Fourth of July Grilling Guide: Beyond Burgers and Dogs

American holidays are often centered around a few traditional, staple dishes, and the Fourth of July is no exception. Just like how Thanksgiving is all about the oven - turkey, sweet potato casseroles, and pumpkin pies - the Fourth of July is all about the grill. Seasonally, it makes sense. Thanksgiving, at least for East coasters, is right about when the weather is becoming reliably chilly, while the Fourth of July is just about when the weather is becoming reliably hot, making the grill a great choice for cooking up a meal. And really, is there any better way to prepare for the fireworks than by firing up the grill?

Any big national holiday is somewhere between a joyful and ulcer-inducing occasion for home cooks. Who will you invite? What will your menu be? When will you prepare everything? And how do you produce a patriotic spread and entertain your guests at the same time?

Here's an easy trick: Pick one cooking method, and stick to it like molasses. In other words, don't bounce back and forth between the grill outside and the kitchen inside.

If grilling is what's expected on the Fourth, use that to your advantage. Grill appetizers, grill entrees, grill sides, and grill desserts. And think outside the gas tank about what you're throwing on the grates. Why just do hamburgers and hot dogs? Every neighbor on both sides of the block is doing that, and this holiday is all about independent thinking anyway.

We've collected the best of The Daily Meal's grilling recipes for you - see them as some creative lighter fluid to spark your menu planning. Because when people in this country start putting hamburgers on doughnuts, you know, maybe it's time for a new tradition.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Here's a quick and simple side dish that gets a flavor boost from the grill. Charring sweet potatoes on the grill gives them a smoky edge, and a piquant cilantro-lime dressing contrasts nicely with their natural sweetness.

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing:

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

For the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil into the lime juice in a steady stream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir in the cilantro. Set aside.

For the sweet potatoes:

Preheat a cast-iron grill pan or outdoor grill over medium heat. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. When the grill is hot, add the sweet potatoes in a single layer and grill until marked on both sides and softened, about 5 minutes per side.

Serve with the dressing.

Recipe Details

Servings: 4
Cuisine: American
Special Designations: Vegan, Vegetarian, Healthy

Elotes Callejeros (Grilled Corn) Recipe

An addictive spring/summer recipe from chef Akhtar Nawab of La Esquina in New York City. If you're unable to find cotija (a tangy, crumbly cheese), then try using feta instead.

Related: Click here to see the recipe

Grilled Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe

Grilled pound cake is my signature dessert. It's a perfect match for my style of cooking, which is heavy on barbecue, the real, slow-smoked kind, as well as when I fire up the grill. Sure, you can make your own pound cake and ice cream from scratch or you can save some time and pick some up at the store.

Click here to see the recipe

Sesame Grilled Meatballs Recipe

So I'm sitting here one day working on this book and I think to myself, why couldn't you do meatballs on a grill? And guess what - turns out you can, and they're way easy, way fun, and way good. Who knew?

Click here to see the recipe

Grilled Cowboy Steaks with Florida Citrus-Roasted Chile Salsa Recipe

This steak recipe uses orange juice to give it a light and refreshing flavor for summer, and the roasted chile salsa adds a hint of heat.

Click here to see the recipe

Thai Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers Recipe

My kids cannot resist these tender, juicy Asian-inspired chicken skewers. The combination of ginger, cardamom, and curry, sweetened by brown sugar, is sweet, savory, and bold! Serve them with a side of peanut-coconut sauce and your taste buds will thank you.

Click here to see the recipe

-Emma Laperruque, The Daily Meal


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