Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. One of the most celebrated days in America, the Fourth celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And after the last 18 months we’ve all had, I think this year the celebrations will be bigger. Today I’m sharing my favorite recipes for a family and friends get-together. What’s on your menu?

Drink of the Day - Red Wine Sangria

Mix together:

1 bottle of red wine (750-mL)

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup brandy

1/4 cup granulated sugar (sometimes I skip this)

1 sliced orange

1 cup blueberries

1 cup sliced strawberries

Refrigerate for at least two hours. I keep a bottle of seltzer and/or ginger ale on the table I’m serving it as sometimes people like to top their drink with this.

Appetizer

Who doesn’t love a good charcuterie board?! These are so incredibly easy to put together and are a huge crowd-pleaser. Simply grab a board and a selection of meat, cheese, olives, crackers, and jams and you are ready to go. I recently purchased this board at Pottery Barn for a party we were hosting and it is perfect but had I not had a gift card, I would have purchased this one at Target for a fraction of the price. I like a board that is a bit different, but honestly, any board will work.

I buy everything I need at our local Trader Joe’s. I purchase three different kinds of salami, prosciutto, and any other meats I know my family will eat. I also purchase a few different types of cheese (brie, cheddar, goat), some cornichons, two different types of olives, Marcona almonds, both fig and berry jams, an assortment of crackers, and an assortment of dried fruit (kiwi, banana chips, cranberries).

To assemble, I place the olives, jam, and cornichons in small white ramekins on the board, spaced from each other. Once these are in place, I set the cheese on the board. I follow that with some of the meats. Don’t be afraid to put things at an angle or roll. Now I fill in with crackers, dried fruit, and almonds. I use the dried fruit and almonds to fill in any of the gaps on the board. Once the board is full, I will sprinkle some blueberries for color, maybe add a sprig or two of rosemary, and add serving utensils. Additionally, I include another bowl of crackers and sliced bread on the side. These are super easy, take 15 minutes to put together, travel well if you’re going somewhere, and seriously delicious.

Salads

I always offer two or three different salads on the Fourth of July. For fruit, I love putting halves strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, and pineapple in a bowl and serving as is. If you’re feeling fancy, you can cut starts out the watermelon using a star cookie cutter.

I always love a potato salad and if you’re looking for a healthier version, here is the faux potato salad I make. It’s delicious! And for a green salad, I will place a mixture of romaine lettuce and spinach in a bowl, top it with sliced beets, blue cheese crumbles (or goat cheese), candied walnuts, raspberries, and blueberries. I then mix 1/4 c olive oil, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, and a dash of honey together to create the salad dressing. Garnish with salt and pepper.

The Main Event - Burger Bar

Serving a crowd this year? A burger bar is the perfect main course for you! Just like the name suggests, a burger bar is where you offer your guests burgers of different types, different buns, and an assortment of goodies that allow your guests to personalize their burgers.

For buns, I recommend the standard white, a wheat option, sourdough, and head lettuce for those who might be watching their carbs.

For the goodie assortment, I have different types of cheese, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, avocado, pineapple slices, hummus, pickled red onions, sliced pickles and relish, tomatoes, and all of the sauces you can imagine - catsup, different mustards, Trader Joe’s Magnifisauce, teriyaki sauce, and hot sauces.

For the burgers, I typically cook up Beyond Burger for those that don’t eat meat, a traditional meat burger, a meat burger stuffed with blue cheese (recipe below), and a chicken or turkey burger. To make the blue cheese burger, simply add 1/4c finely chopped white onion, 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, 1 slightly beaten egg, and 1/4c crumbled blue cheese to your ground round. Make your burgers as normal and cook.

Dessert

Nothing says Fourth of July like an all-American apple pie. My recipe is super simple to make and can be made the night prior.

Combine the following:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

8 tart green apples (thinly sliced)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Coat the apples well with the mixture. Sometimes I will place the entire mixture in a gallon ziplock bag and shake everything together to ensure everything is well coated. Once everything is coated, please this mixture in your crust. To simplify things, I use the frozen pre-made crust rounds at Trader Joe’s. Simply defrost a bit, and roll one in for the crust (poke some holes), fill with the apple mixture, and then top with another crust, cutting holes for venting. Cover the edges with foil so they don’t burn and cook on 375 for about 40 minutes. Usually about 10 minutes before I’m ready to take it out of the oven, I remove the foil from the edges so they can nicely brown.