Celebrating Fourth of July the Texas Tasty Way
Get ready for fireworks, friends and food! Independence Day weekend is near, and we’ve got your celebration menu covered. Set your picnic tables up and make this Fourth of July the most flavorful one yet with this compilation of Texas Tasty recipes that everyone will love and remember!
Cocktails
A festive weekend is always worth clinking glasses to, and being outside in the Texas heat, beverages are a need. For this Independence Day, enjoy cocktails with ingredients that splash red, white and blue from our Inauguration Day list! Our favorite to quench this Fourth of July thirst: the quick, simple and refreshing Blue Lagoon.
Blue Lagoon
Ingredients:
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce curaçao
- 4 ounces lemonade
- Crushed ice
Instructions:
- Add the vodka and curaçao to a shaker with ice. Shake until the shaker is cold to the touch.
- Place the crushed ice in the glass. Pour the mixture over the ice
- Top with the lemonade
Appetizer
While sipping on your beverage of choice, we know an appetizer always pairs well, especially before a tasty main dish. And the Fourth of July isn’t the beloved American holiday without a smoky flavor in the great outdoors. For a celebratory appetizer, try our recipe for Sausage Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers or Smoked Queso… or both, of course.
Sausage Cream Cheese Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients:
- A block of cream cheese
- Ground sausage
- 8 jalapenos
- A package of bacon
- For dipping:
- Honey
Instructions:
To begin, you want to start preheating your grill or oven. If using a grill, preheat to 350 degrees and if using an oven, preheat to 450 degrees.
Start cutting and hollowing out your jalapeños. Make sure you cut them longwise! When hollowing out, I suggest using a spoon and pressing from the top to bottom. You’re welcome to leave some seeds if you like some heat but if you absolutely don’t want them to be spicy, definitely run them under water to make sure they’re completely clean.
Time for the filling! Cook your ground sausage and put it into a bowl. Add your block of cream cheese and mix them together. This should be pretty easy because the heat from the cooked sausage will soften the cheese. Once it is mixed, use a spoon to scoop the mixture onto your halved jalapenos. Use the back of the spoon to make sure you pack the mixture down. Once all jalapenos are filled, move on to the bacon.
Each halved jalapeno will need a slice of bacon. Hold the strip at the top of the jalapeno and wrap the rest around it.
If you’re using an oven, put the jalapenos in for 10 minutes or until bacon is cooked. If you’re using a grill, leave them on for about 45 minutes. Check to make sure the cream cheese isn’t bursting out of the bacon!
Enjoy!
Smoked Queso
Ingredients:
- Queso blanco
- Velveeta block
- Jalapenos
- Tomatoes
- White onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Seasoned ground beef
Instructions:
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees.
Now, this recipe is quite easy because you just chop everything and put it into a foil pan. For the seasoned ground beef, I used comino, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. You’re welcome to use your own spices but always make sure you taste test it before adding to the pan!
You’ll want to leave your queso in the smoker for an hour or so. As the queso is cooking, make sure to stir every 15 minutes to make sure everything is heating properly. Once finished, serve with some chips and enjoy!
Main Dish
The ultimate dish is a familiar favorite with a twist, and our grills are ready for it. For this Fourth of July entrée, devour the Caliente Burger cooked to perfection with seasoned Creole Fries while watching flags wave, fireworks and feeling the crisp, summer air.
The Caliente Burger with Creole Fries
Ingredients:
For the Caliente Burger:
- 1 Lb. Angus Beef (Makes 4 Patties)
- 1/2 Cup Tony Chachere’s Burger Marinade
- 3 Tbsp. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
- 1 Habanero Pepper
- 1 Onion, Carmelized
- 1-2 Tsp. Aioli Chipotle, Per Burger
- Lettuce
- 1 Tomato, Sliced
- 8 Egg Buns
- 2 Tsp. Sugar
- 3 Tsp. Vinegar
- 4 Slices Pepper Jack Cheese, 1 Per Burger
For the Creole Fries:
- Large Russet Potatoes, Hand Cut Into Fries
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1-2 Tbsp. Truffle Oil
- 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, Minced
- Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
Instructions:
Making the Caliente Burger:
- Place ground angus beef, Tony’s Burger Marinade and Tony’s Original Creole Seasoning into a large mixing bowl and mix until combined. Form into desired number of patties (each to weigh 1/4 pound).
- Chop onion and cook in pan with sugar and hot oil over low heat for 20 minutes or until onion carmelized. Stir in 1/4-cup water and vinegar. Keep warm.
- Grill burger patties over medium heat until cooked properly (will be about 6-8 minutes per side).
- Add pepper jack cheese on top and melt.
- Grill egg hamburger buns.
- Serve each burger on bun with lettuce. tomato, aioli chipotle, habaneros and caramelized onions.
Making the Creole Fries:
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Cut potatoes into 1/4 – 1/2-inch thick fries.
- In a large bowl, combine hand-cut fries, olive oil, truffle oil, garlic powder, Tony’s Original Creole Seasoning and parsley. Toss until evenly coated.
- Transfer to a greased baking sheet and spread evenly with minimal overlap.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Dessert
Finally, we hope there’s still room left for more, because what better way to end a fun-filled weekend than with dessert? Our revamped take on a classic will spark nostalgia for old memories while making new ones this Fourth of July.
Banana Pudding – REVAMPED
Ingredients:
- 5 bananas
- 2 packages of Chessmen cookies
- A packet and a half of French vanilla pudding mix
- 1 container of Cool Whip
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 package of cream cheese
Instructions:
First, you’ll need to arrange a package of chessmen cookies into a layer, along with the cut bananas. Make sure to fill in the cracks between the cookies! My mom, the pudding pro, places a banana piece on each cookie and then goes back in to place a banana piece in between a few cookies. The more bananas, the better!
Next, mix the French vanilla pudding mix and milk together. In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese and a can of condensed milk. Fold in a full container of Cool Whip. Then, combine both filling mixtures. Pour the combined mixture over the first layer of cookies and bananas, smoothing it out and making sure to leave no cookie untouched. Add a top layer of cookies! Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and serve.
Enjoy!