Celebrating the Fourth of July is a great tradition, and it often revolves around food. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but after a while the same old burgers and hot dogs can get repetitive.
Sure, there's more to do than sit around and eat...but the food is the best part! Especially if you're hosting, you want to make sure everyone feels like you put in effort and thought about what you're serving.
Lucky for you, we rounded up some fun, easy recipes that will "wow" your guests and make your party a memorable one! Some are twists on the classics, while others are totally out of the box.
Strawberry Blueberry Trifle
Fruit desserts were made for summer, and this layered trifle is patriotic, fresh, and perfect for a crowd!
Red, White & Blue Salad Cups
Prepping a massive salad for a BBQ can be annoying, because you don't know the exact portions. By making individual salad cups, you can guarantee everyone has a serving! Plus, serving it in a cup means you don't have to worry about a serving mess.
Seven-Layer Salad
If you are going to serve up a big salad, layered ones are perfect! They make sure everyone gets a little bit of every topping, and also look beautiful on the table. This one has bacon, eggs, and ranch dressing...how can you go wrong?
Firecracker Jello Cups
The Fourth of July is all about celebrating America, and what better way to do that than with Jello firecracker cups? These don't have alcohol in them, but you could always change that.
Bacon-Wrapped Dill Pickle Hot Dogs
Amp up that traditional hot dog with a little bacon, a little cheese, and a great dill pickle flavor. The best part about stuffed hot dogs is that you can fill them with whatever you want!
Patriotic Slab Pie
Pie is an American classic, but if you have a bunch of people coming over you don't necessarily want to baking enough pies to feed everyone. That's the beauty of a slab pie! It takes the same amount of time, but yields way more.
Sloppy Joe Dogs
They may be messy, but man are these worth it! Who doesn't love a good Sloppy Joe? Or a juicy hot dog? There's no way to choose between them, so that's why we combined them instead!
Patriotic Jello Squares
Stained glass Jello always looks amazing, but it looks even more wonderful when it's sporting our nation's colors!
Street Corn
Corn is a staple at a lot of BBQs, but why not make it a little more exciting with different flavors? Mexican street corn, spicy corn, and Tex Mex corn are great options for your BBQ!
Carolina Hot Wings
Not enough people realize that chicken wings are just as good for a BBQ as anything else! These Carolina Hot Wings will kick up the heat and bring the flavor!
Cherry Bombs
Just don't let the kids near these ones...the vodka makes them adult-only.
No-Bake Summer Berry Icebox Cake
Who wants to turn their oven on in July? Not me! I'll follow any recipe that lets me throw the food in the freezer and get such a beautiful result.
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Mozzarella Rings
You're sure to surprise everyone when these delicious snacks come off the grill! The perfect mix of sweet and salty, you'll have everyone asking for the recipe!
Peanut Butter Bacon Burger
If these flavors aren't your style, then try stuffing your burgers with something else! A nice surprise in the middle will always have people talking.
Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad
Every BBQ needs a good potato salad, and I can tell you this one is near perfect. With the crunch of the potato chips, I can guarantee this salad won't last on the table!
BBQ Ice Cream Cake
Yes, you read that right. A BBQ ice cream cake! There's cake, ice cream, jam, and meringue...what more do you want??