Next week the calendar shows the official first day of summer is June 20th. Yeah! Even if your weather doesn’t feel like summer yet, let’s fire up the grill, whip up some favorite potluck sides, and make red, white, and blue dishes. If like me you’ve had both vacinations, you can safely have vacinated friends over to enjoy the summer. Obviously Independence Day isn’t always going to fall on a weekend. Luckily, this year July 4th is a Sunday. Live outside the US and don’t celebrate the 4th? Not a problem – let’s talk summer cook-outs. Now what are you eating?
Here are a few of my favorites recipes for the 4th of July and other summer get-to-gethers:
Salads
Last year I did a great round-up of 12 Summer Salads For Hot Days. I included many of my favorite salads. Crispy Cabbage Waldorf Salad, Green Bean and Potato Salad, Easy Watermelon Feta Salad, Cantalope Tomato Summer Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad, and Strawberry-Cashew Salad with Green Beans are a few of my favorites.
Besides those great dishes, I must add my new Peach Cole Slaw, Savory Salad With Grilled Asparagus, and Mexican Bean Salad to the list. They have great taste and are great dishes for a cook-out.
Summer Sides
Mexican Corn on the Cob is the perfect side dish for a hot summer day. The key to the taste is the topping on the fresh buttered grilled corn. It’s a mix of chili mayo, cilantro, lime, and cotija cheese. You can grill the corn with the husk on or off, and adapt the toppings to fit your taste buds. It’s really an easy side dish.
Another easy summer vegetable dish is Grilled Italian Basil Eggplant. It is perfect in its simplicity. Brush eggplant rounds with olive oil, grill, and brush again with an olive oil and minced garlic mixture. Serve topped with chopped the fresh herbs, basil and parsley. It’s very easy and delicious.
Photo Comfort Spring
Grilled Watermelon With Feta & Mint
One of the prime pleasures of summer is ripe, juicy watermelon. Watermelon is not only delicious but also very nutritious. As I wrote several summers ago, (Watermelon’s Great Health Benefits), this red fruit is filled with antioxidants, lycopene, vitamins, and minerals. As a matter of fact, ripe watermelon has more lycopene than tomatoes. It is low in sodium, calories and fat. What could be better than healthy food that has great taste? Many of us grill veggies and fruits to bring out flavor and add a new dimension to its taste. This is a fabulous recipe for your holiday meal.
Photo Comfort Spring
Spicy Watermelon Salsa is great with chips or as a topping for your grilled chicken or fish.
Photo Comfort Spring
Roasted Summer Squash & Tomatoes
Here’s a tasty dish that goes great with grilled chicken or fish, or toss it with some cooked pasta for a meatless entrée. Use zucchini or yellow squash with heirloom tomatoes but even grape or cherry tomatoes work well too.
Photo Comfort Spring
Main Dish
Most folks want the traditional grilled hamburger and/or hot dogs. Here are a few ideas if you need a change.
Country Living has a new spin on the grilled hamburger: Worcestershire-Glazed Burgers
The whole neighborhood will be stopping by for one of these juicy burgers.
Photo Country Living
Delish offers the Best Turkey Burger Recipe. This easy recipe hits all of the key points and satisfies our craving without the guilt of red meat.
Photo Delish
For your vegetarian friends, try Skinny Taste‘s marinated grilled portobello mushroom burger. The marinade adds so much flavor even a meat lover will enjoy it.
Photo Skinny Taste
Several years ago I shared eggplant “sandwiches”. They make a great side or meatless entree. They can be assembled with two pieces of thick sliced eggplant, tomato slice and mozzarella, held together with a toothpick, brushed with olive oil, and wrapped in aluminum foil before placing on grill or in the oven on a cookie sheet. That is both good and simple.
Photo Comfort Spring
Love pork? Inspired by Charm has great Pulled Pork Sliders. The tasty sliders are topped with homemade colesalw. Yum!
Photo Inspired by Charm
Another pork favorite is Spicy Lime Grilled Pork Chops. The spicy, lime marinade is the secret to these incredibly delicious pork chops. You can adjust the heat by the choice and amount of hot sauce used.
Photo Comfort Spring
For those of you who love hot spicy dishes, it’s hard to beat Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. You can adjust the heat for your taste buds. Jerk chicken can be grilled or baked in the oven.
