Fourth of July food for kids

Fourth of July is right around the corner. If you are planning a family party or a get-together with neighbors, try some of these Fourth of July recipes that kids (and adults) will love. From burgers to sides to desserts, we have all the Fourth of July food you could want.

The burgers

If you are grilling on Fourth of July, you can’t go wrong with burgers. This year, instead of plain ordinary burgers, cook one of these tasty recipes that are perfect for the occasion.

Red, white & bleu burger

Embrace the red, white and blue holiday theme with this tasty burger recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 ground beef patties
• 3 red bell peppers
• 1?4 cup olive oil
• 2 large sweet white onions, sliced in thin strips or rings
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1?2 cup crumbled bleu cheese
• 1?2 cup Philadelphia cream cheese
• 6 hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Prepare grill for high-heat cooking. Roast the peppers over the grill, turning every three minutes so that the skin blisters and turns black all over the peppers. Set peppers aside in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap so they can steam.
2. When cool enough to handle, rub the blackened skin off the peppers. Cut the peppers open and remove the veins and seeds. Set aside.
3. Heat a cast iron pan over the grill or heat a regular sauté pan on the stove top. Heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Cook the onions slowly over medium heat for 10 minutes. In the last minute of cooking, stir in the chopped garlic.
4. In a bowl, stir together the bleu cheese and the cream cheese until blended. Grill the burgers three minutes on each side or until the meat reaches desired doneness. Just before burgers are done cooking, toast the hamburger buns on the grill.
5. Spread the bleu cheese mixture over both sides of each bun. Serve the burgers on the buns topped with half a roasted pepper, grilled onions and serve with American flag napkins!

Recipe and image courtesy of Philly-Gourmet

Potato chip stuffed sliders

Kids are always stuffing potato chips into their sandwiches, so why not into their burgers too? This recipe for Ruffles Potato Chip Stuffed Gorgonzola Bacon Slider Burgers is ideal for your Fourth of July cookout.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds 80/20 ground chuck
• 1/2 pound gorgonzola cheese
• 16 potato rolls
• 16 slices thick bacon, cooked
• 2 red onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bag Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins flavored potato chips

Directions:

1. Divide the ground beef into 32 one-ounce balls.
2. Flatten the meat balls between two pieces of plastic wrap into 2-1/2 to 3 inch thin rounds.
3. Divide the gorgonzola into the center of half of the burger rounds, then place another round on top and press down evenly to form the slider burgers.
4. Toss the sliced red onions with the vinegar, oil and a little salt and pepper and place on a hot grill for about three or four minutes, then turn over and cook three or four minutes more. Remove from the grill and set aside.
5. Season each slider patty with salt and pepper and place on the grill for about five minutes, then flip over and grill three or four minutes more.
6. Split and toast the potato rolls and spread with your favorite burger condiments, place one patty on the bottom bun, then top with bacon and a few Ruffles chips and cap with the top bun and serve.

Recipe and image courtesy of Frito-Lay

Grilled corn

Robyn “Grill Grrrl” Medlin offers some amazing grilling recipes on her blog grillgrrrl.com, and one of our favorites for Fourth of July is grilled corn. This recipe serves two, so multiply it to accommodate all your guests.

Ingredients:

• 2 ears of corn with “fuzz” removed from the inside and husks removed or pulled back for grilling
• 2 ounces grated pepper jack cheese

Coconut lime butter:

• one stick of butter, softened
• juice and zest of two limes
• 1 tablespoon grated coconut
• sea salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat your grill to medium high heat.
2. Mix all the ingredients of the butter together with an emulsion blender. Set aside.
3. With your corn husks removed or moved back, baste the corn generously with the coconut lime butter and place on the grill on direct heat. Let cook for eight to 10 minutes per side or until the kernels begin to brown.
4. Move the corn on the grill so that all sides can get cooked (cook a total of 20 minutes).
5. Remove from grill and sprinkle with pepper jack cheese.

Next up: More Fourth of July recipes >>