4th July Independence Day Recipes – A selection of American recipes from my recipe archives to celebrate the 4th July this week. From flaky biscuits and sandwiches to diner style breakfast sausage and breakfast skillet, there are lots to choose from if you plan on celebrating this year.
Recipes from Breakfast to Evening BBQ’s
Tomorrow is the 4th of July and American Independence Day, a day when all of my chums across the pond were released from their shackles of British colonial rule! Although I am not American and I don’t celebrate this special day in the American calendar, I have lived in the States and I have been there on the 4th July and have joined in with the revelry and fun whilst enjoying some delicious American style food, mainly from the BBQ. And, although I am currently in North Wales, bathing in glorious sunshine as it happens, I will be raising a glass of home-made lemonade whilst flipping over an American style hamburger on the BBQ tomorrow. So today I have complied a selection of American recipes by way of celebrating with my friends across the pond in my own British way! I hope you will find some Stateside inspiration in my sundry selection and that the sun will continue to shine so we can all enjoy eating outside tomorrow. Happy 4th of July! Karen
4th July Independence Day Recipes
“American Diner” Breakfast Skillet
A classic American Diner breakfast skillet recipe where spicy sausage, mushrooms and potatoes are cooked with eggs and cheese for an easy to prepare, and extremely tasty breakfast, brunch or luncheon dish.
American Diner style Homemade Breakfast Sausage
The beauty about this Homemade Breakfast Sausage recipe, is that they are made with very lean and low minced chicken meat; turkey meat and a mixture of poultry and pork can be used, but I decided to use some ground chicken thigh meat in my breakfast sausage patties, and to very good effect.
Light & Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Light & Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits – Fabulous Southern Style Biscuits that are perfect with sausage gravy for breakfast and brunch or Cast Iron Casseroles.
Baked Meatball Subs (Sandwiches)
A fabulous way to make the most of British organic minced beef, this recipe is in the style of an American “Meatball Sub Sandwich” and is loved by children and adults alike. The meatballs hide a healthy secret with added grated courgettes as well as onions that add to your “five-a-day” requirements. (The uncooked meatballs can be frozen for ease of cooking in the future, as can the cooked meatballs too.)
There is a tale to tell about the origins of the Tuna Melt – apparently this classic sandwich, the mainstay of many a late night diner has its roots in the deep South; Charleston, South Carolina to be exact. Like many popular regional recipes it was born of a mistake in a busy kitchen; when a diner asked for a “grilled cheese sandwich with a smear of mayo” at the Woolworth’s lunch counter on King’s Street in Charleston, a bowl of tuna salad that was above the griddle tipped over and fell on to the grilled cheese and happily “melted” into the gooey cheese on bread.
Guilt-Free Baked Doughnuts (Donuts)Three Ways!
These baked cake doughnuts are light and fluffy and taste just like the deep-fried versions, but with far fewer calories! Each doughnut comes in at 4 Weight Watchers Smart Points, or 5 Smart Points for the iced versions.
The New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich
A Muffuletta Sandwich is a popular sandwich originating among the Italian immigrants in New Orleans, Louisiana, using a Sicilian sesame round bread loaf, it is stuffed with ham, salami, cheese and an olive salad.
Pull-Apart Buttery Garlic Dinner Rolls
They’re really easy to make, and the flavour is reminiscent of a traditional holiday meal. They are baked in 20cm round cake tins, which helps to keep them extra soft. They make fabulous sandwiches the next day, if you have any left that is.
An American classic, this sandwich is packed with Swiss cheese, corned beef and sauerkraut which is sandwiched between delicious rye bread before being fried (grilled) until golden brown. Serve with dill pickles for an authentic New York Deli taste.
Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes
What I loved about this recipe for Mac and Cheese, was the addition of tomatoes and onions……such a great way to incorporate vegetables into a protein rich dish.
This American dish is a delicious mixture of minced beef with onions, tomato sauce and grated cheese – a sort of macaroni cheese with a Bolognese style sauce all in one! It’s a great way to ring the changes with both recipes and the results are a tasty pasta bake which is made with the minimum of fuss making it the perfect mid-week family meal.
