4 Winning Recipes for the 4th of July

 

Celebrating Independence Day is way more fun with a group of friends or family.  So whether you are hosting a get-together yourself, or needing to bring a side dish or snack to another party, here are four easy (and yummy) foods that are great for the 4th!

Crowd-Pleasing 4th of July Recipes

Want to try something other than burgers and hot dogs?  This delicious marinade is tasty on beef, pork or poultry, and is great for grilling.   *This recipe came from my Sunday School teacher, years ago, and is a family and friend favorite.

Marinade for Beef, Pork, or Poultry

1 1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 t salt
2 T dry mustard
1 T coarse, freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 t dried parsley flakes
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in the container you will be marinating meat in.  Cut meat into cubed pieces or leave whole and bake or grill.  Marinade for 24 hours before grilling or baking, flipping meat occasionally.

4th of July Recipes 1

I used boneless pork chops, marinated them in a glass baking dish, put them on our George Foreman grill…

and here’s the finished product-YUM!

pork chop

Now that you’ve got the main dish out of the way, try this recipe for an easy side dish.   It only uses a few ingredients and is a healthier alternative to French fries. I make these ALL THE TIME, but then again, the potato is my favorite vegetable.  🙂   Anyone with me on that?

ingredients

Seriously, that’s all it takes.  You can do this.

Oven-Baked Potato Wedges

4 medium potatoes
Olive oil
Sea salt

Cut your potatoes in half, then in half again, and as many times as it takes to create potato wedges the thickness you desire.  Place wedges on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Add sea salt.  Bake at 425 for approximately 30 minutes, until golden brown and mostly crispy.  Remove from baking sheet with a spatula and serve.  Add some ketchup for dipping sauce and you’re set.  *Instead of sea salt, you could use Lawry’s seasoning salt, garlic salt, parmesan cheese, or whatever seasoning sounds good to you.

 

potato wedges

potato

wedges

Don’t those look mouthwatering?

Next, add some color (and some sweetness) to your dinner menu with this flavorful fruit salad.

Red, White & Blueberry Fruit Salad

(Inspired by a recipe found on AllRecipes.com)

1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 pint blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 bananas

Directions:  Mix the strawberries and blueberries together in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice, and toss lightly.  Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.  About 30 minutes before serving, cut the bananas into 3/4 inch thick slices, and toss with the berries.  *You can make this without the sugar and it’s plenty sweet by itself.  But it’s pretty darn tasty with the sugar, too.  The lemon juice does help keep the bananas from turning brown, so I suggest keeping that in the recipe. The sugar does help take away the tartness of the lemon juice.  Play with it and you’ll find your preference.

fruit salad

One word:  Delish.

Put those three dishes together, and your plate may look something like this, quite lovely!

Untitled design(3)

And of course, sometime during the day, you’ve GOT to eat watermelon.  It’s kind of a 4th of July rule.

Here’s an easy way to serve watermelon that keeps your fingers (mostly) free of watermelon juice!

It’s especially great for the kids at your holiday gathering…or anytime you serve watermelon, for that matter.

watermelon

Watermelon on a Stick

Watermelon

Large craft sticks

Slice your watermelon into triangle pieces.  Cut a small slit in the skin of the watermelon and insert a large craft stick. Use the craft stick as a handle and enjoy your watermelon without the mess!

 

Happy 4th, y’all!

What will YOU be eating with friends and family this holiday?

Please share below.

watermelon

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Melissa Brown
I have been a proud Okie for over 35 years and love being the wife of my hunky husband, David, and a mom to our three daughters, two in their 20’s and one in elementary school! I spend my weekdays in the Greater Oklahoma community as a non-profit executive and my evenings as a soccer mom, grocery shopper, overall family supporter/organizer, adventurer, book enthusiast, friend, and occasional Netflix binger. My first two loves are Jesus and family, with coffee and caramel also making the list, right after friends and travel, and being a part of OKCMB.

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