Hey Amy!

With the big BBQ holiday of the year a week a way, I thought I would share with you my menu for the Fourth of July extravaganza I hosted last year.  I had 50 people over for a backyard BBQ, swimming and a day of general good times.  The menu required a bit of planning on my part so I was certain everything was fresh as well as ready for the big day.  The event began at 2P with the meal at 4P.  I did have some light snacks for everyone during that two hour window prior to the meal.  I have shared these recipes based on feeding 6–8 people per recipe.  I made multiples of each of these recipes to have plenty of food for my guests.  Without further adieu, here is the menu with recipes.

Snacks for arrivals:

Chips & Mango Salsa
Vegetable Bars
Spinach Cups

Meal:

Deviled Eggs
Baked Beans
Pasta Salad
Mac ‘n Cheese
Corn & Bean Salad
Hot Dogs
Hamburgers
BBQ Chicken Breasts
Watermelon
Fire Cracker Cupcakes
Fruit & Dip
Condiments

Beer
Water
Soda
Sangria
Lemonade

Mango Salsa:
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste)
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with chips.

Vegetable Bars:
2 pkg. crescent rolls
2-8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese (can use low-fat, but don’t use NO FAT)
1 c. mayo or Miracle Whip
1 pkg. Ranch Mix (Hidden Valley)
3/4 c. broccoli, raw & finely chopped
3/4 c. shredded carrots, raw
3/4 c. cauliflower, raw & finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Unroll crescent rolls and spread over cookie sheet like pizza dough. Bake 8 – 10 minutes.  Cool.  Mix cream cheese, mayo and dressing mix and spread over cooled crust.  Top with veggies.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  Cut into squares and serve.

Spinach Cups:
fresh spinach leaves
1 8 oz. cream cheese
halved pecans

Wash and dry the spinach leaves. Put a coin-sized piece of cream cheese on each spinach leaf and add one of two pecans, depending on the size of the leaf. Roll each leaf.  Serve.

Deviled Eggs
1 dozen hard boiled eggs, peeled
2 Tbsp. Miracle Whip
1 tsp. prepared mustard (honey mustard makes this sweet)
paprika, minced garlic, mint or your choice of garnish

Cut eggs carefully in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the hard yolk and put yolks in a bowl.  Place egg whites in the egg serving dish.  With a fork, smash the yolks until they are paste like.  Add whip and mustard and mix well.  Once well blended, scoop into empty egg whites, creating a mound.  Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, touch of garlic, sprig of mint or your garnish of choice.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pasta Salad
3/4 lb. fusilli or other corkscrew pasta
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cc chopped plum tomatoes
1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Additional chopped fresh mint

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain again.
Combine 1/4 cup mint, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and lemon peel in large bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Add pasta, tomatoes, garbanzo beans and feta cheese. Toss to blend well. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. I prepare this ahead by one day and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Mac ‘n Cheese
2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1-3/4 c. milk
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 c. (8 ounces) grated Sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook macaroni in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish.  In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook and stir for one minute. Gradually stir in milk. Add sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and mustard. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce bubbles and thickens. Stir in half of the Cheddar cheese until melted.  Toss macaroni with remaining Cheddar cheese. Pour sauce over macaroni and mix thoroughly.  Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until bubbly and brown.

Corn & Bean Salad
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
1 1/2 c. frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled)
1/2 c. chopped green onions or shallots
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeno pepper, minced (not seeded)
3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1/2 c. fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 c. fresh chopped basil
2 Tbsp. lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 to 1 tsp. sugar (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Make sure to rinse and drain the beans very well, if you are using canned beans.  In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.) Chill before serving.  This should not be made the day before.  Best to make it the morning of the event.

Firecracker Cupcakes
1 1/2 c. coconut, divided
4 drops  each: blue and red food colorings
24 yellow cupcakes
2 c. thawed Cool Whip
24 red string licorice pieces (cut into 4 inch pieces)

First prepare cupcakes according to your favorite yellow cupcake recipe.  Allow to cool.  Place 1/2 c. of the coconut in each of two separate resealable plastic bags; set remaining 1/2 c. coconut aside. Add blue food coloring to coconut in one bag and red food coloring to coconut in second bag. Seal bags; shake until coconut is evenly tinted.  Spread cupcakes with whipped topping.  Sprinkle with red, white, and blue coconut according to your tastes.  I think the colorful ones are better than white but you do the mix as you see fit.  Press coconut gently into whipped topping to secure.  Insert a licorice piece into top of each cupcake for the fuse.  Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.  I make the cupcakes the day before and then frost them the morning of the event.

Fruit & Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. honey
4 – 5 tsp. sugar

Blend all ingredients thoroughly. Place dip in 1/2 shell of pineapple, cut and scooped out.  Place shell in center of platter surrounded by chunks of fresh pineapple, fresh cherries, grapes and melons.  Garnish with mint.

I serve the sangria and lemonade in these.  I also have several jugs full of each waiting in the house for replenishment.  Don’t forget the various condiments needed for the burgers, chicken and hot dogs.  Always keep the perishable items in a bed of ice.  The sodas, water, and beer can be tossed into a bin of ice for your guests to serve themselves.

I use plastic red trays for the guests to eat from, the kind you used in the grade school cafeteria.  It makes a lovely presentation, it is sturdy (no disasters with a flimsy plate) and there is less waste at the end of the night.  Of course the red, white and blue is everywhere.  I have buckets of sand with themed pinwheels sitting around.  Red, white & blue candles floating in the pool.  Remember that you do not have to go overboard with decor.  The simplest of items can make a big impact if there are enough of them.  Red & blue tablecloths with white napkins set the table.

Your burgers will be special if you buy bulk meat (ground beef, turkey or chicken) and make your own burgers.  I use liquid smoke, garlic, salt, pepper, Worchestershire sauce, Old Bay and other spices to make the most flavorful burgers.  A few minutes in your kitchen creating special burgers will treat your guests to a wonderful meal.

Show your independence from store bought dishes and get in the kitchen this week.  Let me know what recipes you tried and which you enjoyed.

xo–me

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