Photo Comfort Spring
Grilled Chicken Tacos are fast and delicious without heating up the kitchen. They’re perfect any time of the year but especially in the heat of the summer.
Red, White & Blue
If you love to add red, white, and blue dishes for the 4th, there is quite a range of ideas available online. I personally love fresh fruit and whipped cream and used berries and cream for 4th of July Fruit Platter
Photo Comfort Spring
Suburban Simplicity offers Patriotic Oreos. Aren’t they adorable?
Photo Suburban Simplicity
The Food Network created a beautiful Flag Cake.
Photo Food Network
Tasty has Star Spangled Fruit Skewers for the 4th.
Photo Tasty
You can make any treat more festive with simple sprinkles like This Vivacious Life did with these classic Rice Krispies. They are gluten-free too which makes them a great option for your celebration.
Photo This Vivacious Life
Cake and fruit in a jar makes a great dessert for the 4th. Jello and raspberries give the cake its red color and great taste. Add cream and blueberry sauce in layers in your easy-to-hold jar and you have the perfect cookout cake. Get all the details at Woman’s Day.
Photo Woman’s Day
In conclusion….
The 4th of July is great day to celebrate our country and enjoy great food with family and friends. I hope I inspired you to expand your menu this year. Happy Independence Day!
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Wow! Love your food photos and suggestion for 4th July. I just had lunch and dessert and yet I am drooling over the colourful and delicious food photos. The weather is hot here but I can hear the rumbling of thunder, hope it will rain to cool down the heat.
sounds like Florida type weather – I could use some rain too
That’s not fair. How can I pick one of those when they all look and sound so good. Maybe the bean salad or the grilled and marinated lime pork? Yummy all.
try them one at a time – or you’ll go mad stuffing yourself – well at least I did
….lots of goodness from the garden.
Oh my, oh my all of these scrumptious dishes Carol. I’ll be making some of them on July 1st, that Canada’s birthday and I just keep on eating throughout the 4th. It will be a big party.
Cruisin Paul
sounds like the perfect way to celebrate your country – take some photos and share on your blog – I’d love to see your feast.
A marvelous selection of dishes Carol. Thank you very much!
thanks as always for your comments – have a great day!
I don’t celebrate 4th July but would be tempted to try some of these recipes anyway! #MMBC
We need more salad in our lives, I really need to check your salad recipes out more closely. I like the idea of a mushroom burger too. As a Brit we don’t celebrate 4th of July but we used to as it was my younger brother’s birthday. When he was young my Mom would choose an American theme for his birthday parties.
the recipes are great for any summer cookout
They all look so delicious, thanks for sharing the links for the recipes too!
thanks Martha – hope you have a great week
I’m not in the United States, so don’t celebrate the 4th of July. However, some of these recipes sound really delicious! As a side note, July 4th this year is on a Sunday, not Saturday. #MMBC
This post is definitely a keeper, Carol. I always really hate July 4 but the food is always a plus.
I’m sitting here wondering why you hate the 4th; probably you associate it with a bad memory. Not to worry all the food is good any day this ummer.
This is one fabulous 4th of July recipe roundup. It’s so much easier to splurge guilt-free with so many deliciously healthy options to choose from!
thanks Heidi – have a great week
SO many delicious recipes suggestions! I love all sorts of summer side dishes and salads and have been trying to branch out a bit this year. I just made an asparagus and strawberry balsamic salad this past week.
oh yes asparagus and strawberries are a devine combination
What great suggestions. All the food looks and sounds amazing. x
What a wonderful selection of recipes for any celebration, Carol! Our patriotic holidays are such an important part of our communities. Thank you for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party Community. I’m featuring this post at the party this week. It goes live Sunday and I hope to ‘see’ you there! Take care, stay well, and I wish you a wonderful weekend!
thanks so much for the feature April – I’m so happy you liked the post. See you at the party!
I think of all the summer holidays we celebrate my favorite is the 4th of July because of meaning and right now when patriotism is so important. You have a great group of recipes to be enjoyed at any summer event. Thank you for sharing your recipes and ideas on Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday, be sure to stop by and share again this week!
thanks Karren – have a great Sunday!