Don’t show up to a cookout empty handed. Try one of these yummy cookout recipes to wow everyone at the Fourth of July celebration.
Barbecue Bacon and Chicken Bites
Serves 20-30
Ingredients:
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 oz. (half pound) bacon, cut into thirds
- ½-1 cup BBQ sauce (we love Sweet Baby Rays)
- Toothpicks
Directions:
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Wrap each piece of cubed chicken with a small strip of bacon. Secure with a toothpick and place on your baking sheet. Brush with desired amount of BBQ sauce.
- Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove from oven and add more BBQ as desired.
- Serve warm.
Smokey Barbecue Ribs
Serves 4, Total Time: 2 hr 30 min
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ribs
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 c. 7-Up
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. honey
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 c. barbecue sauce
- 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut ribs and put on rack in large shallow pan. Spread minced garlic over ribs. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
- In the meantime combine the remaining ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Remove meat from oven and place in a clean pan. Pour sauce over meat. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, brushing occasionally with sauce.
Fully Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Ingredients:
- One 5 pound bag medium Russet Potatoes
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 package of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 small onion, chopped
- Chives, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Wash the potatoes and poke holes in them with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until fork tender.
2. Cool and cut the potatoes into bite sized chunks. Leave the skin on! It tastes better that way plus there are more nutrients left and it looks prettier. I put them in a separate bowl and once they cooled enough I put them in the fridge to cool all the way. This gives them an excellent texture and prevents the dairy ingredients from getting hot or the cheese from melting. If you are serving this salad hot then you don’t need to cool the potatoes, just skip that step!
3. Mix the mayo and sour cream together in a bowl. Add to the potatoes, then add the onions, chives, bacon, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste – I use a pepper grinder and a sea salt grinder for EVERYTHING so I never know exactly how much of either I put in. I think the taste is far superior to just using regular table salt and pepper.
4. Top with extra shredded cheese, bacon, and chives, and serve!
Red White and Blue Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
- 16 oz of Strawberries, washed and cut in half
- 1 pint of blue berries, rinsed
- 3 bananas sliced in thick chunks
- 1/8 cup of honey
- 1 fresh lime
Directions:
- Wash and cut all your fruit.
- Combine in a bowl.
- In a small bowl whisk together the honey and freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Here is a hint – microwave your lime for 10 seconds before you cut and squeeze it. You will get more out of it after it was warmed up.
- Drizzle the honey lime glaze over the fruit and stir slightly to coat.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate.