Fourth of July Picnic BBQ and Dessert Ideas
Delicious Grilling and Cold Sweets, All Fit For A Fireworks Party!
Jun 30, 2009
Since the BBQ portion of this important day is a big deal when you are having large gatherings of friends or family at your home for a Fourth of July picnic, it is important to have a game plan. Plan on grilling up a variety of meats, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, ribs or pork, to name a few. Focus on the favorites of your family and friends, and go from there. If you are looking for Fourth of July picnic side dishes, cold beverages and salads, check out the first part of this article here at Fourth of July Picnic Drinks, Sides and Salads.
Make sure to have marinades and sauces to slather on the meats to contain their juiciness and add some spicy or tangy flavor!
Tasty Picnic BBQ Meats
- Create a gourmet hot dog or bratwurst experience for your guests. Use a thin knife to make cross hatch marks across the meat for proper ventilation, and this will also help soak up flavor from sauces. Place up thick hot dogs or bratwurst on the grill, then layer on an equal parts mixture of Dijon mustard, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, vegetable oil and garlic. Let the meat cook with this sizzling sauce for a sweet kick. Toast up hot dog buns or slice open croissants for a change.
- Cook up burgers since these are a must-have on this holiday. When forming the patties (if you make them yourself) knead the meat with garlic, shallots, salt and pepper, and soy sauce. Shape them into patties, but make sure not to handle them too much or the meat will become too doughy. After placing the burgers on the grill, just flip them once to retain the juices, and fight the need to press down on the meat which makes the juices run out. Toast up the buns on the grill too.
- Grill chicken and layer with your favorite barbecue sauce, sprinkling some thyme, salt and pepper on top while the chicken is cooking.
- Marinate spareribs in a mixture of apple juice or cider vinegar for the day before you grill them. Cook them straight out of this marinade then layer on barbecue sauce if desired, but you will be surprised at how flavorful the meat will be just from marinating!
- Other meats to cook up include pork chops, seafood such as shrimp skewers, fresh salmon, crab legs or lobster tail. You can even cook up shish-kebabs that alternate meat and vegetables for an easy grilling dish.
- Keep all the fixings for burgers and hot dogs on the table, such as ketchup, relish, mustard, mayonnaise, sweet onions, peppers, sauerkraut and cabbage. You can use simple ingredients from home to come up with some savory unique burger toppings.
Chilly Picnic Desserts
Picnic Frozen Lemonade Pie
Ingredients:
- Graham Cracker Pie Crust
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate
- Blueberries, raspberries, sugar and lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 345 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, make the filling of the lemonade pie by whipping the heavy cream until peaks form. Then fold in the combined lemonade and condensed milk into this cream. Pour this mixture into the pie crust, then freeze overnight to solidify the pie. Earlier in the day before serving the pie, create the topping by tossing the berries with the sugar, lemon juice and whipped cream if desired. Top the pie with this mixture when serving.
Simple Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients:
- Ten ounces of chopped up semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Four cups rice cereal
- Mint chip ice cream
Combine the chocolate and cereal in a large bowl thoroughly, then place the mixture in a nine-inch pan. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom to create the pie crust, then freeze for fifteen minutes. Next, spread the ice cream evenly over the crust and freeze the entire pie for five hours before serving
Refreshing Picnic Fruit Parfaits (serves 4)
Ingredients:
- Peaches cut into chunks
- Whole raspberries
- Blood orange segments
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- Vanilla ice cream
Combine everything together in a large bowl except for the ice cream, tossing to coat the fruit with the sugar and fruit juice. Let the mixture sit for about fifteen minutes. Before serving, spoon a scoop of the vanilla ice cream into small bowls, and top with the fruit mixture.
Spread out these dishes throughout tables at your picnic, and make sure to provide plenty of plates, napkins and eating utensils for your guests. Keep your cold items in coolers (which includes the meats, fruit, ice cream, pies, etc.) with blue ice packs or Ziploc bags full of ice, or you can try padding the underneath of the platters with ice if you have the right supplies.
Happy Fourth of July!
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