FoodieGems 4th of July – Red, White & Blue #Recipes

 Happy Independence Day! 

July 4^th is the trifecta of holiday fun. Foodies unite to enjoy Family & Friends, Fabulous Fireworks and Fantastic Food! Start the patriotic celebration off right with the most important meal of the day. 

For breakfast, try these pancakes (or waffles) topped with jam, strawberries and blueberries:

Don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen all day or going to be outside? Make these great Layered Taco Dip Cups ahead of time and pack in the cooler to enjoy your lunch on-the-go! Be sure to add some Blue Corn Tortilla Chips to keep the theme going. For a special flare, add a small flag in each cup as well:

 

Individual Seven-Layer Dips

Yield: 8 Cups

Ingredients

-          1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

-          1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning

-          1 cup guacamole

-          1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

-          1 cup chunky salsa or pico de gallo

-          1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese blend

-          2 tomatoes, diced

-          ½ bunch of green onions, sliced

-          1 (2.25 ounce) can of sliced olives, drained

-          8 (9 ounce) plastic tumblers

-          Blue corn tortilla chips

Instructions

1.       In a small bowl, mix taco seasoning with refried beans. Either mix the taco seasoning with the sour cream layer or mix it with the beans to keep a bright white layer.

2.       Assemble layers:

-          Layer 1: Beans and taco seasoning; Layer 2: Sour cream; Layer 3: Guacamole; Layer 4: Salsa or pico de gallo; Layer 5: Cheese; Layer 6: Tomatoes; Layer 7: Green onions and olives

3.       In each plastic glass, layer about 2 Tablespoons of the beans, followed by 2 Tablespoons of sour cream, 2 Tablespoons of guacamole, 2 Tablespoons of salsa or pico de gallo, and 2 Tablespoons of cheese. Be sure to drain the salsa or pico de gallo to remove excess liquid before pouring it on. Top with about 1-2 teaspoons of tomatoes, olives and green onions (If the cups are made ahead of time, wait to add these toppings until shortly before serving).

4.       Garnish each cup with one tortilla chip. Store in the refrigerator until serving and serve with extra chips.

5.       Recipes makes about 8 individual dip cups.

 

For dinner, try a variation of the crowd & kid pleasing favorites, Rocket Dogs & Patriot Burgers:

Rocket Dog Instructions: 

Place each hot dog on a skewer. Wrap dough strips around them then bake on a cookie sheet per instructions. Use canned rolls flattened out and cut in ½ long ways to have 2 pieces per roll. Cut a triangle shaped piece of cheese for the top. Use a red, white & blue ribbon or cupcake liner placed upside down underneath the rocket dog for decoration.

Patriotic Burger Instructions: 

Use a cookie cutter for the cheese flag and put ketchup in a baggie to squeeze out straight lines.

For fresh, healthy dessert ideas, try a cool, refreshing Watermelon Cake or Fruit Kabobs:

 

Have a fun, safe 4th of July from the @FoodieGems family to yours! Remember to come on over to FoodieGems.com to become a #Foodie for FREE! And be sure to connect with us on Social Media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter!