If you’re like us, you recently looked at a calendar and realized that the July 4th barbecue you were planning is coming sooner than you thought.
And now, given the other week’s responsibilities, you don’t have time to dig through your cookbooks or Google it.
To cut down on the search time, we’ve rounded up various sweet, savory, and delicious recipes to improve your Independence Day spread. And, even better, they’re all red, white, and blue dishes to keep your party patriotic and easy to make.
Check out the ideas we found most enticing to celebrate below.
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blueberry cough
Growing up, we had this every Fourth of July, Memorial Day, neighborhood party — you name it. Whatever holiday or warm-weather occasion was on the calendar, there was a blueberry cough on the table. This sweet fruit tart is delicious a la mode and perfect for summer.
With Kristen Coffield’s version calling for seven ingredients and six steps, this summer favorite is a winner every time.
And it can be made even more festive with an addition.
“You can add fresh raspberries to the topping and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar,” Coffield told USA TODAY in an email. “This makes for a festive red-white-blue presentation.”
Red, white, and blue fruit salad
Talk about easy – and a fan favorite. Who doesn’t love a fruit salad? As The Wiggles say, “yummy.”
The red, whitish, and blue color palette is easy to achieve between raspberries, strawberries, bananas, cherries, white peaches, and watermelons.
And there are ways to make your fruit salad stand out at a patriotic event, too. Two Healthy Kitchens offers tips on artfully preparing your Fourth of July fruit salad and when to do it (think star cookie cutters and how to prevent bananas from browning by adding the fruit before serving). To add).
Festive charcuterie board
Like a fruit salad, a charcuterie board requires less cooking and more assembly. And it can be done in patriotic shades.
Charcuterie boards leave room for creativity and different combinations of flavors.
Tasty Oven’s July 4-themed plate recipe combines sweet fruits — including watermelon, strawberries, and raspberries — with savory items like tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, and cheeses like mozzarella pearls and white cheddar while adding sweet treats, including mini marshmallows. and M&Ms.
That said, all signs are open to interpretation. Choose the red, white, and blue flavors you like.
Cheesecake filled strawberries
I’m drooling when I think about this one. I love cheesecake and strawberries – topped with a blueberry, what could be better? Or more patriotic?
Dessert Now Dinner Later offers an easy how-to for the no-bake dessert that looks as beautiful on a platter as it tastes — and prep time is just 15 minutes. These will please kids and adults at your party, and you can serve them as an appetizer or dessert.
Red, white, and blue flag cake
Ina Garten’s “Flag Cake” recipe is sure to add a patriotic flair to your table and is textured with blueberries, raspberries, and frosting.
A little more laborious, this cake takes 45 minutes to prepare and quite a bit of butter – 6 and quarter sticks for the cake and frosting all the way. But it serves 20-24 people, so who counts?
Garten has shared this pie for several American parties, calling it the “perfect baking project with the kids.”
cherrypie
What says Fourth of July more than a cherry pie?
There are a few ways to go about the cherry pie: one takes a lot of effort, and the other is minimal.
The first, which requires the crust to be made from scratch, as The Pioneer Woman points out in her recipe, takes more time and effort. But who can beat a homemade crust?
If you’re short on time or baking confidence, a cherry pie can be easily made with a ready-made crust. Pillsbury, the pie dough and crust maker, has a recipe on its website that includes four ingredients: the brand’s premade crusts, premixed cherry pie filling, milk, and sugar.
If gluten-free, ready-made pie shells can be found on Instacart and sometimes at Trader Joe’s.
Red, white, and blue popsicles
The 4th of July weekend is typically warm — or sweltering — making it the perfect getaway to supply your guests with popsicles.
One important thing to note is that this recipe requires popsicle sticks, molds, and a blender. Once you have those essentials, with just four ingredients to consider (strawberries, blueberries, coconut milk, and granulated sugar), it’s a snap to collect, freeze, and enjoy.
Suppose you’re not a fan of these ingredients. In that case, Cooking Therapy recommends substitutions: raspberries for strawberries, Greek yogurt to replace coconut milk, other fruits, and blue food coloring to avoid using blueberries and agave sweeteners in place of sugar.
Red, white, and blue corn tostadas
The perfect combination of salty and crunchy, Frugal Nutrition’s red, white, and blue corn tostadas are simple, easy to make, and cost-effective.
They are baked, not fried, so they are healthier and vegetarian. Assemble the stacks with blue corn tortillas, off-white beans, tomatoes or salsa, and salty cheese like queso fresco, cotija, or feta.
Frugal Nutrition estimates that the recipe, designed for six people, costs under $5, or just over 80 cents per person.
Berry vodka soda
We can’t live without libations at a party, can we?
In addition to easy-themed drinks like red and white wine, EatingWell has a recipe for a berry vodka soda made with thawed frozen berries, seltzer water, and vodka, a light and refreshing option for the fourth party.
And for those who don’t want to drink alcohol, that Berry vodka soda can be turned into sans vodka — a thawed berry soda (and if that doesn’t appeal to you, there are plenty of non-alcoholic drink options on the market right now).
Forget ‘Dry January’: non-alcoholic beer, wine, and cocktails are available all year round and are gaining popularity.
Red, white, and blue wine stars
“Light” on alcohol and heavy on party vibes, Fox and Briar’s red, white, and blue wine sparklers are meant to be used, meaning they’re easy to drink, especially on a hot day.
The cocktail, which can be made in batches for pitchers, is made with white wine, fruit, and sparkling water and can be made a day ahead, saving you an extra step for BBQ day prep.
