Break out the fireworks – the Fourth of July is coming! Use the stars and stripes as your theme for both the decorations and the picnic fare.
Start out with “posh piggies,” a creative version of pigs-in-a-blanket where you shape the dough into stars. If your family and friends are looking for classic barbecue food, you can’t go wrong with all-American loaded burgers and root beer baked beans.
It wouldn’t be a true cookout without dessert! Create an American flag using strawberries and blueberries, or other red, white and blue desserts like Jell-o firecrackers.
Posh Piggies
Check out this fun version of pigs in a blanket. Make stars with cookie cutters out of puff pastry to place on top of sausage links for these posh piggies from the Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way blog. You can make a whole pan in just a few minutes to feed your hungry guests.
All-American Loaded Burgers
Pile on the crispy onion strips with this seasoned beef recipe for all-American loaded burgers from Taste of Home. The ground beef is mixed with Italian salad dressing, bread crumbs, chopped onion and eggs before you form them into patties. Once on the grill, the flavors meld together for a burger bursting with flavor. Pass the mustard!
Root Beer Baked Beans
The secret of these yummy sweet and savory beans is in the sauce. For a cool spin on a classic picnic favorite, try these root beer baked beans from Southern Living. Begin by crisping bacon in the skillet, then adding onions to saute in the drippings. The bacon and onions give a flavor kick to the beans – along with the root beer, smoked barbecue sauce, mustard and hot sauce. Mmm.
Lighter Potato Salad
Potato salad is a cookout essential, but it can be a bit too filling when you pair it with loaded burgers. The solution? A lighter (and healthier) potato salad!
Southern Living offers two recipes for “lightened” potato salad: Lemony potato salad, with fresh lemon juice and olive oil as a stand-in for mayonnaise, the herbed potato salad that gets its creamy texture from a blend of nonfat plain yogurt, light mayonnaise and olive oil.
Fruit Sparklers
Your kids will go wild for these adorable fruit sparklers from Scratch, and parents will love that it’s a healthy treat. Get the kids involved with the prep on this one to make it even more fun! Serve them as a sweet side, or include them in your dessert spread.
American Flag Tart
Craft a red, white and blue masterpiece with this recipe for an American flag tart from Martha Stewart. You’ll need plenty of raspberries for the red stripes – and blueberries, too. To keep the berries looking their best, glaze them with raspberry and apricot jam. For an impressive dessert to serve your family and friends, this is the recipe.
Jell-O Firecrackers
Instead of Jell-O salad, follow this firecracker recipe to make a unique treat. Start with blue Jell-O, then a milk-mixed white layer topped off with red Jell-O and a maraschino cherry. These mini Jell-O firecrackers are as cute as they are tasty.
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