Here are some recipes that are super easy to make, and will make a great addition to your 4th Of July Barbeque, and they will not break the bank. These dishes are super easy to make, yet will allow you to standout!
Watermelon Salad
Ingredients
- ·7 to 8 cups seedless watermelon - cut into ¾ inch cubes
- ·1 ½ cups fresh blueberries - plus more to taste
- ·cup crumbled feta cheese - plus more to taste
- ·Fresh mint and basil leaves, thinly sliced - plus more for garnish
- Honey lime dressing:
- ·Juice of 1 ½ limes
- ·1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ·1 to 2 tablespoons honey - to taste
- ·pinch of salt
Instructions
- ·Make the honey lime dressing: In a mason jar, combine all the honey lime dressing ingredients and shake vigorously until well combined. Adjust to taste as needed.
- ·In a large serving bowl, combine the cubed watermelon, blueberries, mint, basil, and ¾ cup of the crumbled feta. Toss with the honey lime dressing evenly.
- ·Top with the remaining ¼ cup feta and garnish with more mint and basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
4th Of July Sweet Summer Salad
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups of fresh romaine lettuce cleaned and torn (you could just use the bagged stuff)
- About ½ cup fresh blueberries
- About ½ cup fresh strawberries cut in small chunks
- 1 oz Crumbled Feta
- 1 tablespoon Sweet Poppy Dressing
- You can make your own dressing, but the sweet poppy dressing at Trader Joes is my go to… another good one available at Walmart BRIANNAS Rich Poppy Seed Dressing,
Instructions
- Wash and prepare all your ingredients.
- Top the greens with the berries and cheese.
- Drizzle on the dressing and enjoy!
4th of July Firecracker Dogs
- Ingredients
- ·1 can refrigerated breadstick dough
- ·2 packages -16 hot dogs Total
- 16 Skewers, long enough to go through your hot dogs, and have about 1.5" sticking out of both ends
- ·16 thick slices cheddar cheese
- Get Thick slices from the deli counter, tell the deli attendant you want it about ½”-3/8”
- You can try slicing your own cheese from a block, but the deli is easier… but this is your cook, you can do what you want.
Cooking Directions
- Stick the skewers the way through your hot dogs leaving about an inch and a half at the top of each hot dog.
- Then take a piece of breadstick dough and wrap it around the hot dog until you get to the top. You want to wrap it loosely, you will leave a little gap where the hot dog is exposed. Think of it that you are striping the hot dog with the dough.
- Place the wrapped dogs on a slightly greased pan or parchment paper and bake according to the package directions for the breadstick dough. Aprox 20 minutes, but check it after 15 minutes, you want them golden brown, but not burned or crunchy, and you don’t want the hot dog to split. This can be cooked in the oven or your smoker. Though the smoker take a little longer, but the smoke adds a nice flavor profile.
- While the hot dogs are cooking take out your cheese slices. Then using a small star cookie cutter cut out your stars. You can make them into stars if you have a star cookie cutter, smaller the better. These are available on amazon and are cheap…. Or you can make round cheese cut outs and use a shot glass. I have done the shot glass method many times, works great… star is just more in the spirit of the 4th of July. Depending on how big or small your cutter is, will determine how many cut outs you get. Remember you have 16 dogs cooking, so plan accordingly.
- After your dogs have cooked and you like how they look, let them cool for about 3 minutes, this will make them eaiser to handle, and you don’t want the heat of the dog to melt the cheese design, so let it cool a little
- You can serve them on a platter or plate, or get creative and place them up right in a bowl, get creative, this is your presentation!
Red White & Blue Sweet Fruit Salad
- 1 pint fresh strawberries
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
- 1 pint fresh rasberries
- 1 Small package of Cherries
- I tub of cool whip, or canned whipcream
- Red white and Blue Sprinkles
Slice strawberries and combine in a bowl with blue berries, and raspberries. Top with a nice scoop or dollop of whipped cream and sweeten and make it more patriotic when you dust the dish with red and blue sprinkles.