The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. We chill out in shorts and flip-flops. Our family gets together and we eat outside, so there is less mess to clean up inside after the festivities. We spit watermelon seeds and churn fresh peach ice cream. This year, we may not have the outside fireworks we’ve enjoyed for so many years, but we can enjoy these fun snacks that will make our holiday sparkle.
Pepper Jack Cheeseburger DipÂ
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
- 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons Clark and Hopkins Virginia Artisan Pepper Sauce
- ¼ cup dill pickle cubes
- 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
- 4 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
- ½ can (5 ounces) Ro-Tel tomatoes with lime and cilantro
- Garnishes: chopped green onions and sour cream
- Saratoga Red White and Blue Potato Chips (available at Fresh Market) and/or Tortilla chips for serving
Brown ground beef and onions in a frying pan. Drain fat. Add Greek seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce and dill pickle cubes to ground beef. Stir to combine. Add pepper jack cheese and Velveeta cubes and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Add tomatoes and stir. Garnish with green onions and sour cream. Serve with red white and blue potato chips and/or tortilla chips.
Red, White and Bubbly SangriaÂ
- 1 cup Raspberry Peach Grand Marnier
- ¼ cup Triple Sec
- 1 bottle chilled Mionetto Rosé Sparkling Wine
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Apple slices cut into star shapes (put apple stars in water mixed with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown)
Place Raspberry Peach Grand Marnier and triple sec in a large pitcher. Add blueberries and stir. Top with ¾ bottle of sparkling wine and stir. Add raspberries and apple stars. Stir very lightly (raspberries will crush easily). Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with remaining chilled sparkling wine just before serving.
Peanut Butter S’mores Bites
Children will love to make these no-bake cookies, as much as they enjoy eating them!
Makes 24 cookies
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 11.5 ounce bag milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup crushed pretzels
- 1 cup crushed graham crackers
- Flaked sea salt
- 72 mini marshmallows
Place marshmallows, peanut butter and chocolate chips in a saucepan. Stir and melt over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add crushed pretzels and graham crackers. Using a #40 scoop (approximately 1 ½ tablespoons per scoop), place scoops of cookie dough on a cookie sheet. Place 3 mini marshmallows on top of each cookie, gently pressing down on the marshmallows to adhere them to the cookie. Place cookies under the oven broiler and broil until marshmallows are toasty brown.  Remove cookies from baking sheet with a spatula onto a serving plate.
About the Writer:
Following her career in healthcare dining and nutrition management, Becky Ellis followed her passion to create Bubblybee, a champagne and food blog. Her motto is “Don’t wait to celebrate! Pop the cork now!” She loves to share tips for entertaining with bubbly. Find her creative recipes and champagne tasting notes at bubblybee.net and Instagram @cocktails_w_bubblybee.
