Fourth of July Party Ideas for Kids: Menus and Recipes

Fourth of July Menus and recipes. Of course nothing is more All-American than hot dogs and hamburgers but there are other ideas that will be popular with the kids and adults. Barbeque chicken, ribs, chili, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese with tomato soup, corn on the cob, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, French fries, watermelon etc. More ideas below>

Here are a few ideas to jazz up store bought food. Add chopped dill, crumbled blue cheese, or crumbled bacon to potato salad. Brush melted orange marmalade on warm barbeque chicken. Mix equal parts honey, lime juice and mustard for a chicken dipping sauce. Use bread crumbs and parmesan cheese as a topping for macaroni and cheese. Cut the grilled cheese sandwiches into star shapes. Add brown sugar and chopped scallions to baked beans. Add half a can of drained crushed pineapple to coleslaw.

Red, white, and blue sides, drinks and desserts

Sides: Fruit Flag Salad
2 cans (8oz each) pineapple tidbits
2 medium bananas, sliced
3 pints fresh strawberries
3 containers 16ox each fat free lemon burst yogurt or vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping
3 tablespoon powdered sugar
4 cups cubed cantaloupe, well drained
1 1/2 pints blue berries
2 cups miniature marshmallows (optional)

Drain pineapple, pat dry with paper towel. Reserve 20 strawberries for flag stripes: cut remaining strawberries into quarters. In a 13x9 inch baking dish layer cantaloupe, strawberries and the blueberries reserving 50 blue berries for the flag stars. Top with bananas, pineapple and marshmallows. Mix yogurt, whipped topping and powdered sugar until well blended then spread the mixture evenly over fruit. Cut reserved strawberries into quarters. Put reserved blueberries in upper left corner to resemble stars of flag. The arrange strawberries in rows to resemble stripes of flag.

Red, white and blue fruit cups

In a clear sundae glass layer strawberries (red), marshmallows, vanilla ice cream, vanilla yogurt or cool whip (white) and blue berries (blue)

Drinks

Tangy red and blue punch

Frozen blue berries to use as "ice cubes"
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup lemonade concentrate
1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice
1 package (20 ounce) unsweetened frozen whole strawberries, thawed
2 large ripe bananas
2 liters of chilled ginger ale

In a large container combine pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate, 1/2 cup water and sugar.

Put 1/2 cup water, bananas and strawberries in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Stir into the juice mixture. Refrigerate. Just before serving add ginger ale.

Place frozen blue berries into a cup and add punch (makes about 5 quarts)

Red soda

1 cup sugar
1 envelope unsweetened raspberry-flavored soft drink mix
1/2 cup water
1 (28 ounce) bottle carbonated water chilled.
1 quart vanilla ice cream

Mix sugar, soft drink mix and water in a large pitcher. Chill. At serving time stir in chilled carbonated water into soft drink mixture.

Scoop ice cream into 10 glasses and pour carbonated soft drink mixture over ice cream. (makes 10 (6 ounce) servings. The obvious red, white and blue drink. Pepsi, Coke or any red, white, and blue or any combo colored soda

Desserts

Red and white berry pie
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoon shortening
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 chocolate crumb pie crust
1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread over bottom of pie crust. Top with raspberries and then whipped topping. Refrigerate until serving.

Berry blue or any flavor red star cut out jello jigglers

Sugar star cookies Cut out star shapes from your favorite sugar cookie recipe. Then add red, white or blue icing or frosting.

Flag Cake

Use your favorite cake recipe and bake in a 13 x 9 inch pan. Frost with your favorite white frosting. Picture your cake as a flag and place fresh blue berries in a square in the upper left corner then arrange slice strawberries in stripes to resemble an American Flag.

When making 4th of July desserts any color combination of red, white and blue is the key. You can make any type of cake, cookie, pie, frozen treat etc. Most of us have a recipe that has visually has that color combination.

Appetizers and snacks

cottage cheese and parmesan filled cherry tomatoes

Cut off the tops of the cherry tomatoes and discard. Using a small spoon scoop out the inside of the tomatoes and discard. turn the cherry tomatoes shells upside down over a paper towel to drain.

Mix 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese with 1/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese. Fill each tomatoes to the brim with the cheese mixture. You may have to press the filled tomatoes gently against a plate to flatten the bottom so it doesn't roll.

Independence Day Veggies and Dip

Dip: Put a jar of roasted red (not hot peppers) peppers in the blender with a cup of sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. If you don't think your kids will like red peppers substitute fresh tomatoes that have had the skins and seeds removed.

Surround the dip with red and white vegetables such as peeled cucumber slices, wedges of radicchio, cherry tomatoes, cooked baby beets, red pepper slices, peeled summer squash, Jicama slices, inner stalks of celery that are almost white, cauliflower.

Fourth of July Beet Salad Mix two cans of sliced beets and their liquid with 1/2 cup of cider vinegar, thinly sliced onions and thinly sliced cucumbers

Red, white and blue potato salad Cook 2 pounds of small red potatoes until fork tender. Cut in quarters and mix with 1/2 cup crumbled bacon, 1/2 cup chopped red onions, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup to a cup of mayonnaise, and 1/2 cup blue cheese.