The Fourth of July is coming in hot! Are you ready?
If you feel unprepared, don't you worry -- you still have plenty of time to get everything in order for your festivities. If you're hosting a party or attending a potluck, it's a great idea to do your shopping and food prep by the end of the weekend to avoid any stress.
Any of these snacks go stupendously well with a nice cold beer, a pool party and fireworks. And they're so easy to make that you can easily whip up a number of them right before your barbecue if you decide to ignore my advice and put off your cooking until the last minute.
1. Fried Chicken Biscuits
What's more American than crunchy fried chicken smothered in honey butter and wedged between two slices of a biscuit? Not much. Note: Feel free to use canned biscuit dough, if you want to save time. If you're running really late, you can also just buy fried chicken, pull the meat off the bone, chop it into bite-sized pieces and place onto the sandwich.
2. Wonder Fries
These starchy, savory bombs start as whole fingerling potatoes that are boiled for maximum tenderness before getting slightly smushed and then deep-fried. But that's not the end of it! They then get topped with green onions and miso mayonnaise to seal the deal. Want to make them a little spicier? Add a drizzle of sriracha on top or mix a little wasabi into the mayo.
3. Grilled Maple-Mustard Chicken Wings
A little sweet, a little spicy, easy to grill and perfect with beer! Need to bake them instead? Follow this recipe instead and then toss them in the maple-mustard sauce before serving.
4. Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Meatballs
You can use store bought meatballs if needed, though these fast, tender panko ones are splendid. Either way, guests will eagerly gobble up just about anything if it's served in this homemade spicy, tangy pineapple barbecue sauce.
5. Easy Flag Fruit Dessert
Work smarter, not harder. Fresh fruit is just delightful, especially when you're outdoors on a warm day, and it's so easy to make this gorgeous presentation. When you're eating tons of savory, fatty, salty barbecued stuff, you might need something to cut through it all, and this will sure do the trick. Here's how to make white chocolate yogurt covered pretzels, if you'd like to whip them up from scratch. But if you're going the homemade route, try to make them shortly before serving, as they do get stale rather quickly.
6. Spinach Dip Bites
How do you make spinach and artichoke dip even better than it already is? Simple! Add even MORE CHEESE and bake it into crescent roll cups for tasty morsels you won't be able to stop popping into your mouth.
7. Grilled Avocado Halves with Cumin-Spiced Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
This is a fabulous side to provide a little contrast with heavy grilled meat. Plus, this filling, fresh treat with an exciting mix of textures is such a good vegetarian option that the meat eaters will be scarfing them down as well.