4th of July Appetizer Recipes

Perfect Party Time

Whether it was just a stroke of luck or genius-level foresight, the signers of the Declaration of Independence chose the perfect time of year to have a holiday. The 4th of July falls right in the middle of grilling season and is a great day to have a party. Since most Independence Day parties are held outdoors this gives you two options when it comes to 4th of July appetizer recipes. There are appetizers you can make ahead of time in your kitchen and there are appetizers that let you say, "We have the grill going. Let's cook up some food." Both kinds have their appeal, so let's get cooking!

4th of July Appetizer Recipes

Deviled Eggs

Appetizers that can be made ahead of time and served cold can be a relief to both the guests and the host. Your guests will naturally appreciate a cool snack on a hot day and as a host anything that can be made the day before is just one less thing to worry about on the day of the party. This is where the good-old picnic and barbeque stand-by deviled eggs comes into play. These tasty treats can be made by the dozens and since the recipe mainly consists of mixing the yolks and filling the whites you can even get the kids to help out.

Ingredients

• 12 hard boiled eggs
• ½ cup of crème fraiche or sour cream
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons of parsley flakes
• 4 strips of bacon, fried crisp and chopped
• Paprika to garnish

Instructions

1. Chill the eggs and then peel them.
2. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise.
3. Remove the yolks and save the whites.
4. Mix the yolks with the crème fraiche or sour cream, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, and bacon.
5. Carefully spoon or pipe the yolk mixture back into the egg whites.
6. Dust the yolk mixture with a pinch of paprika.
7. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Grilled Shrimp

One way to get your guests in a party mood is to serve shrimp. When prepared properly, shrimp are succulent and tasty and usually the first thing you will run out of at a party. Since you will have the grill going for your burgers, dogs and wings you might as well toss a few shrimp on the grill and get the party started. When buying your shrimp look for U/10 or U/12 sized shrimp. The “U” part means that there are less than (under) 10 or 12 shrimp per pound. So two pounds of U/12 shrimp would give you about 24 hearty shrimp.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of the largest shrimp you can find, cleaned and de-veined.
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

Dipping Sauce

• 1 bottle (12 ounces) of your favorite hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons of fresh mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons of horseradish
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
3. Let the shrimp marinate in the mixture for at least one hour.
4. While the shrimp are marinating, mix together the hot sauce, mayonnaise, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and the salt.
5. Cover the sauce with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
6. Once the shrimp have marinated, grill them on the hottest part of your grill about two minutes per side until done. Don’t overcook the shrimp or they will be rubbery rather than tender.

These recipes are not just great ideas for the 4th of July but can also be served for a graduation party, a Nascar party or even at a luau-themed party, especially the tropically-minded shrimp.