4 Must-Try Recipes for July 4th

Celebrate the 4th of July with these 4 must try recipes! Whether you are having a party or just a small get together, we have something for everyone.

Fire up the grill for a true red, white and blue celebration.

Everyone loves the Fourth of July. Not only do we, as a country, celebrate our independence, we get together with family, friends and food. Since food is such a big part of things, why not build a menu that is sure to please your guests? We’ve taken a moment to cobble together some of our favorite, easy-to-make beverages, entrées, sides and desserts.

1. Sauerkraut Hot Dogs

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound) package sauerkraut, with juices
• 2 pounds natural-casing all-beef hot dogs
• Buns and brown mustard, for serving

Directions:

Step One
Place sauerkraut and juices in a 10-inch square disposable aluminum pan. Nestle your hot dogs into sauerkraut so they absorb maximum flavor.

Step Two
Place tray on the grill and cook until simmering. Next, move your tray to a cooler side of you grill, not over direct heat.

Step Three
Cover grill, with vents over sausages. Cook with all vents open until hot dogs are heated through, about 10 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Step Four
Remove lid. Using tongs, remove hot dogs from sauerkraut and place directly on cooking grate over hot side of grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until well browned and crisp, about 3 minutes total. Return to sauerkraut.

Step Five
Toast buns over hot side of grill, if desired. Serve hot dogs with buns, mustard, sauerkraut or any additional garnish you feel will complete your dogs. Feel free to add a personal touch and make the dogs your own.

2. Barbecue Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup finely chopped smoked pork
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

Step One
Place eggs in a large saucepan; add 3 inches of water, cover and bring to a boil. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Step Two
Drain and fill pan with ice cold water. Tap each egg on the counter until cracks form over the shell. Peel under running water.

Step Three
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks with ¼ cup of mayonnaise. Stir with 1/3 cup of finely chopped smoked pork, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 1/8 teaspoon of hot sauce.

Step Four
Spoon yolk mixture into egg white halves and refrigerate until serving.

3. Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients

• 24 + large fresh strawberries
• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, room temperature or softened slightly
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

Step One
Cut the stems from the strawberries, so the strawberries can sit cut-side down. Next, cut a deep "X" from the tip down, being careful not to cut all the way through.

Step Two
Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl with a hand mixer until nice and fluffy.

Step Three
Open up each strawberry and pipe the filling inside using a pastry bag or zip-top bag with a star piping tip. If you don't have a pastry bag or piping tip, simply cut the corner off of a zip-top bag.

Step Four
Top each filled strawberry with a blueberry. These are best served after the strawberries have been chilled for at least an hour.

4. Blackberry Limeade

Ingredients 

• 6 cups water, divided
• 3 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
• 8 thin lime slices

Directions

Step One
Place 1 cup of water and 3 cups of blackberries in a blender and process until smooth. Press your blackberry puree through a sieve into a large pitcher and be sure to discard seeds.

Step Two
Add 5 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar, and juice to the pitcher; stir until dissolved.

Step Three
Place thin lime slices into 8 glasses and serve 1 cup of limeade over each serving.