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Every year when Fourth of July rolls around, Jim and I ponder what delicious grilled creations we can make. In the past we’ve done burgers, hot dogs, sausage, and pork and pair them with the perfect picnic foods. Whether you’re planning for a Fourth that includes an afternoon at home or headed to a friend’s house for a barbecue, finding the perfect summertime food to create can be a bit daunting! To keep your sanity from going off like a firecracker, we’ve put together some surefire Fourth of July options to make your table sparkle!
At Home
This year, we decided to tackle something a bit more challenging, something that Jim has been itching to try forever – Slow Smoked Beef Brisket using Kraft’s Hickory Smoke barbecue sauce. Nothing says All-American than a big hunk of barbecued meat! Perfect for a Fourth of July spent at home enjoying the sunshine, inviting family over, and savoring a grilled feast, this delicious barbecued meat requires a grill with smoking capability, wood chips, charcoal, the perfect barbecue sauce and decent amount of time.
When I gave my hubby the Brisket challenge, he knew what he was getting himself into. He fired up his most cherished Father’s Day possession (that epic looking grill in the background) and used Kraft’s slow-simmered barbecue sauces to create a meat slow smoked to perfection.
What you need:
7-10 lb. Beef Brisket (You may have to ask the butcher to cut a slab for you. This particular cut is 7 pounds. Do NOT have them cut the fat for you – that is crucial to the process)
Salt & Pepper
Your favorite barbecue rub
Score the meat with a knife (which means to cut 1 inch gashes on the top) to ensure even cooking as well as to flavor and tenderize. Once you’ve scored the meat, rub with salt, pepper, and your barbecue rub, let it rest at room temperature while you prep your grill. Now from the Grillmaster, my hubby:
Prepare your grill or smoker for indirect heat – this bad boy is going to take MANY hours of slow cooking. I use a charcoal grill with a smoker box attached. Nothing but pure, unadulterated lump oak charcoal for me. I used hickory wood chunks in the smoker box. The key is to keep the temperature around 250 degrees Fahrenheit and to add wood to the fire every 30 minutes or so until the brisket slow cooks to 200 degrees at its thickest point. For me this meant spend the day outside with the kiddos. To keep the brisket juicy, I used the “Texas crutch” once the meat got to 170 degrees – a favorite technique of mine where you wrap the meat in aluminum foil and pour liquid inside to continue cooking but preserve moisture. I put in about a quarter cup of hard apple cider. This took about an hour to get the temperature up to 200 degrees. For the finishing touches, the meat is basted in Kraft barbecue sauce until it caramelizes.
Take it off the grill, trim the meat and enjoy the fruits (…or meats) of your labor.
Back to me, the grilling sidekick! Jim spent time trimming the meat (yes, the blackened parts will slowly be trimmed away, but that’s intentional, we promise!) You can see the beautiful smoke rings and the layers of flavor in this tender smoked meat. Once trimmed and sliced, slather in your preferred Kraft barbecue sauce and enjoy!
Serve your brisket with your favorite sides. In our case, we incorporated fresh produce and bakery from Walmart. Fresh corn on the cob is a must and once we removed the brisket, we tossed some fresh garlic sourdough bread on the grill to pair with our meal. The finished touch was a coleslaw made with Kraft mayo. You can purchase coleslaw bagged mix and then add in this simple coleslaw dressing: 3/4 c. Kraft mayo, 2 tbsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, pinch of salt + pepper, 1 tsp. of celery salt. Whisk together and pour over coleslaw mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Voila! The perfect barbecue platter has been created and your at-home Fourth will be sure to set off some fireworks!
On the Go
If you’ll be spending the Fourth at someone else’s home, you can put together something that uses fresh ingredients from Walmart and quality Kraft products to add the perfect zest to the day without all the work. Using some leftover corn on the cob, we created this Pasta Picnic Salad – perfect for bringing to your next Fourth of July gathering.
What you need:
1 c. of chopped raw broccoli
1 box of cooked pasta (we used tricolor rotini)
1/2 cup roasted corn
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
8 oz. package of your favorite Kraft natural cheese (colby jack for us)
1/3 bottle of Kraft Dressing (many options available, we prefer zesty Italian)
Cook your pasta and toss with chopped vegetables and cheese. Pour over dressing and mix well to combine. Bring dressing with you to the barbecue in case the dish needs a bit more moisture.
Bon Appetit! The perfect July Fourth potluck addition!
For the Fireworks
Whether you’re enjoying them in your own backyard or with a crowd, no Fourth of July would be complete without the perfect S’mores made with graham crackers, chocolate bars, and Jet-Puffed Marshmallows.
We fired up our Chiminea and had the boys gather sticks from the yard. Whether you’re a fan of charring your ‘mallow or making sure it’s toasted to a golden brown, there’s a S’more for everyone. Jack enjoys his with some extra marshmallows. Nothing says summertime like the tastes of this sandwich of sweetness. You can also put together these Patriotic Marshmallow Pops for your July Fourth celebration. Perfect bite-sized red, white, and blue sweet eats!
Simply stick marshmallows on decorative sticks, cover in melted white chocolate and sprinkle patriotic sprinkles!
Ready to start shopping for your Fourth of July preparation? Walmart has everything you need to make this holiday a spectacular one.
You can also find some great produce at Walmart to complement any summer recipe.
For even more great hand-Krafted ideas, check out this digital cookbook. You can also see more from Kraft on Facebook + Twitter.
What are your favorite recipes to celebrate the Fourth of July?
So many great 4th of July ideas! Thank you for sharing! #client