Quick and Easy July Fourth Barbecue
Festive and Cheap Feast Can Be Made By Beginning Cook
Jul 2, 2009
It's quite possible to throw together a last minute family meal for July Fourth that will please both the cook and guests alike. The key is to emphasize color, fresh foods and some excellent ready made products, rather than complicated dishes and complex barbecue sauces. The following healthy menu works well, without the beginning cook working hard.
Beginning Cook's Independence Day Menu
- Marinated grilled chicken breasts
- Apple raisin coleslaw
- Saucy baked beans
- Garlic bread
- Store bought frozen treats
- Beverages
Shopping List:
- 1-2 bone-in chicken breast per person
- Good quality Italian or oil and vinegar dressing. (Newman's Own Oil and Vinegar dressing works well)
- Canned baked beans (enough for 2/3 cup per person)
- One bag prepackaged coleslaw for every four guests
- Box of dark raisins (quantity used depends on crowd)
- Good quality prepared coleslaw dressing
- Hamburger buns (enough to allow one bun per person
- Assortment of frozen treats
Have on hand: butter or transfat-free margarine (such as Smart Balance or Olivio), garlic powder or fresh chopped garlic, apples, yellow mustard, ketchup, chopped onions, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce
Instructions:
About six hours before dinner, do the following:
- Place chicken breasts (keep skin on) in large plastic container or resealable bag. Add salad dressing to cover. Refrigerate.
- Saute a handful of chopped yellow onion in mild oil until onions look shiny and clear white, rather than opaque. Place canned beans, including juice, in crockpot. Add cooked onions, ketchup, chopped onions, yellow mustard, Worcestershire and brown sugar to taste. Turn crockpot on to "Low" setting.
- Pour coleslaw into large, nonreactive bowl. Chop apple, add to slaw. Add raisins to taste. Add dressing to bowl, and toss gently. (Add a bit less dressing than seems needed; coleslaw will "weep" over the course of a few hours.)
About 1 1/2 hours before the meal, do the following:
- Grill chicken on low heat, being sure to leave skin on (it can be removed before eating.) This will take about 45 minutes to one hour. Be careful not to overcook.
- Mix butter/margarine with garlic powder, microwave until barely melted. Then brush butter mixture on cut side of hamburger buns. Set buns on cookie sheet.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- About 5 minutes before dinner is served, heat bread. Check closely to monitor browning.
Dinner is Served
Put chicken, slaw and bread on table. Unplug crockpot and use as server for beans. After dinner, serve assortment of frozen pops.
It's not too late for the beginning cook to plan an easy Independence Day barbecue. With a few simple ingredients, smart use of some prepared products and easy techniques, even a novice can create a feast. As an added bonus, the meal can be made quite healthy if the cook removes chicken skin before serving and uses a transfat free margarine, such as Smart Balance or Olivio for the garlic bread.
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