This is the time of year to celebrate our country’s independence and our loved ones that fight for our freedom every single day. Whether this will be your first Fourth of July party that you will be throwing or the 40th below are some tips and tricks to have an awesome and relaxing Fourth of July party.
Keep it simple! No one will complain about a backyard barbeque. Below will be a mix of appetizers, sides, and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
Below are five crowd favorite appetizers and sides to accompany your hot dogs and burgers:
1: A simple and light salad for any crowd
- 6 cups romaine lettuce
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 whole cut avocado
- 1 cup Parmesan
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 chicken breast, baked and cut into 1/4in. pieces
- 8 oz. Caesar dressing
- Mix all together with dressing and serve.
2: Bacon Green Beans
- 1 lb. green beans halved
- 2 cups cooked bacon cut into ¼ in. cubes
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 tbsp. butter
- ½ yellow onion thinly sliced
Place butter into a saucepan with the onion and garlic. Let brown and add green beans and cooked bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
3: Pasta Salad
This is one of my favorites things to make. It takes about 30 minutes in total to make and I can make it the night before any barbeque and it tastes great the next day.
- Two boxes tri-color Rotini pasta
- Cook the pasta all the way through. Drain. Add olive oil to the drained pasta so it does not stick together.
- Chop one green and red bell pepper into ¼in. cubes
- Chop one half red onion
- Chop 7 oz dry salami into ¼in. cubes
- 8 oz. sliced black olives
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
- 2 cup quartered tomatoes
- 8 oz. mozzarella cheese ¼in. cubes
- Mix all together with 8 oz. light Italian dressing. Serve.
4: Macaroni and Cheese.
I am in love with macaroni and cheese, the cheesier the better in my opinion. To be honest the better the cheeses the more expensive. So this could be the most expensive of the sides, but it is soooo worth it. Also when purchasing the cheese DO NOT purchase already shredded cheese. Just buy a block and shred it.
- 1 lb. Cavatappi noodles
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- 4 cup whole milk
- 6 cup cheese of your choice.
- ½ tbsp. salt
- ½ tbsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. oregano
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
Boil pasta in salted water until cooked. Drain and pour in 1 tbsp. olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking. While the pasta is cooking melt butter in a saucepan and sprinkle in flour and whisk. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, add in salt and pepper. Slowly pour milk whisking until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat. Place noodles into a greased casserole dish. Over the top of the noodles sprinkle the shredded cheese. Pour the thickened cream sauce over the cheese and noodles. Melt the 2 tbsp. butter, oregano and panko bread crumbs together. Cook until golden brown. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the macaroni and cheese. Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
5: 7-Layer Dip
So I will admit this is not my favorite of all appetizers, but it was always a huge hit at any family function. In a casserole dish:
- Layer refried beans
- Layer sour cream
- Layer Guacamole
- Layer salsa
- A layer of Mexican shredded cheese mixTomatoes cut in half and sliced olives for the top layer. If you are feeling extra festive you can arrange the tomatoes to be in rows and olives in the upper left corner to replicate our flag.
Of course, some chips and dip are always a crowd pleaser, this could be a great item to ask guests to bring (along with any alcohol) to help keep the cost reasonable.
Since I am a California girl I do have to suggest trying some tri-tip for your barbeque. If you have never heard of tri-tip it’s incredibly normal, it’s mainly a California barbeque meat. Baking or grilling tri-tip with a basic marinade will be a big crowd pleaser for any party. It takes about 30-45 minutes to cook and can be found at almost any base. A simple dry rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes is my hands down favorite when I am rushed for time.
Top 4 alcoholic drinks (besides beer)
1: Red, white and blue jelly shots
- 1 berry blue Jell-O packet
- 6 oz. vodka
- 1 plain gelatin packet
- 3 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 2 ½ oz. raspberry vodka
- 1 strawberry Jell-O packet
- 6 oz. vodka
- Boiling water
- Cooking Spray
- Heat six oz. water to boiling, pour in a bowl with blue Jell-O and whisk until dissolved. Stir in blueberry vodka. Pour into a casserole dish (8×8, 9×9, or 13×9). Refrigerate until solid.
- Repeat previous steps, but with plain gelatin, condensed milk and raspberry vodka. Pour over the solid first layer and place it back in the fridge.
- Repeat one last time with the strawberry Jell-O and plain vodka. Pour over solid white layer and place back in the fridge until solid. When Jell-O is completely set, run a knife around the edges of the Jell-O and turn over onto a large sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray. If the Jell-O is not separating you can place the bottom of the pan under hot water to help separate from the pan. From the sheet pan, you can either cut the Jell-O into any shapes. Serve.
2: Red, White, and Blue Sangria
- 1 bottle white wine
- 1 ½ can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed.
- ½ cup vodka
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 2 granny apples (if feeling extra festive cut apples into thin slices and cut slices with a star-shaped cookie cutter)
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup blueberries
- Pour all ingredients into a 3qt. pitcher and stir. Let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hrs. Serve over ice. Add a few pieces of fruit in each glass.
3: Star Spangled Sparkler
- 2 cups watermelon stars
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 bottle chilled dry white wine
- 1 litter chilled Sprite
- Pour all ingredients into a 3 qt. pitcher and stir. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour. Serve with a few pieces of fruit in each glass.
4: Spiked Arnold Palmer
- 4 cups of water
- 10 black tea bags –
- 1 oz. mint leaves
- ½ cup of sugar
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 1 cup bourbon
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags and mint. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and mints. Stir in sugar until melted. Pour the tea into drink dispenser and stir in cold water, thawed lemonade concentrate and bourbon.
- Serve over ice.
Top 3 non-alcoholic drinks (besides soda)
1: Patriotic Punch
- Fill the cup halfway with ice
- Filled 1/3 cup with cranberry juice
- Fill 1/3 cup with Sobe Pina Colada
- Fill remainder of the cup with blue Gatorade
- (Always fill the bottom of the cup with the beverage that has the highest sugar content)
- Serve.
2: Classic Arnold Palmer
- 4 cups of water
- 10 black tea bags –
- 1 oz. mint leaves
- ½ cup of sugar
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags and mint. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and mints. Stir in sugar until melted. Pour the tea into drink dispenser and stir in cold water and thawed lemonade concentrate. Serve over ice.
3: Sonic’s Cherry Limeade – Ingredients per drink
- Maraschino Cherries
- 2 tbsp syrup
- 2 cherries per drink
- 1 can Sprite
- Lime wedges cut in ½
- 1 per drink
- Serve over ice.