July 4th is the day that Americans everywhere commemorate national independence, fly the stars and stripes from the front porch, and celebrate the height of summer with family and friends. July 4th BBQs have become a tradition all over America.
It’s outdoor entertaining so it can be as messy and casual as you can make it. The kids can play Flag Tag Relay, Grandpa can doze on the chaise under a shade tree, and everyone can enjoy a cool lemonade and delicious BBQ fare.
Start your July 4th BBQ in the afternoon, after your community July Fourth parade. Play some backyard games and then take your time cooking and serving the meal. Allow your guests to relax and enjoy the outdoors. After dark go to a community July 4th fireworks display, a community concert under the stars, or whatever July Fourth activities your town has planned.
Some of the best July Fourth Party ideas on the Web can be found at evite.com, Family Fun, and Kids Party Fun.
Burgers and Dogs
What Independence Day barbecue would be complete without hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill? They’re simple, yet they leave room for creativity with toppings and additions. Burgers and dogs are as American as Mom’s apple pie plain and simple, but add your own flair for a tasty variety.
Give your simple grill fare some gourmet pizazz with Kaiser rolls brushed with garlic butter and grilled alongside the meat. Serve hamburgers with guacamole, chipotle mayonnaise, brie and mustard, or one of the burger booster ideas at cheeseburger.net or Food Services of America’s Sandwiches: 101 Burger Builders. (My favorite is the Caesar Burger, ground beef seasoned with garlic and black pepper, on a crusty roll, accented with Caesar dressing, romaine lettuce and avocado slices.)
Serve hot dogs with a mini-buffet of toppings – sauerkraut, chili, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped raw onion, grilled mushrooms, chopped cucumber, tomato chutney and relishes.
Side Dishes
Potato salad, corn on the cob, baked beans and fruit – particularly watermelon – are the staple side dishes to a July 4th BBQ.
Looking for something out of the ordinary? Great Party Recipes has a scrumptious Gourmet Potato Salad with bacon, cilantro, bleu cheese and black olives. For more varieties of potato salad, check out AllRecipes Potato Salad page.
Try LesTout’s own Chef Michael’s recipe for Super Summer Coleslaw. It’s low in fat and high in flavor.
Corn on the cob has got to be the easiest vegetable to serve at a barbecue. Peel it, clean it and pop it in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes and you’ve got everybody’s favorite summer veggie. For a change of pace, try grilling your corn: Boil the cleaned cobs for 5-10 minutes and then brush lightly with butter and lay directly on the grill grates. What’s Cooking America has instructions for grilling corn in the husks, which is really delicious.
Cutting up a watermelon and passing out wedges for everyone to enjoy is part of summer fun. Messy and sticky, but fun. If you want a neater approach, cut up watermelon, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew melon and make a simple fruit salad. Fabulous Foods shows instructions for making a basket out of a whole watermelon for the perfect serving dish for a fruit salad. Be sure to note the comment at the end about the benefit of putting drainage holes at the bottom of the basket, to avoid soggy fruit.
Baked beans come in so many different varieties. I prefer thicker baked bean casseroles as opposed to soupy beans, if only because they’re easier to eat and they don’t run into other foods on the plate. My favorite baked bean recipes have several different kinds of beans in them and bacon.
Here’s a popular baked bean recipe that is a meat lover’s favorite:
Barbecue Bean Bake
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 onion, chopped
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons mustard
- 4 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 2 16-ounce cans dark, red kidney beans
- 2 16-ounce cans pork and beans
- 2 16-ounce cans butter beans
Brown ground beef, bacon and onion together. Drain excess fat well. Combine and add all other ingredients except the beans. Stir well. Add beans and combine thoroughly. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
All American Desserts for a July 4th BBQ
Brownies, strawberry shortcake, apple pie, red-white-and-blue Jell-O desserts – there are so many classic desserts for a barbecue.
An ice cream sundae bar is a great idea for a July 4th BBQ. Find a shady spot and set the ice cream carton in a big metal bowl full of ice cubes and tell your guests to build their own ice cream sundaes. Set out toppings such as hot fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce, sprinkles, maraschino cherries, chopped up candy bars and whipped cream.
Try a patriotic Jell-O cheesecake or, using strawberries and blueberries, make an American flag design on any white frosted sheet cake.