“Hillybilly County Fair” Cornbread Recipe
An authentic American cornbread recipe that a friend saved from a packet of yellow cornmeal that she bought in a local “county fair”. I have metricated the US cups in the original recipe and altered it very slightly for UK and European cooks.
Mixed Berry and Chocolate Popovers
Popovers are an American classic, similar to our own Yorkshire Puddings, these delectable, light and airy little batter cakes make a delicious and easily prepared dessert. You can also make “savoury” popovers to accompany stews and soups, just omit the sugar in the basic batter. (This recipe has been adapted from the Reader’s Digest Baking Bible cookbook)
Award Winning “Logan County Hamburgers”
These hamburgers are named after the county town of Logan in West Virginia, USA and are the prize-winning burger recipe by Katie Lee Joel, who based her recipe on her grandmother’s “thrifty” recipe for making a little meat go a long way by adding an egg, grated onion and seasoning. The recipe is more like a “patty melt”, another American classic sandwich, than a regular burger, but Katie says that you can call it what you want, this burger tastes good! (This recipe won an award at the “Burger Bash” in New York City in 2009)
I have added fried diced SPAM® to my family’s favourite potato salad for an extra meaty kick which everyone loves. I have also given the option of using more or less mayonnaise mixture for personal taste; some people like it very creamy & others like it not so creamy. Maggi liquid seasoning is quite salty, so use 1 tablespoon to start with, adding more if needed – teaspoon by teaspoon.
Philly Cheesesteaks and a Chicken Philly Sandwich Recipe
My love of the Philly Cheesesteak started many years ago when I lived and worked in PA (Pennsylvania) in the States. It was love at first bite and I have tried to replicate them many times at home in France and the UK. According the Wikipedia, the Philadelphia Cheesesteak was developed in the early 20th century “by combining frizzled beef, onions, and cheese in a small loaf of bread,” according to a 1987 exhibition catalogue published by the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. This version uses chicken for a lighter taste.
Mini Oreo Cheesecake and Strawberry Parfait Pots
This delectable “no-bake” dessert in a jar is easy to make; strawberry cheesecake Oreo biscuits are crumbled into small jars or glass pots, with a light creamy cheesecake type mousse which is topped with whipped cream and a cheeky little Oreo biscuit. These can be covered and taken on picnics, as well as being the perfect outdoor summery dessert for a BBQ party or family get together. This recipe has been made lower in fat and calories by using low-fat cream cheese and a small quantity of icing sugar and jam for a much lighter summer dessert.
Ron says
What a fine collection of American 4th of July recipes. Although they all look yummy, the potato Salad with SPAM recipe intrigued me. So, I clicked on the recipe and found your wonderful post on SPAM from this past year. Great post, I loved the history and especially the advertisements. Well now I’m hungry for SPAM and the only place in Sweden I’ve found it is at the “English Shop” in Malmö. Off to the train station…
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much Ron, it was just a collection of recipes that I have made here on L and L and I thought it would make a nice round-up for the 4th July. Karen
PS: I hope you find your SPAM in Sweden!
Margaret Robinson says
Whilst I love your blog and thought this collection of American 4th of July recipes really good, it has virtually nothing on foods that we eat/make here on the West Coast, particularly in California. We don’t all eat the same and though I really liked your take on things American, you missed us out here! I don’t know anyone who eats spam, but you made it sound good. I’m sure it’s on the grocery market shelves somewhere, so will try it. Thanks!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks for your comments, and yes you are right, the collection is very regional based on my travels in the States which is the only way I can be authentic with what I share!
As I have never been to the West Coast of the USA, I didn’t feel confident enough to share any recipes, as it would have only been based on knowledge gained on the net or in cookbooks, and not my own experiences.
Perhaps you can share some recipe ideas here now Margaret, for me and my readers? That would be nice!
On a similar note, I often see American bloggers and writers making up lists of “British food” which also cuts out many regional areas of the UK, I suppose you need to have been there!
Thanks for your kind comments about my blog, and PLEASE do share some West Coast recipes here with me and my readers……Karen 🙂
johanna @ green gourmet giraffe says
those recipes look great – I did some s’more this year but then was looking at what other American recipes I had on my blog and was surprised how many there were – so I am impressed with all your lovely recipes.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thank you Johanna, I was also surprised just how many I had here, and I DO love S’mores very much! Karen