A Red, White and Blue Fourth of July Feast

The Fourth of July is coming up quickly, in all its fireworks-spectacular glory. We don’t have any Fourth of July traditions, really. We usually try to catch sight of some fireworks from our windows, which is a challenge. Now that Joss is a little older, I’m less worried about missing a bedtime here and there, so we’ll see what we do this year! (Find TulsaKids’ roundup of Fireworks Shows at tulsakids.com/fourth-of-july-family-fun-in-green-country.) Anyway, I decided it would be fun to make some festive Fourth of July recipes. So if you need some ideas for whipping up a tasty and adorable meal this Fourth of July, check these recipes out!

Appetizer: Flag Fruit Skewers

Okay, I didn’t need a million of these, so we didn’t end up turning them into a flag. If you want, you can arrange your fruit similarly to the patriotic caprese I made below. But if you have young kids helping you, you may just want to let them do their own thing anyway.

Ingredients:

• Bananas, sliced into thick chunks
• Strawberries, halved if needed
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Wooden Skewers

1. You probably know what to do. Just slide fruit onto the skewers! Let your kids help!

Salad: Patriotic Caprese

We made this last year, and I love some fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar, so it was definitely on the menu again. Plus, it’s so easy, Joss can practically put it together by himself.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Mozzarella
• Blueberries
• Grape Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar

1. Slice tomatoes in half. Arrange blueberries, mozzarella balls and tomatoes on a rectangular platter in a pattern that resembles an American flag.
2. Top with chopped basil, olive oil and (if desired) balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Joss really wanted me to take a picture with his golden tomatoes and olive oil, ha.

Main Course: Firecracker Sausage Rolls

Watch the video tutorial by Southern Living here

Ingredients:

• Hot Dogs (I used cheddar sausages)
• 1 Tube of Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
• 1 Tbsp. Mustard
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Additional Cheese (either string cheese or marbled cheese)
• 2 Tbsp. Melted Butter (optional, but it makes them look better than mine do!)
• Skewers

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out crescent roll dough into a cohesive rectangle. Top with mustard, spreading evenly. It won’t cover the entire surface. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. Just a couple Tablespoons worth. Slice the crescent roll dough into strips, lengthwise.
2. Stick hotdogs onto skewers. Wrap each hot dog with a strip of crescent roll dough. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, and bake for about 17 minutes. If you want, brush the crescent roll dough with melted butter before baking. This will give them a nice golden-brown color.
3. While baking, you can cut string cheese in half, if using, and pull strings so that they resemble a firecracker. Alternately, if you have a star-shaped cookie cutter, you can take a block of marbled cheese and cut stars from it. Either way, once your hot dogs are out of the oven and slightly cooled, stick your decorative cheese on top of the skewer. Ta-da!

Dessert: Red, White and Blue Mini Fruit Pizzas

I used this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, one of my go-to blogs for sweet recipes! Originally, I’d been planning to make a large fruit pizza. However, when rolling out the dough, I decided it would be easier just to make mini pizzas. 

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookie Dough:

• 1/2 c. Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 3/4 c. Sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 1/2 c. Flour
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. Corn Starch

1. Beat unsalted butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients, and mix until thoroughly combined. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the sugar cookie dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick (or a little less). Cut into circles with a round cookie cutter. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. I let mine get nice and golden brown so they were extra crispy. They’ll soften up once the topping is on.
3. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the topping (recipe below). Once the cookies are cooked. spread some cream cheese topping on each cookie, and top with fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries and raspberries).

Cream Cheese Topping:

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/4 c. Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 2 c. Powdered Sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp. Milk
• 1 tsp. Vanilla

1. Beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add powdered sugar and milk. Finally, beat in vanilla. The topping should be soft and spreadable.

Don’t Forget Drinks!

Okay, I forgot drinks. But you’ll want something fun to serve alongside the rest of your meal! How about a root beer float?! I think that might be a better bet than something red, white and blue. I’ve been Googling 4th of July drinks, and all those bright colors just make me think: Sugar. Rush. Not that a root beer float isn’t, but…I don’t know. Do you have a favorite 4th of July beverage? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed these Fourth of July recipes and that you all have a safe, happy – and tasty – Fourth of July!

Find more Fourth of July recipes at tulsakids.com/red-white-and-blue-treats-for-the-fourth-of-july

This article was originally published to Tara Rittler’s Spaghetti on the Wall blog in 2020. It has since been updated.