Red, White & Blue Spread
July fourth this year hits a little different. I don’t know about you, but I am excited to have BBQs, all the food & drinks and fun times with family and friends. And I always love a good theme! I put together my favorite red, white & blue cocktails, as well as BBQ must haves that we enjoy over the holiday weekend.
The fourth of July is a fun time to make everything red, white and blue. Cute American flag and star spangled clothes are obviously a must have, and I also love to make patriotic ice cubes. In ice cube trays, freeze red and blue fruit in water in one and cranberry juice (or any red juice honestly) in the other. Arrange these together in a glass for a little something extra for your drink of choice.
Drinks
Red, White & Blue Spritzer: Add strawberries and blueberries to a vodka club or a white wine spritzer!
Fireworks Champagne: Add pop rocks (preferably the cherry) to a glass of champagne. Listen to the snap, crackle, pop for your own personal fireworks show.
Patriotic Loopy: Put a bomb pop in a glass of prosecco for a patriotic twist on a loopy.
Purple Independence: Equal parts vodka, cranberry juice, sour mix and blue curacao. Shake and pour over ice.
Uncle Sam Spritz: A splash of blue curacao with sparkling water and vodka. For a nonalcoholic version, use blue food coloring in sparkling water. Top with a maraschino cherry.
Pop rocks, colored glitter, red, or blue food coloring can be added to any beverage for an Independence Day twist!
Food
Hot dogs, burgers and chicken are essential meats for the barbeque, but we can have fun with the sides! I don’t necessarily advise food coloring your food for the red, white and blue theme but the food can still be fun and colorful.
French Fries Toppings:
- Sea Salt
- Truffle Butter & Chives
- Gravy
- Garlic, Butter, & Parmesan
- Lemon & Garlic
- Paprika, Garlic Salt, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper, Parsley, Cayenne
- Old Bay
For crispy fries, bake in oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes and broil for 7 minutes or put in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Make sure you flip the fries at lease once while cooking.
Corn Salsa:
What You’ll Need:
- Corn Kernels
- Peppers (Whatever you choose, I use red peppers & jalapenos)
- Black Beans
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Cilantro
- Limes
- Cumin
Heat a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Add corn kernels and cook until browned. Fresh corn ears are best but you can use canned, or frozen as well. Add cumin to taste to the kernels, stir for about 1 minute. Stir in chopped peppers and remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl.
Add diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro to corn mixture. Add in beans, sea salt and fresh squeezed lime juice. Toss gently to combine and serve.
Prosciutto Skewers:
What You’ll Need:
- Cantaloupe
- Basil Leaves
- Mozzarella Balls
- Prosciutto
- Balsamic
- Skewers
Cut a cantaloupe in half and scoop out seeds. Use a melon baller to scoop out balls. To begin assembling the skewers: layer cantaloupe, basil, mozzarella, prosciutto, and a second piece of cantaloupe. Once fully assembled, drizzle skewers with balsamic. Serve.
Flag Cake:
- Angel Food Cake
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Cool Whip
You can pre-make the angel food cake (there are many box mixes available), but I personally get a store bought cake. You can find store bought ones at Walmart or most bakeries. Cube the angel food cake and place it in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Layer thinly sliced fresh strawberries on top of the angel food cake. Next layer, cool whip. I use the original for aesthetic reasons, but the chocolate cool whip is delicious too! To top off the flag cake, organize the blueberries in the shape of the stripes and stars. Put the cake in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to reharden the cool whip. Serve and enjoy!
Cheers to the red, white and blue and the best barbeque!
