Fourth of July Foods

[mommytotwo]

Does anyone have any simple Fourth of July foods that they like to make instead of the basic hot dogs and hamburgers?

 

[Spinning]

I love burgers and dogs for the 4th but I have in the past done a fresh shoulder on the grill (big ham that hasn't been cooked) I use the rotisori and barbque sauce! YUM! It takes about 5 hours to cook you want to roast it very slow!

 

[mommytotwo]

Yum, can I join you for some ham Spinning?

 

[yummy72]

This year we are doing beer brats (recipe on the Johnsonville brat site) last year we did burgers and hot dogs and no one at burgers at all, so we decided to do a variety of brats, hot dogs, smoked sausage, etc...

I figure I'll have mustard, relish, onions and maybe sauerkraut and a roasted red pepper sauce for toppings.

I used to make lots of side dishes, but the last couple of years I've gone the easy route with chips and dips and brownies, rice krispie treats and cupcakes for dessert.

Also we always get the red/white/blue bombpop popsicles and I always make vodka slushes (which are a vodka/oj/lemonade treat you freeze, then pour 7up over)

Good Luck,
Candi

 

[mommytotwo]

Thank you Candi. I always see the Johnsonville commercial but have never tried it-will keep that in mind when I go to the store.

 

[piratesmate]

Yesterday we had kielbasa done on the grill. Yum!

We also do a lot of chicken on the grill in the summer. I just get the boneless breasts when they're on sale & marinate them. Because I buy them on sale & freeze them with the marinade in the bag, they're really no more work than burger & dogs.

Another idea would be to make a big batch of hamburger BBQ & have it in the crockpot for your guests. For paper-plates-in-the-lap service, we use either pita or hot dog rolls instead of hamburger rolls.

For a side, I like to make pasta salad. We'll be having blueberry shortcakes for dessert this year.

 

[mommytotwo]

Blueberry shortcakes sound yummy-could I have the recipe.

I also marinade things and put them in ziplock bags, it makes life easier when you don't have much time to prepare a meal.

 

[piratesmate]

We just use the recipe on the box of Jiffy or Bisquick, add berries & milk. I don't even bother with sugar/sweetener on blueberries. DH doesn't even notice...although he won't eat strawberries that way. Then I just sprinkle sugar over the berries, so that they're draw a syrup in about 30 min to an hour. If we're really indulgent we'll use Whipped Cream or Cool Whip, but that's not very often.

Shortcakes
2 c Jiffy Baking Mix
2 Tbl sugar (or Splenda)
3 Tbl melted shortening (I use olive oil to reduce the animal fat)
1/2 c milk

Combine ingredients into a soft dough.

At this point I just spoon out about enough to cover my palm & shape it into a round, put it on an ungreased cookie sheet & bake 8 - 10 min at 450.

The original recipe calls for you to put the dough onto a surface dusted with more mix & knead 20 time, pat or roll to 1/2" thick & cut with a 3" cutter. That's more work that I'm willing to do a couple times a week every week all summer, which is how often DH bring home fruit. We do strawberries, blueberries, peaches as they're available.

If you prefer yours with ice cream or just whipped cream, you could also use sponge cake or pound cake.

 

[abitjaded]

I normally make barbequed brisket (see my boo-boo on another thread.) Take a brisket and sear for half an hour or so on a hot grill. Transfer to a crockpot with one sliced onion and a half cup of barbeque sauce. Cook four hours on high till tender, slice and serve on nice crunchy kaiser rolls. I usually serve with pasta salad, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, sliced tomatoes and lettuce and lots of dill pickles. Home made ice cream for dessert.

Carla

 

[mommytotwo]

Shortcakes and homemade ice cream-thumbs up to both of them.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Originally posted by piratesmate
We just use the recipe on the box of Jiffy or Bisquick, . . .

We use this recipe too. I usually just spoon mine right on the cookie sheet. sometimes add vanilla or lemon or banana pudding (Imake instant) on the shortcakes before adding the berries.

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

Can you guys who marinade chicken breasts share your marinade recipes? Please! I freeze mine too but am looking for some new flavors.

We usually do hamburgers/hotdogs but this year we are cooking Jack Daniel's steaks, like the ones at TGI Friday's. Still working on the sides but the sweets are set - Brumbleberry Pie and Frozen Lemonade Pie.

Happy Fourth!

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by Tiggerkeeper
Can you guys who marinade chicken breasts share your marinade recipes? Please! I freeze mine too but am looking for some new flavors.
Happy Fourth!

