Fourth Of July Side Favorites

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD, AND MORE FOOD! We love any and every opportunity to make a good spread of food and wonderful appetizers for our guests. It’s always an added bonus if we can incorporate the holiday theme in it.

Happy Birthday America and what says Fourth Of July more than hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, macaroni salad, fruit salad, potato salad, and FAMILY AND SO MUCH MORE.

Family time can be hard to come by when everyone is so busy in their day to day lives. We love and cherish these holidays to celebrate with one another and make unforgettable memories, celebrate the tradition, and culture that each of these holidays were intended for.

Macaroni Salad – A Family Favorite

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 2 hrs 40 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 medium white onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 cup of mayo (I use Best Foods) (may need to add more depending how you like it)
1 tablespoon of yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions using salted water. Drain and run cool water over the pasta until it is cooled

2. In another bowl stir together mayo, mustard, pepper, salt, garlic and onion powder. Add the onion, celery and mix well.

3. In a large bowl, add the pasta and dressing and toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate the pasta for at least 2 hours.

4. Stir once more before serving. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Baked Beans

Who doesn’t love baked beans but even better HOMEMADE baked beans!

The flavorful combination of BBQ sauce and brown sugar that makes these baked beans a favorite side dish for any cookout or family meal.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Serves: 4+

(You can double ingredients to serve 8+)

Shopping List

6 slices of bacon
1/2 white onion
2 (14 ounces each) cans pork and beans
2 Tbsp ketchup
4 Tbsp barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet ‘n Spicy BBQ Sauce)
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Cook your bacon in a frying pan. Remove your bacon and chop into small pieces. Set your bacon aside for now.
Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the frying pan and discard the rest. Cook onion in the frying pan over medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add in the ketchup, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, bacon to the frying pan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Spray a 8 x 8 (or something close to this size) baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the 2 cans of pork beans in the dish and remove. Add in all contents of the frying pan. Mix well.
Place the lid or aluminum foil over the backing dish and bake for 45 minutes. Remove cover after 45 minutes and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Let it set for 20 minutes before serving to give the sauce a chance to thicken a bit.

We hope that each and everyone of you have a blessed, and safe Fourth Of July surrounded by the ones that you love!

Hooten Homes Real Estate Group