By Elizabeth Webb
My family loves to celebrate Independence Day! It’s one of our favorite holidays because of the four F’s: Faith, Family, Freedom, and Food. As our great nation celebrates its 250th birthday, it’s a great time to reflect on the struggles it took to get here, be grateful for the brave men and women who continue to keep us free, and enjoy the day with family and friends. It’s a time for celebration, not stressing about what to make for a cookout. These five dishes will take the worry out of meal planning and have people asking for the recipe!
Unusual Corn Casserole
This side dish is one of my favorites. This was my grandmother’s recipe, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it makes an appearance at every family gathering. It’s easy, delicious, and goes with everything. It also doubles nicely for a soufflé texture.
1 egg
1 c sour cream
½ c melted butter
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 package of Jiffy corn bread mix
Mix in a bowl and pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
Creepy Crust Cobbler
Another one of my grandma’s recipes, this dessert comes together quickly and is so easy. You can use fresh or canned fruit, or prepared pie filling. My favorite fruits to use are fresh peaches or cherry pie filling. This is delicious on its own or topped with ice cream or whipped cream.
½ c butter (melted in a 10-inch baking dish)
1 c sugar
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ c milk
2 c fruit
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and melt the butter in baking dish. Combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder, then add the milk and mix until combined. Spoon the crust mixture over the melted butter in the baking dish and add the fruit on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. The crust will “creep” over the top of the fruit as it bakes.
Fumi Salad
This salad also makes it to most of our family gatherings. It’s similar to an Asian salad and is better when made the day before, saving you time and letting the flavors deepen.
For the dressing:
4 tbsp white sugar
1 c olive or avocado oil
6 tbsp white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
For the salad:
1 head of cabbage, finely chopped (bagged slaw mix works great too)
½ c sunflower seeds
8 green onions, sliced
8 oz of slivered almonds
2 pkg of ramen noodles, uncooked (without seasoning)
Toast the almonds and sunflower seeds in a skillet over low heat for just a few minutes; they burn easily, so be careful. Mix the cabbage and onions, then add the toasted almonds and sunflower seeds. Crush the ramen noodles in the package, then add them to the salad. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour over the top and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Grinder Cucumber Salad
This is a spin on the viral Grinder Sub. It’s light, easy, and is a great way to add some extra protein to your plate.
For the salad:
1 package of mini cucumbers sliced thin (or regular cucumbers cut in bite-sized pieces)
1 c of deli turkey, diced
1 c of deli ham, diced
1 c of your choice of salami, diced
1 c of shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ of pepperoncino peppers, chopped (optional for a little heat)
3 green onions, finely chopped
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
For the dressing:
1 c plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
½ c mayo
3-4 tbsp of red wine vinegar
2 tsp of olive or avocado oil
A splash of pepperoncino juice
2 tsp of Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and give them a toss. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and pour over the salad. If your dressing is thicker than you like, you can add a little water, or add more red wine vinegar or pepperoncino juice depending on your taste preferences. Mix everything together and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. This is best made the day before.
Oven BBQ Ribs
This last recipe is more time-consuming, but I promise you will not be disappointed. These oven BBQ ribs fall off the bone, melt in your mouth, and make you question if a smoker is necessary to cook delicious ribs.
This rub recipe is enough for 2 slabs of ribs; I prefer pork ribs.
2 c brown sugar
½ c dry mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper
The night before, cover the ribs with yellow mustard; you won’t actually taste it, but it helps the rub stick. After you’ve slathered them in mustard, cover them completely in the rub, front, back, and sides. Pat it on there so it sticks well. Wrap each slab in parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil. Keep them in the fridge overnight. Two hours before you cook them, remove the ribs from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cook the ribs for 3 hours at 300 degrees, then increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for another 1-1 ½ hours. Remove the ribs from the oven, unwrap them, drain any excess fat from the pan, slather them with your favorite BBQ sauce, and return them to the 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy.
Whether you’re spending the holiday with a large group or a few families and friends, make sure to enjoy the time with them, watch some fireworks, savor delicious food, and take time to remember everything that makes America great, and how lucky we are to live here!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Webb is a Registered Nurse turned high school English teacher who loves to encourage other women to embrace the path they’ve been called to. She enjoys spending time with her family, chasing her kids to sporting events, being outdoors, and anything creative. She lives on a farm in the Midwest with her husband, three children, and dogs.
