4th of July Recipes

Pull out the barbeque grill and get the coals burning bright! What's more American than a day spent with good friends and great food in the warmth of the summer sun? Be forewarned, these recipes are not intended to be a representation of a healthy, low-calorie, low-cholesterol meal. My advice to those of us counting calories... be prepared to fall off the wagon at this party! As we celebrate the anniversary of our nation's independence this July 4th, let's not forget those who continue to fight for these freedoms every day through their service in America's armed forces.

Here in East Tennessee, some of the finest local cuisine is at Dolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood. One popular, unique item that pleases tourists and locals alike are the Barbeque Potato Ribbon Fries. Rumor has it that the signature dressing is a mix of chipotle pepper and ranch dressing. (Take note, this is also a fantastic sauce for onion rings, or to dress a hamburger!) Here is a copycat version of Dollywood's Barbeque Potato Ribbon Fries. Served as a shareable appetizer / side, scale this recipe to suit your attendance. Current scale serves one "plate", best shared between two people.

• one potato
• 4 oz chopped beef brisket
• 3 oz diced scallions
• 3 oz diced tomatoes
• 4 oz blue cheese, grated
• 4 oz bacon bits
• dressing

Peel potato in the style of a "ribbon". Fry potato in hot oil to a light golden color. After draining, coat potato in layers of the beef, scallions, bacon bits, tomatoes and cheese. Top with dressing.

Keep it country with another lip-smacking side: Country Fried Corn! Not for the faint of heart...or those concerned with their cholesterol count, but certainly worth the guilt if you can handle it. Scale to suit your needs. Current scale - 12 servings.

• 5 slices thick sliced bacon
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 8 ears fresh sweet corn
• salt and pepper to taste

Fry the bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Crumble up cooked bacon and set aside. Add the onion to the fat in the skillet and cook until soft. Husk the corn, and cut the kernels from the ears. Add the corn to the onion in the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add bacon and mix to heat throughout. Season with salt and pepper.

Bust out the hot dogs and your preferred style of beef; be it steaks or hamburgers. Top these traditional meats with the Southern Spice Barbeque Sauce or Beefy Hot Dog Sauce. The Southern Spice Barbeque Sauce requires no cooking at all, and is ready in minutes, The following recipe is scaled to make approximately 3 cups of sauce.

• 2 c. ketchup
• 12 T. worcestershire sauce
• 8 T. butter / margarine
• 6 T. white vinegar
• 2 T. yellow mustard
• 6 T. finely minced yellow onion
• 8 tsp. hickory flavored liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 T. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together and coat over your favorite barbequed meat.

The Beefy Hot Dog Sauce is very simple to make as well. The following recipe should yield enough to cover a standard gathering.

• 1 lb ground chuck
• 1/4 c. chopped fine onion
• 1-23 oz. can tomato juice
• 1/2 c. chile sauce
• 1 T. chili powder
• 2 T brown sugar
• Corn meal

Cook ground chuck and onion together, crumbling into small bits as it cooks. Drain, and add remaining ingredients. Sprinkle corn meal to thicken mixture as needed.

To try something off the grill, consider Coca Cola Chicken. The following recipe serves four. Scale to suit your needs.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 c. Coca Cola
• 1 c. barbeque sauce
• 1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a 9x13" dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Mix coke, barbeque sauce, and salt and pour over chicken. Bake uncovered until chicken is tender and sauce has cooked down very thick. Baste chicken while baking and spoon sauce over chicken to serve.

Top off your 4th of July festival with the decadently delightful American Flag Cheesecake! The recipe that follows serves 20.

• 1 quart fresh strawberries
• 1 1/2 c. boiling water
• 2 pkgs any red flavor gelatin
• Ice cubes
• 1 c. cold water
• 10.75 oz pkg pound cake, cut into 10 slices
• 1 1/3 c fresh blueberries
• 2-8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 8 oz. tub whipped topping, thawed

Slice 1 cup of the strawberries, halve remaining strawberries. Stir boiling water into gelatin until dissolved. Add ice to 1 cup cold water to make 2 cups. Add to gelatin, stir until ice is melted. Refrigerate 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cover bottom of 13x9" pan with cake. Stir sliced strawberries and 1 cup blueberries into gelatin, pour over cake. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Beat cream cheese and sugar in bowl until blended. Stir in whipped topping. Spread over gelatin. Top with strawberry halves (for stripes) and blueberries (for stars) to make flag.