The Fourth of July usually finds me in the pool or somewhere on a beach, but almost always with good food, typically cooked on the grill. Summertime is all about easy cooking and not heating up the oven. Today, I’ll give you some ideas for a fun and festive July 4th menu that’s big on flavor and comes together with little preparation. I’m also sharing my recipe for Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cayenne Herb Butter. 

Each year on Independence Day in my family, we like to keep the menu all-American and celebrate the wonderful foods in season, like vine-ripened tomatoes, sweet summer corn and juicy watermelon. Usually that means grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, slicing up some cold watermelon and keeping dessert simple with a store-bought angel food or pound cake assembled with fresh berries and sweetened whipped cream. Slice cake into small cubes. In a trifle bowl, alternately layer cubed cake with berries and whipped cream. Finish with whipped cream and decorate with red, white and blue sparklers or sprinkles.

Fire up the grill, put on your red, white and blue and enjoy this menu with family and friends. All of the items on this list can easily be packed into a cooler or picnic basket too. Prepare to sip on an ice-cold glass of sweet tea or lemonade and settle in for the fireworks. Happy Independence Day!

Some Kinda Good 4th of July Menu

• Grilled Hamburgers and Hot Dogs with toasted buns and all the fixings
  • Sliced iceburg lettuce
  • Sliced tomatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • Raw Sweet Onion, thinly sliced
  • Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, Relish
• Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cayenne Herb Butter
• Rotini Pasta Salad with Fresh Parmesan Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes
• Sliced Watermelon
• Strawberry-Blueberry Pound Cake Trifle with Fresh Whipped Cream

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cayenne Herb Butter

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon each of chopped basil, parsley and chives
• 4 ears of Fresh Corn, leaves, silks and tassels removed

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir, pressing seasonings and herbs into the softened butter until well combined. Using clean hands, massage about a 1 to 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into each ear of corn and grill over medium-high heat until slightly charred for 10 – 15 minutes, rotating as needed.

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Georgia native Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a freelance writer, entertainer and food enthusiast who writes and speaks about her love of good food and the Coastal South. Watch her compete on Food Network Star this summer, Sunday nights at 9 p.m. Rebekah is the longtime Statesboro Herald food columnist and host of SKG-TV on YouTube.  A Georgia Southern University alumna, she also attended Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Institute of Savannah. To learn more, connect with Some Kinda Good on social media, or visit RebekahLingenfelser.com.