HONOLULU (KHON2) — With more than 300,000 residents of Hawaiʻi being a part of the United States military, the 4th of July is a pretty big across the islands. From backyard barbeques to family beach days, eating is a really big part of the celebrations.
When you think about a perfect 4th of July meal, you might picture burgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, and patriotically decorated desserts. Those are always great, but this year, why not try something new and fun?
You could mix things up with cool versions of crab cakes or tasty street corn. Make your food look extra fun by serving it in creative ways like a big smorgasbord full of hot dogs, toppings, chips and dips that everyone can enjoy.
Instead of the usual burger, try teriyaki cauliflower steaks or even a mushroom burger for something different. You can still enjoy hot dogs, but a “hot dog smorgasbord” makes it exciting and easy for guests to pick what they like.
Want to try new sides? Summer is full of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try grilling squash or even fruit to bring out sweet, smoky flavors. You can serve grilled veggies as they are or turn them into salads, like a corn salad or a bread-and-veggie mix called panzanella.
Don’t forget dessert! Use strawberries, blueberries and fun designs to celebrate with red, white, and blue sweets.
Want more ideas? Here are a few we found at Delish that challenge the monotony that can be cookout foods.
- Hot German Potato Salad. Recipe.
- Big Mac hot dogs. Recipe.
- Watermelon fest salad. Recipe.
- Flag cake. Recipe.
- Campfire hot dog skewers. Recipe.
- Broccoli Ceasar pasta salad. Recipe.
- Butterflied grilled chicken drumsticks. Recipe.
- Corn salad. Recipe.
- American flag pie. Recipe.
- Pimento cheese-stuffed mini peppers. Recipe.
- Greek pasta salad. Recipe.
- 4th of July ice cream cake. Recipe.
- Cajun crab cake sliders. Recipe.
- No-bake strawberry lemon swirl tart. Recipe.
- Strawberry shortcake ice cream cake. Recipe.
- Pigs in a quilt. Recipe.
- Cowboy caviar couscous salad. Recipe.
- Southern potato salad. Recipe.
- Crispy zucchini stacks. Recipe.
- Lemon-berry firecracker cake. Recipe.
- Tuscan tortellini salad. Recipe.
- Red velvet cheesecake brownies. Recipe.
- Loaded cheesy corn bites. Recipe.
- Hot dog smorgasbord. Recipe.
- Berries and cream charcuterie board. Recipe.
- S’mores dessert board. Recipe.
- Grilled teriyaki cauliflower steaks. Recipe.
- Shroomami burgers. Recipe.
- Pineapple and Siracha hot dogs. Recipe.
- Tomato gnocchi kebabs. Recipe.
Deciding on what to serve at or take to a holiday cookout can be stressful, but with these easy recipe ideas, you can make the celebration even more yummy.