I frequently marinate our chicken breasts in Maurice's mustard based bbq sauce. I don't know where you live in SC & if it is available in your area, but we really like it. There are various flavors available & I use any & all of them. A 14 year old boy in our neighborhood must smell this chicken a mile away bedcause he usually shows up when we are grilling chicken!

I also sometimes marinate chicken in a combination of whatever I have in the refrigerator - soy sauce, Italian dressing, mustards, etc.

 

[piratesmate]

Originally posted by Tiggerkeeper
Can you guys who marinade chicken breasts share your marinade recipes? Please! I freeze mine too but am looking for some new flavors.......

These are our favorites. I usually do at least 4 different ones each time - so we're always having something different. I also like to alternate with the Durban Chicken Marinade from Boma. It's a great, light meal during the summer!

Triple Citrus Chicken Breasts
6 skinless, boneless breasts
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tbl chives, chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
3 Tbl fresh lime juice
2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl honey
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Teriyaki DUMP Chicken
1 Clove Garlic -- Crushed
1/3 c Soy Sauce
2 Tbl Rice Wine (Or Sherry)
1½ Tbl Cider Vinegar
1½ Tbl Brown Sugar
1½ Tbl Minced Ginger
1½ lb Chicken Pieces

Garlic Dijon DUMP Chicken
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
4 Tbl Dijon Mustard
2 Tbl Lime Juice
1½ lb Chicken Pieces

Garlic Lime Chicken
4 chicken breast
½ c low sodium soy sauce
¼ c fresh lime juice
1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp coarsely ground pepper

Grilled Sesame Chicken
6 chicken breasts
2 Tbl sesame seeds
1 Tbl sugar
½ c soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ c water
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ c vegetable or olive oil
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
¼ c chopped white onion

{NOTE: Doubling this recipe for 6 LARGE boneless breast halves made them WAY too salty - using regular (not "low sodium") soy sauce.}

Cajun Marinade
½ c olive oil
¼ c vinegar
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp leaf oregeno
1 tsp leaf thyme
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground hot red pepper
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp black pepper

Lemon Marinade DUMP Chicken
2/3 c Lemon Juice
¼ c Cider Vinegar
¼ c Vegetable Oil
2 Tbl Minced Onion
1½ lb Chicken Pieces

Edited to add a comment to the Grilled Sesame Chicken Recipe.

 

[mommytotwo]

Originally posted by Tiggerkeeper
Can you guys who marinade chicken breasts share your marinade recipes? Please! I freeze mine too but am looking for some new flavors.


Happy Fourth!

I make a teriyaki, and miso chicken. For both of these recipes, they have an asian taste to them-(Japanese).

Teriyaki Chicken-
8-10 Chicken Breasts
3 Sliced Ginger, Grated
2 Cloves Garlic, Grated
3 Stalks Green Onion, Chopped
3 Tbsp. Sake
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp. Mirin
2 Hawaiian Chili Peppers

Miso Chicken-
8-10 Chicken Breast
2 Cloves Garlic, Grated
2 Sliced Ginger, Grated
3/4 Cup Miso
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp. Sake
1 tsp. Mirin
2 Tbsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds
3 Stalks Green Onion, Chopped

For both recipes, just mix the ingredients together and add in the chicken breasts.

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

Thanks for the marinade recipes! I try to buy chicken at least 30 pounds at a time when it is on sale and put it in the freezer. And since it is on sale here this week guess I better get busy! Thanks again for the new ideas!

 

[Kteacher]

Pulled pork in the crockpot- boneless pork ribs, sal, pepper, and a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

 

[mommytotwo]

It's time to think of some dessert ideas. I like the dessert recipes already given. Does anyone else have more?

 

[snookhams]

PIRATESMATE just wanted to tell you that I cooked the Grilled Sesame chicken today for a buffet at our church, and they were fantastic, everyone said how lovely they were, and asked where I got the recipe - that's my secret - I might share if there good and do the washing up..... We had them cold with new potatoes and salad delicious - I will try one of the others next time. Thanks

 

[piratesmate]

I'm glad you enjoyed them snookhams! They're my favorite.

I made them this weekend too & noticed something I'd better pass along. The recipe didn't specify "low sodium" soy & I didn't realize that I'd been using the regular Kikkoman in the past. This weekend I only had La Choy, which is much saltier. (I only ever used the Kikkoman for cooking & the La Choy to put on food at the table.

I don't know if that was the problem or the fact that I'd double the amount of marinde because I thought I had a lot more chicken than I did. (I only had 6 boneless halves, not 10.) Whatever the case, it was WAY too salty.

We ended up dicing it & putting it in salads to cut the saltiness.