, dill pickles, and/or pickled jalapenos as desired.
Add this delicious peach cobbler to your Fourth of July recipes for coconut flavor that pairs great with this bourbon pecan ice cream!
Ingredients:
Ice cream:
Crust:
Filling:
Directions:
For ice cream, combine vanilla ice cream, chopped pecans, and bourbon in a bowl. Cover and freeze at least 3 hrs. For crust, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt in a food processor and pulse 2 times or until well-blended. Add coconut and butter and pulse 10 times or until a coarse mix. Combine milk and egg yolks and remove 1 tbsp of the milk mixture and set it aside. Pour remaining milk mix into the food processor and pulse 5 times or until just blended. Gently press mix into a 6-in. Square of heavy plastic wrap. Cover with additional wrap and chill at least 30 min. Roll dough, still covered into a 14×10” rectangle. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For filling, combine sliced and peeled peaches, brown sugar, 6 tbsp flour, nutmeg, and dash of salt in a large bowl and spoon into a 13×9” baking dish coated with cooking spray. Remove one sheet of plastic wrap from dough and place dough on peach mixture, pressing to edge of dish. Remove the remaining sheet of wrap and brush dough with reserved milk mix. Cut six 2-in. slits in dough and sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar. Bake 35 min. or until golden. Let stand 30 min. on a wire rack. Serve with bourbon-pecan ice cream.
Yield: 8 servings
Try this update to classic pasta salad where each bite is said to be like fireworks in spice and flavor!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, sugar, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir in tubetti pasta, pickles, celery, red onion, roasted peppers, green onions, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until well chilled before serving.
Yield: 4 servings
This sweet and spicy tilapia is a great addition to your Fourth of July celebrations with a bright citrus flavor.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Arrange fish in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine orange juice and the next 9 ingredients, (through garlic), and pour over fish. Let stand 15 min. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle fish with paprika and broil 15 min. or until desired degree of doneness. Drizzle sauce over fish.
Yield: 6 servings
Easily adapted to liking and great with your favorite summer vegetables, this is another one of those perfect summer recipes.
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a shallow baking dish, mix together 3 tbsp soy sauce, olive oil, 1 clove minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Add pork cubes and turn to evenly coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 3 hrs. In a saucepan, combine beef broth, cornstarch, 2 tbsp soy sauce, brown sugar, 2 cloves minced garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min. Preheat grill to high and lightly oil grate. Thread pork cubes onto skewers, alternating with mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, and pineapple chunks. Cook on grill 15 min. or until meat is cooked through. Turn skewers and baste often with sauce during cooking.
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