Ideas for Fourth of July Cooking Fun

The Fourth of July is America's Independence Day. It is a special day in the minds and hearts of patriotic citizens of this country and there are many ways we celebrate that patriotism. If you are looking for a little something extra to add to your Independence Day menu try some of the ideas below. Remember that the red, white, and blue of the American flag can be excellent color additions to your fabulous fourth menu and make it definitely firework worthy!

Image via WikipediaIt is fairly safe to say that for most of the country the weather on the fourth of July is going to be a little bit on the warm side. For this reason you should prepare your menu accordingly and avoid foods that are going to melt quickly or will not look as appealing in warm weather. You should also take proper precautions for storage, and to keep things from spoiling. Store as much of the food as possible in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.

This may somewhat limit your offerings but opens the door to others. Rather than have chilled pies for dessert, choose cakes that can be stored at room temperature. But there are sure to be a few chilled recipes or dishes that are best served and/or stored chilled. Just be sure to have plenty of cold gel packs or ice on hand and plenty of ice chests and other appropriate containers handy, especially if you are going to be camping or cooking out away from home, to take care of the amount of food you are contributing that needs cold storage.

Image via WikipediaIf you are going to be camping out or enjoying the great outdoors on the fourth consider foods that can be prepared with a Dutch oven. There are many great recipes and these foods can pretty well cook for the prescribed length of time and served immediately if you plan properly. These ovens are quite useful and can prepare everything from cakes and muffins to stews, chili, and roast beef with vegetables. In other words, a Dutch oven opens doors that may not be widely available to the average camper on a cookout.

Foil packet meals are also excellent choices for your Fourth of July cookouts. These leave little mess, little fuss, and more often than not taste great. Dishes such as Hobo Stew and Creek Bank Potatoes are very popular and quite savory for the average cook out. They are also rather simple to prepare with few ingredients. This makes them an excellent choice for cooking on a grill or even in a Dutch oven if you have one at your disposal, which I highly recommend not only for Fourth of July meal preparations but also any time you are cooking in the great outdoors. You might find that you love it so much you don't want to do without it.

Another great tip when cooking away from home on the Fourth of July is to keep things simple. You do not want to lug around stacks of condiments, dishes, bowls, trays, etc. Keep things as simple as possible and try to use dishes that require few ingredients yet still taste great. The more simple things are when preparing your holiday meal, the more you can appreciate the simplicity of being in the great outdoors.

And don't forget the appeal of simple hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats as great Fourth of July meal ideas. These foods are easy to prepare, easy to clean up, and go great with lots of different side dishes. No muss, no fuss! (True, they're not always the healthiest, but it's okay to indulge once in a while - especially for a fun summer holiday!).  The less time you spend on meal preparations, the more time you have available to get around to enjoying your time in our great countryside. I can't think of many better ways to celebrate our independence as a nation than by enjoying it - and the food it produces (shop locally through a farmer's market or CSA, and support your local community at the same time).

Fourth of July Cooking Resources: