If you’re like us, you looked at a calendar recently and realized that the Fourth of July barbecue you’ve been planning is coming sooner than you thought.
And now, facing down the week’s other responsibilities, you’re out of time to dig through your cookbooks or sift through Google.
To cut down on search time, we’ve rounded up various sweet, savory, and delicious recipes to elevate your Independence Day spread. And, even better, they’re all red, white, and blue foods to keep your party patriotic and easy to make.
Check out the ideas we found most enticing for celebrating below.
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Blueberry kuchen
Growing up, we had this every Fourth of July, Memorial Day, neighborhood block party — you name it. Whatever warm weather holiday or occasion was on the calendar, a blueberry kuchen was on the table. This sweet fruit tart is delicious a la mode and perfect for summer.
With Kristen Coffield’s version calling for seven ingredients and six steps, this summer favorite is a winner every time.
And it can be made even more festive with an addition.
“You can add fresh raspberries to the topping and then sprinkle with confectionary sugar,” Coffield told USA TODAY in an email. “This makes for a festive red, white and blue presentation.”
Red, white, and blue fruit salad
Talk about easy — and a fan favorite. Who doesn’t love a fruit salad? As The Wiggles say, “yummy.”
The red, white-ish, and blue color range is easy to accomplish between raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, cherries, white peaches, and watermelon.
And there are ways to make your fruit salad stand out at a patriotic event, too. Two Healthy Kitchens provides tips on preparing your Fourth of July fruit salad artfully and on when to do so (think cookie-cutters for star shaping and how to avoid banana browning by adding the fruit right before serving, for instance).
Festive charcuterie board
Like a fruit salad, a charcuterie board requires less cooking and more assembly. And it can be done in patriotic shades.
Charcuterie boards leave room for plenty of creativity and varying assemblies of tastes.
Tasty Oven’s July 4th-themed board recipe pairs sweet fruits — including watermelon, strawberries, and raspberries — with savory items such as tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, and cheeses, mozzarella pearls and white cheddar while adding sugary delights, including mini marshmallows and M&Ms.
That said, all boards are open to interpretation. Choose whatever red, white, and blue flavors you fancy.
Cheesecake stuffed strawberries
I’m drooling just thinking about these. I love cheesecake and strawberries — topped with a blueberry, what could be better? Or more patriotic-looking?
Dessert Now Dinner Later offers a simple how-to on the no-bake dessert that looks as pretty on a platter as it will taste — and prep time is only 15 minutes. These will surely please kids and adults at your party, and you can serve them as appetizers or desserts.
Red, white, and blue flag cake
Ina Garten’s “Flag Cake” recipe will surely add a patriotic flare to your table and is structured from blueberries, raspberries, and frosting.
A bit more labor-intensive, this cake takes 45 minutes to prep and a lot of butter — 6 and quarter sticks for the cake and frosting. But it serves 20-24 people, so who’s counting?
Garten has shared this cake for several all-American celebrations and called it the “perfect baking project with the kids.”
Cherry pie
What says Fourth of July more than a cherry pie?
A couple of ways to tackle the cherry pie: One takes significant effort, and the other is minimal.
The first, which calls for making the crust from scratch, as The Pioneer Woman directs in her recipe, takes more time and effort. But who can beat a homemade crust?
If you have less time or baking confidence, a pre-made crust can make a cherry pie easier. Pillsbury, the pie dough and crust producer, has a recipe on its website using four ingredients, pre-made crusts, pre-mixed cherry pie filling, milk, and sugar.
If you’re gluten-free, pre-made pie shells can be found on Instacart and sometimes in Trader Joe’s.
Red, white, and blue popsicles
July 4th weekend is typically warm — or sweltering — making it the perfect holiday to provide your guests with popsicles.
One important thing to note: This recipe requires popsicle sticks, molds, and a blender. Once you have those supplies, with only four ingredients to consider (strawberries, blueberries, coconut milk, and granulated sugar), these will be a breeze to assemble, freeze and enjoy.
Suppose you’re not a fan of these ingredients. In that case, Cooking Therapy recommends substitutions: Raspberries for strawberries, Greek yogurt to replace coconut milk, other fruits, and blue food coloring to avoid using blueberries and agave sweetener instead of sugar.
Red, white, and blue corn tostadas
The perfect combo of salty and crunchy, Frugal Nutrition’s red, white, and blue corn tostadas are simple, easy to make, and cost-effective.
They’re baked, not fried, so they land on the healthier side and are vegetarian. Assemble the stacks using blue corn tortillas, smashed white beans, tomatoes, or salsa, and a salty cheese such as queso fresco, cotija, or feta.
Frugal Nutrition estimates that the recipe, designed to serve six, comes to just under $5, or just over 80 cents a person.
Berry vodka soda
We can’t be without libations at a party, now can we?
In addition to easy-on-theme drinks like red and white wines, EatingWell has a recipe for a berry vodka soda made with thawed frozen berries, seltzer water, and vodka, providing a light and refreshing option for Fourth celebrations.
And for those who don’t want to drink alcohol, that Berry vodka soda could be altered to be sans-vodka — a thawed berry soda (and if that’s not appealing to you, there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options on the market right now).
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Red, white, and blue wine sparklers
“Light” on alcohol and heavy on festive vibes, Fox and Briar’s red, white, and blue wine sparklers are meant to be sessionable, meaning easy to drink, especially on a hot day.
The cocktail, which can be made in a batch for pitcher pours, is made with white wine, fruit, and sparkling water and can be made a day in advance, saving you an extra step of prep day-of barbecue.