Easy Entertaining for the 4th of July

Entertaining in summer appeals for many reasons.  The weather is nice enough to host a larger group of friends and family, and with the 4th of July, you have another excuse to gather everyone for food and fun.

Don't be intimidated by summer entertaining.  Many dishes can be made ahead of time, and everyone enjoys bringing along their specialty--just ask! 

Here are a few ideas that I've shared either at barbeques we've hosted or when we've been invited guests.  The key to enjoying the gathering is prepping as much as you can ahead of time.  This will allow you to enjoy your friends and family rather than stressing out over making food.

Start with some simple appetizers to greet your guests as they arrive. This will tide them over while they mingle and wait for the main event.  A simple and delicious stand-by is a Veggie Pizza or an irrresistibble Carmelized Onion Dip.  While appetizers are a great way to whet the appetite of your guests, it's a good idea not to go overboard so that they won't lose interest in the main meal.

For the main dish, you can go as simple as hamburgers and hot dogs or steaks or marinate your favorite meat and grill it up.  All of these options are quick and easy to prepare, especially if you marinate ahead of time.  Simply add to a hot grill, and keep track of the time!  A fantastic marinade is one that uses limes, lemons and rosemary to give a fresh flavor to poultry. An example: Zesty Lime Marinated Chicken.

Don't forget the side dishes!  I love serving fresh Jersey corn on the cob when we are grilling and sharing with friends. Corn is so easy to prepare, and it can cook while the meat is on the grill.  A big salad with an assortment of dressings is also welcome, as many people watch what they eat these days.  A fantastic salad to serve that is also visually appealing is a Layered Salad.  For the kids, I like to do a veggie plate of bite-size bits that allows them to choose what they want—cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, carrot sticks and anything else that looks appealing when I'm shopping.

Now, every gathering needs to end on a sweet note.  If you have a fire pit, keep it super simple and make s'mores.  If you don't have a fire pit, go with a show-stopping, make-it-in-the-morning dessert such as a Chocolate Eclair Ice-Box Dessert (recipe below) or Frozen Toffee-Caramel Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert.  Both are easy to prepare and not only look mouth-watering when you bring them out to serve—but offer real star-spangled decadence.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July! 

Chocolate Eclair Icebox Dessert
Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients
22 1/2 sheets (about 1 [14-ounce] box) low-fat honey graham crackers, divided
Cooking spray
3 cups fat-free milk
2 (3.4-ounce) packages fat-free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 (8-ounce) tub fat-free cream cheese
1 (8-ounce) tub frozen
reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons stick margarine or butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered
sugar

Directions
Arrange 7 1/2 graham cracker sheets in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine 3 cups milk,
pudding mix and cream cheese in a large bowl, and beat at low speed of a mixer 1 minute or until thick. Fold in whipped topping.

Spread half of the pudding mixture over graham crackers, and top with 7 1/2 graham cracker sheets. Repeat the procedure with the remaining half of pudding mixture and 7 1/2 graham cracker sheets.

Combine 1/4 cup milk, softened margarine, honey and unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl, and beat well with a mixer. Gradually
add powdered sugar to milk mixture, and beat well. Spread chocolate glaze over graham crackers.

Cover dessert and tent with foil; chill 4 hours.
Yield: 18 servings

For more recipe ideas, visit Patsy Kreitman's tasty blog, famfriendsfood.