Happy Independence Day, America! Let’s celebrate our freedom with the perfect July 4th lunch in our own backyards!
Whether it’s just your family of four or a large gathering with friends, we have reason to celebrate this Fourth of July! So let’s cooking!
How do You Plan for a Patriotic Meal?
First of all, you’ll want to set a theme. Setting the theme will help you decide what feel you want to create, the colors that you’ll be using in your decor, and what types of food you’ll be serving. For instance, if you’re having a patriotic celebration, you probably want to decorate with red white and blue colors. I chose this beautiful tablecloth from Ardea Home as my white and blue and then used these red apples for my pop of red. Just because it’s patriotic, doesn’t mean it has to be in your face with the bold colors.
Homemade, Semi-homemade or mostly store bought food?
As for the menu, you’ll want to keep it pretty simple. Make sure to have items you can make ahead, items guests can serve themselves, and only one or two things that need to be served hot. I’m also a huge proponent of knowing your limits when it comes to making everything yourself. Spoiler alert: you don’t have to! This fried chicken was picked up at a drive thru about 15 minutes before we were set to eat and kept warm in the oven.
What about table décor?
Less is more. The food should be the star of the show. On of my biggest pet peeves is when you’re sitting across the table from someone and can’t see them because of some huge, elaborate floral arrangement blocking your view. Keep it simple. Don’t stress yourself out. Have maybe one fun element to your table. For this patriotic brunch, I opted to put party poppers at everyone’s place setting. It was a fun, whimsical touch that definitely got everyone talking and laughing – and it was theme appropriate.
What Recipes are Good for July Fourth?
I’ll break it down here what I made for you. You already know about my fake out fried chicken, but I needed some good sides to go with it. So my “make ahead” items were this moist and delicious Hummingbird Cake and Greek Lentil Salad. I made both of them the day before – which allowed me to not be rushed or anxious while I was cooking – which is always a plus! The cake just chilled in the fridge overnight (cake stand and all) and the lentil salad was diced and prepped the day before as well. All I did was add the dressing right before serving it and toss it a bit to mix the flavors.
The grilled corn and fruit and cheese board was pieced together the day of the meal. This grilled corn recipe makes grilling super easy and the spicy butter makes the dish a little more elevated than just some plain corn on a platter.
I love having grazing boards for people because they make snacking before the meal is served easy. I started with this large stave platter from Good Timber Furnishings and got out a few fruits and cheese and extras. Give them the ingredients and the board and let them get creative! As always, someone will arrive early to help. This is such a great way to get your guests involved in the kitchen! They’ll love having a job to do and you get some help.
What do You Drink for July 4th?
If you’re here in South Texas like I am, you’re drinking something cold. Whether it’s a lemonade, iced tea, or beer – the colder the better! One tip I have is that I use fruit to help keep my drinks cold. In our lemonade, I put frozen blueberries – so that they would act as little ice cubes and then be something we could snack on when we got to the end of our drinks.
I you enjoy your holiday with those you love and enjoy your time with them. Cheers!
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