Delicious Fourth of July BBQ Recipes

By: Lisa Furgison

The holiday weekend is all about firing up the grill, hanging out with friends and enjoying the outdoors. A family BBQ has always been a tradition in the Furgison family, so I thought I'd compile some recipes for all the grillers out there who want to try something a little different. Some recipes are favorites I've found online over the years and others are family recipes.

If you have a mouthwatering recipe, share it with us in the comment section below.

Happy grilling!

Smoked Burger Marinade
The following recipe came from the Furgison kitchen.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 drops liquid smoke (Be careful, don't use too much)
3 -5 drops sesame oil
garlic 
cracked black pepper
yellow mustard

Directions:

Pour over burgers or steaks and let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour. (Roughly the time it takes to watch that Sopranos episode you missed on HBO On Demand) You can even mix a little into the burger while forming patties. Cook over hardwood charcoal fire. Grill should be hot enough to sear outside quickly.

Maple Glazed Ribs
The following recipe came from Taste of Home.

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork spareribs, cut into serving-size pieces
1 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
2 green onions, minced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted 

Directions:

Place ribs, meaty side up, on a rack in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake at 350° for 1-1/4 hours or until tender; drain.

Meanwhile, combine the next nine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill ribs, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 15-20 minutes, brushing occasionally with glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds just before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
The following recipe comes from Allrecipes.

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
10 slices bacon
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dry ranch salad dressing mix
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
1/2 cup milk, or as needed
1 large tomato, chopped
1 (4.25 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in rotini pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until evenly brown. Drain and chop.

In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and garlic pepper. Stir in milk until smooth. Place bacon, tomato, black olives and cheese in bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Toss with additional milk if the salad seems a little dry.

Macaroni Salad
The following recipe is from the Furgison kitchen. 

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 celery rib, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped onion
4 hard-cooked egg, chopped 

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain and rinse in cold water. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Stir in celery and onion. Fold in macaroni and egg. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 2 servings.

Mojito Marinated Fruit
The following recipe came from Taste of Home. 

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup light rum
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
2 cups each cantaloupe, honeydew and seedless watermelon balls
2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
3 mint sprigs
Additional mint sprigs, optional 

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in the rum, lime juice and peel. Cool.

In a large bowl, combine the melon, pineapple and mint. Add marinade; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Discard mint. Spoon fruit with syrup into serving cups. Garnish with additional mint if desired. Yield: 10 servings.