Whether your Fourth of July celebration is a family affair, a neighborhood gathering or a bash with friends, you’ll want to enjoy great food. You’ve already figured out decorations and maybe even a fireworks display, but what to serve? This mix-and-match menu will help you get everything planned so that your tastebuds can party with the rest of you.

Pick one or two options from each section and you’re all set.

Appetizers

• Chips and dip: Try fresh salsa, 7-Layer Dip or guacamole
• Vegetable platter

Main Courses

• Anything on the grill: Try hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken or Weight-Watcher-friendly kebabs
• Don’t forget the best ever vegetarian burgers, if you have guests of that persuasion
• Pulled pork (barbecue), especially if you’re in the south!

Side Dishes

• Pasta salad of any kind works well, but definitely try this chicken pasta salad with mint and parsley pesto
• Herb potato salad with Dijon mustard (there’s also a bonus recipe for lamb kebabs at that link!)
• Corn on the cob
• Southern tomato pie, sort of like an eggless tomato quiche.
• Broccoli salad with black olives and feta
• Baked Beans – try this recipe that has root beer extract in it!
• Get the kids involved in helping you make deviled eggs

Very Berry Summer Pie, photo courtesy of Kelly Wright, Sass & Veracity blog
http://sassandveracity.typepad.com/sass_veracity/2008/06/summer-in-a-pie.html

Desserts

• Fruit Salad: Try it in a smiling watermelon bowl!
• Watermelon
• “Patriotic” desserts, like the famous flag cake, made with white icing, strawberry “stripes” and blueberry “stars”
• Rhubarb strawberry crisp, made from local and healthy ingredients
• Very berry summer pie (pictured above): We found this recipe on Kelly Wright's Sass and Veracity blog. With a dollop of whipped cream, it’s red white and blue! Thanks Kelly, for letting us use your mouthwatering photo!
• Berry trifle, also with the colors of our flag
• Strawberry shortcake: quite simple when you use biscuit mix
• Homemade ice cream: Get everyone involved with this ice cream ball!

Drinks

• Make sure your friends and family stay hydrated with lots of water!
• Lemonade, limeade, or strawberry lemonade – the old-fashioned way
• Iced Tea
• Beer

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