This is typically the time of year when I’m pulling out red, white, and blue-filled bins of decorations and creating a Costco list for 4th of July party food to feed 50 people – but not this year. Thanks to our recent move, there will be no 2015 ATG&D 4th of July party (unless you want to come over and hang out with me in my in-laws’ basement; our temporary home), but I won’t leave you hanging! Here’s a look at some of our favorite 4th of July party food through the years.
First up is our crowd-pleasing pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. There are 3 things I love about this recipe – it tastes amazing, can be made ahead of time, and the leftovers are freezer-friendly! (On the rare occasion that you have any leftovers, that is.) This is a recipe that tastes best when it’s had plenty of time to simmer, so do yourself a favor and prep it a day or two in advance of your party. I’ve also included a tip for how to shred 10 pounds of meat in seconds, which will save you a ton of time.
One of the easiest 4th of July party food to make look patriotic is fruit, so grab a container of blueberries, your favorite juicy reds, a star-shaped cookie cutter and have some fun! This is an easy one to get the kids involved with, too. Cut slices of watermelon about 1/2″ thick and let the kids use the cookie cutters to make star shapes. Cut the remaining watermelon (what’s left after the stars are cut out) into bite-sized pieces and stir them in with the rest of your fruit salad.
Fruit skewers are another great patriotic fruit option. Simply thread some blueberries and sliced strawberries onto a skewer or lollipop stick, and serve with a side of greek yogurt drizzled with honey for healthy fruit dip.
I love setting up a s’mores bar next to the fire pit for our 4th of July parties. We have graham crackers on one tray, a variety of chocolates on another (Hershey’s milk chocolate, dark chocolate and cookies & cream, and Reese’s peanut butter cups) and marshmallows on the third. For the past few years I’ve been making homemade marshmallows which taste amazing. They are prepared as a slab and then cut into marshmallow shapes, so this is another opportunity to get star-happy with cookie cutters if you’d like.
When it’s too hot to sit around a fire pit (or for those who prefer an already assembled option) these s’mores bars have been a favorite of our guests through the years. The first year I made them was when it was so hot there was a fire/burn ban in our area so roasting s’mores around the fire pit wasn’t an option. Ever since then our guests ask for them each year!
These red, white and blue yogurt pops are refreshing, easy to make, and offer a delicious treat alternative for the kids. For these I chopped up a variety of mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries hand-picked by Kate) in our food processor and mixed them with Greek vanilla yogurt. I then poured the yogurt mix into paper Dixie cups, inserted lollipop sticks, and froze them on a tray overnight. Once they’re frozen simply rip off the paper cover and enjoy!
Want even more of a 4th of July party fix? Check out my latest post on Madison Moms Blog featuring my favorite 4th of July party ideas!
And if you missed it – here’s a look back on our 4th of July party last year:
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