Super Easy Ideas for 4th of July Party Food
And if I say easy, I mean it! The kitchen is NOT my favorite place to spend time, so let’s add some fun to your 4th of July party food.
If you are tired of the same old food on this celebration, change things a bit this year, and even if you want to keep the traditional hot dogs and burgers, add some new items to create a fresh, yummy party menu.
There is no rule that the food should be one thing or another, and in my experience, Americans actually potluck and make a colorful and tasty table. Here are some new menu ideas that I hope will help you make your 4th of July fun and enjoyable for everyone, but most of all, easy on you!
Need some help coming up with fun ideas for party food? If so, there are more than a few things that you can do. Here are some great ideas.
Add more choices. Instead of just burgers and hot dogs, why not cook up other meats? You can add chicken, fish, and steaks to the menu. Yes, you can cook all of this right on your grill (with the help of a side burner in some cases) and still enjoy the grilling atmosphere that the 4th is all about.
My favorites and go-to recipes
This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law and is one of my go-to recipes. Place your chicken pieces in soy sauce and good dashes of turmeric, cover it, and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. It can go straight to the barbecue and is always a hit. This marinade makes the chicken not only super yummy but also very tender.
Another go-to recipe of mine is this amazing buttermilk-cilantro marinade for the flank (skirt) steak, which is a great meat cut, relatively inexpensive compared to ribeye or NY steak, and great for sandwiches and salads. I know you’ll love it!
Prepare your marinade at least in the morning of your party, but we usually do it overnight and let the meat sit in it to get flavorful and tender.
Here is the full recipe I use: buttermilk cilantro flank steak.
Now, here are my favorite salads – always!
Beats & Pears – this is it. My very favorite salad takes cooked beats (not canned) and pears. I season it with olive oil, and I add toasted walnuts.
Spinach & blue cheese – Dress your spinach with olive oil, cold balsamic vinegar, toasted pine nuts, and blue cheese.
It is very simple to prepare, not heavy like mayo-based salads, and everyone loves these 2 favorites of mine.
Desserts, we love desserts!
Dress up your dessert. This year I’ll bake a red velvet cake and use white cream as filling, leaving the sides showing their “stripes”. We’ll decorate with fresh strawberries and blueberries on the top.
And, because I have friends who are doing an awesome job on a diet, I’ll offer the fruits layered with whipped cream (yes, they tell me it’s the only treat they can eat!) in a tall glass.
Super simple, colorful, and easy, very easy because the goal here is for us to have fun and not to slave in the kitchen or on perfection.
I’d love to hear about your favorite recipes. Do you have a super easy one? Please, share. I love good, easy, and fresh food!
Have a fun holiday, enjoy, stay cool, and share the joy in the comment section below.
