10 Popular Fourth of July Foods That Represent America
As Independence Day approaches, popular foods that celebrate our nation’s history, as well as colors, come to mind. Regardless of the Fourth of July holiday falling mid-week this year, these classic American foods will impress your family and friends whenever you choose to celebrate.
Tips under each recipe idea show how you can present them with extra decorations that color coordinate your food with our nation’s flag. More importantly, the foods listed below are all party-friendly in terms of serving size and portability.
1. Fourth of July fruit parfaits
Photo by Allison Curley
Strawberries, bananas, and blueberries are three fruits that scream red, white, and blue. You can use any type of pudding or yogurt, fruit, and bread to create this festive parfait. All you have to do is simply alternate layers of the three main ingredients until you run out. Not only do parfaits taste amazing, but they also add to the fun of the holiday with certain theme color choices. Pound cake, like in the photo, turns this recipe idea into a dessert. However, other types of bread can be used to make it less sweet.
2. BBQ
Classic barbecue foods, like ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and cornbread, remind people of America. Barbecue foods also represent a great activity that many people do in order to celebrate the Fourth. Fire up your grill or slow cooker and make some awesome barbecue-flavored protein that will make you feel extra patriotic.
While it might be hard to make a blue barbecue sauce, you can certainly decorate with utensils. Red, white, and blue napkins and plates can add just the right amount of Fourth of July theme without changing the foods in any way.
3. Chocolate chip cookies
Photo by Allison Curley
Chocolate chip cookies are considered a typical American dessert. There are tons of different recipes and variations online. The key for the Fourth of July is to get creative about the presentation. A great example of a Fourth of July theme cookie is a cookie pizza decorated with red, white, and blue icing. This same idea could be applied to smaller individual cookies, but it looks bigger and brighter for guests this way.
4. Pie
American cuisine is known for its pie, especially apple. This can be store-bought or homemade. Either way, it represents America proudly and can feature red, white, and blue colors with certain ingredients like berries. It is also pretty easy to get creative with the pie crust placement. Some people cut out their pie crust to look like the outline of the American flag, or arrange it in a lattice shape like the photo above.
5. Hot dogs and hamburgers
Hot dogs and hamburgers are classic grilling foods that represent America, especially during sports games or barbecues. They work great for the Fourth of July because they are easy to make and serve to a lot of people. You can add Fourth of July themed utensils and decorations to this classic American dinner pairing. Overall, though, they are a pretty simple choice that will make a lot of Americans happy on Independence Day.
6. Pizza
While pizza comes from Italian cuisine, America definitely takes its own spin on it. There are a ton of American pizza chains like Domino’s and Papa John’s that can make your holiday cooking less involved with their delivery services. Or, if you want to make some yourself, you can add star-shaped pepperoni on top or place the cheese in lines that look like the stripes on the flag. A little creativity can make this adopted favorite truly American and Fourth of July themed.
7. Fried chicken
Another order-ahead meal that can still make your Fourth of July feel patriotic is fried chicken. This type of chicken can be found throughout America in tons of fast food restaurants. You can also make it yourself even though it would be more challenging and time-consuming. If you want to make it look more patriotic, add red peppers, onions, and blue napkins.
8. Macaroni and cheese
Photo by Allison Curley
Another Fourth of July favorite, especially for kids, is mac and cheese. This is a simple classic, which is great for parties. Festive decorations like American flag toothpicks can be added to large serving bowls to make this meal kid-friendly as well as Fourth of July-friendly.
9. Peanut butter and jelly bites
Photo by Allison Curley
A classic American sandwich is a PB & J. Instead of serving peanut butter and jelly on bread, try making it into peanut butter and jelly balls that are covered in chocolate. This takes a classic American food and creates a new, fun, and portable dessert. American flag toothpicks would be a great serving tool to stick in each bite for decorative as well as practical purposes.
10. Cheesecake
Photo by Allison Curley
Lastly, classic American cheesecake (probably made with Philadelphia Cream Cheese) can be a great Fourth of July dessert. Not only is it delicious, but it also features an American product and makes it easy to color coordinate. For example, fruit-based toppings, such as cherries, strawberries, and blueberries, can be added on top of the cheesecake. This will incorporate all three American flag colors and please your sweet tooth.
Overall, creativity can go a long way when it comes to food. American cuisine features things like fried food, barbecue flavors, and simple desserts. However, with food trends, colored toppings, and decorations, these meals will turn into small physical representations of America. Not to mention, these 10 examples are perfect for the Fourth of July because of their party size inspiration.