Fourth of July Recipes

These easy Fourth of July recipes are perfect for a home barbecue to celebrate the day with friends and family.


Tater Salad

2 pounds potatoes, washed and peeled
1/2 small purple onion, sliced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pimento
2 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup ham, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream

Cut potatoes into small cubes. Boil potatoes in a saucepan for about 5 minutes (until tender but not too soft). Drain potatoes and cool.

In a large bowl, add onion, celery, pimento, parsley, ham, and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and yogurt (or sour cream) to make dressing. Pour over potato salad and gently toss.


Grilled Sausage on a Bun

6 large Italian sausages
1 large brown onion, sliced
salt and pepper
6 crusty bun rolls, halved
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chunky, mild salsa

Grill sausages on the barbecue hot plate. Grill slices onions until golden, add salt and pepper. Serve sausage on a fresh crusty bun roll. Mix sour cream and salsa together and serve as a relish.


Zesty Grilled Shrimp

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, juice reserved
1 green pepper, cut in chunks
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Thaw shrimp if frozen, rinse, and pat dry. In a bowl, mix shrimp with poppy seeds and pineapple juice to coat shrimp.

Use wooden or metal skewers and thread one shrimp, one chunk of pineapple, one chunk of green pepper, then another shrimp. Grill on the barbecue or under a broiler for about 4 minutes on each side.

Star Spangled Jello

2 packages blueberry gelatin
2 packages of any red gelatin
Cool Whip

Make gelatin according to package directions, each color separate. Pour into two separate 9X11" pans. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours. Use a star cookie cutter to cut into star shapes. Serve in individual bowls stars on top of several dollops of cool whip.


Try this cool and easy fourth of July dessert recipe - and no baking at all.

Red, White, and Blue Cheesecake

1 cup crushed Graham crackers (or digestive biscuits)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon gelatin
1/4 cup water
8 ounce package cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
8 ounces sour cream
1 cup raspberries or strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries

Grease a pie pan with butter. In a food processor, process Graham crackers to make fine crumbs. Add melted butter and combine. Press crust mixture into bottom of pie dish.

Chill in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Boil water and add gelatin. Stir and leave until cool.

In food processor, process cream cheese, sugar, and orange juice. Add sour cream and stir. Add cooled gelatin and use food processor to combine. Add half of the berries to mixture and process until well combined. Spread mixture over Graham cracker base. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Transfer cheesecake to a service platter and place remaining berries on top. Optional: stick a small flag in the middle.