Independence Day dinner with friends and family is a celebration of summer and a commemoration of the revolutionary ideas of our brave founding fathers. Included here are 20 menu ideas that should give you a night to remember.
Summer
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Stuffed with Pesto
These Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Stuffed with Pesto are simple for an everyday dinner or make an excellent dinner party dish.
Asian Chicken Salad with Watermelon Rind Pickle
This fresh Asian Chicken salad sports summery and flavorful watermelon rind pickle in addition to the traditional ingredients. We’ve got a great recipe for the dressing, so keep on reading.
BBQ Chips – Smoky Barbecued Roasted Potatoes
These smoky barbecue roasted potatoes are called chips across the pond. These are easy to make on your grill. They are perfect for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or that last Labor Day barbecue. Go out, get some potatoes, and get crackin’!
Many of us are familiar with the scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers:
Potato Salad – Make it in the Instant Pot
This is my potato salad, the one that I make that everyone who has it loves it. It’s simple, and you can make it in the Instant Pot.
Rotisserie Stuffed Beef Roast for Labor Day or Any Day
Have a wonderful stuffed beef roast at any time of year either with your rotisserie air fryer or the rotisserie on your grill.
Black Bean Tostadas with all the Fixings
These black bean tostadas can make a great appetizer on small tortillas, or make a spread for a whole meal. We like them for a light meal in the heat of summer. You can add meat if you want.
You might have seen my post back from 2011 when I used canned black beans to make this tostada. Well, now that the Instant Pot is available, you can make your own beans in under an hour with the flavorings you want, and none of the stuff you don’t want.
Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce Salad
Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce is a healthy dish that typically comes together over two days comes together in an afternoon with the help of an Instant Pot.
Black Lentil Salad – Instant Pot Easy on a Summer Night
When you want something tasty, healthy, and filling on a hot summer night, this might be just the one for you. Black lentils are unique because they do not lose their shape or flavor as easily as red and green lentils do. They have a nutty flavor that we love.
Greek Turkey Burgers – The Month of Burgers
Greek turkey burgers are a tasty, welcome change from ordinary burgers. Enjoy them with couscous and tabouleh.
Greek Turkey Burgers
Turkey burgers are great in the summertime because of their light flavor. They are also pretty good for keeping your summer figure as they have less fat than beef. Of course, if you don’t have ground turkey available, ground beef would work for these burgers as well.
Feta cheese is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep’s milk or a combination of sheep and goat milk. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it is formed into large blocks and aged in brine. Its flavor is tangy and salty, ranging from mild to sharp. Although Feta is a mild cheese, some prefer a less salty variety. French Feta cheese is less salty than its Greek forebearer.
The yogurt used in the sauce is plain yogurt we made using a sous vide immersion cooker. Mixed with mayonnaise and white pepper, it makes a light sauce perfect for these burgers. You can use whatever buns you like. If you don’t want to use buns, feel free to put your Greek turkey burgers in Pita bread.
My good friend gave me some tabouleh, easily the best I have ever had. We will be featuring that recipe soon. Anyway, what goes better with tabouleh than Greek Turkey Burgers and some curried couscous?
These burgers are great for the summer, on the outdoor grill, or on an indoor cast iron griddle. Use your favorite Feta cheese. There are many varieties available, my favorite is French. Of course, if you don’t like Feta cheese, you could substitute your favorite cheese instead. Don’t be afraid of putting mint, it’s not going to taste like peppermint candy.