25 Easy 4th of July Appetizers

These easy 4th of July appetizers will get your Independence Day cookout off to a delicious start! They include fun finger foods, party dips, and more.

Need 4th of July appetizer ideas? We’re here to help! I’ve rounded up 25 of our best 4th of July appetizers below. They include show-stopping snack platters, fun finger foods, crowd-pleasing party dips, and more. Most showcase fresh summer produce (my favorite 4th of July recipes usually do!), and all of them are delicious. Take a look through—I’m sure you’ll find some you love! Finger Food 4th of July Appetizers Elote If you ask me, grilled corn on the cob is a must at any 4th of July party. But instead of serving it as a side dish, dress it…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

An Easy Pasta Salad for Your 4th of July Cookout

I've made dozens of pasta salads, but this fresh, herb-flecked one is my favorite. Readers love it too. It’s always our most popular 4th of July recipe!

The 4th of July is coming up this week, and I’m busy planning what to make for my family’s cookout. I still haven’t decided between these veggie burgers and these black bean burgers, between grilled asparagus and grilled zucchini, but I know one thing for certain: my go-to pasta salad will be on the menu. If you’ve been following for a while, you know that I like to share at least one new pasta salad recipe every summer. I love coming up with fun, flavorful combinations of veggies, herbs, a cheese, and a dressing, with a just-right pasta shape thrown…

TO THE POST >>>>

Best Potato Salad

Learn how to make potato salad with this easy recipe! The perfect BBQ side dish, it's creamy and flavorful, made with tangy pickles, celery, and mustard.

This potato salad recipe is hands down the BEST I’ve tried. It’s creamy, it’s tangy, and it’s flecked with savory herbs, crunchy celery, and (optional, but delicious) hard-boiled eggs. I’ll be bringing it to every cookout and BBQ we attend this summer. It’s essentially the classic potato salad that appeared at every picnic and potluck throughout my childhood, but it has a few key twists. First, I add diced dill pickles for crunch, and I also mix a splash of pickle brine into the creamy mayo and mustard dressing. The extra burst of acidity really makes the potatoes pop. Fresh…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Strawberry Tiramisu

Love no-bake summer desserts? This strawberry tiramisu is for you! It features layers of ruby red strawberries, tender ladyfingers, and cream.

This post is in partnership with DeLallo – their Ladyfingers are perfect for this recipe! Strawberry tiramisu! I tested this recipe multiple times to get it just right, and I’m so excited to share it with you in time for the Fourth of July. I think it’s the perfect dessert for summer celebrations. It’s no-bake (because who wants to turn their oven on right now?!), it’s PACKED with fresh strawberries, and the luxe layers of fluffy ladyfingers, berries, and cream make it feel super impressive. This recipe is fairly simple to make, but heads up that it needs to chill for…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Hugo Spritz

I love sipping a Hugo spritz on a hot day! Made with prosecco, elderflower liqueur, and fresh mint, this Italian cocktail is floral and refreshing.

Have you ever tried a Hugo spritz? This Italian cocktail is bubbly and bright, with floral notes from elderflower liqueur and herbal depth from fresh mint. It’s just as refreshing as an Aperol spritz, its better-known cousin, but it doesn’t have any of Aperol’s bitterness. Instead, it’s lightly sweet and delicate. It’s one of my favorite cocktails to sip on a hot summer day—always on a patio, and preferably in Italy…though more likely in my own backyard. Luckily, this Hugo spritz recipe is easy to make with 5 ingredients, so it couldn’t be simpler to mix up at home. Hugo…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Grilled Halloumi Salad

This halloumi salad is a cheese lover's dream! It features fresh veggies, croutons, and a tangy Greek dressing, plus lots of smoky grilled halloumi.

Cheese lovers, this grilled halloumi salad is for you! It stars salty, squeaky halloumi cheese, a goat and sheep’s milk cheese that hails from Cyprus. The #1 thing you should know about this cheese is that you can cook it! Its high melting point and firm texture make it perfect for grilling and roasting. I mean, grilled cheese?! Yes, please! This simple salad is one of my favorite ways to use grilled halloumi. The smoky, salty cheese plays off hearty croutons, crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and a tangy Greek dressing. It’s sort of like a cross between a classic Greek…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Blackberry Cobbler

This blackberry cobbler recipe is my idea of a perfect summer dessert. It's easy, delicious, and bursting with juicy berries. Serve with ice cream!

This blackberry cobbler recipe is easy and delicious. Juicy, tangy blackberries meld into a golden batter that’s soft and moist in the middle and crisp around the edges. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s a mouthwatering summer dessert. I’ve shared several biscuit-style cobblers in the past—there’s a yummy Summer Fruit Cobbler in Simple Feel Good Food, and I also have this great blueberry cobbler on the blog. But this blackberry cobbler recipe is my first attempt at a cake-y, batter-style cobbler. Friends, I’ve been missing out. Since this style of dessert was new to me, I loosely based…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

This classic strawberry banana smoothie recipe is a delicious healthy breakfast or snack! It's sweet, creamy, and super refreshing.

summer / smoothie

In the last few weeks, I’ve made this strawberry banana smoothie recipe more times than I can count. Now that it’s summer, my whole family has been having it for breakfast almost every morning. Thick, creamy, and sweet, it’s super refreshing on a hot day. This strawberry smoothie recipe couldn’t be simpler to make. It calls for a handful of basic ingredients and comes together in the blender in less than 5 minutes. It’s the kind of thing you can easily pull off for breakfast on a busy weekday morning (yes, even if you have a toddler running around!) or…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

You'll love this chocolate zucchini bread recipe! Packed with shredded zucchini and gooey chocolate chips, it's moist, fudgy, and delicious.

summer / snacks & dips

This double chocolate zucchini bread is moist, fudgy, and delicious. In the summertime, it’s my favorite way to satisfy a chocolate craving. It tastes just as decadent as a rich chocolate cake, but it’s packed with shredded zucchini. Eating your vegetables has never tasted so good! Like my classic zucchini bread recipe, this recipe makes two loaves. They disappear pretty quickly in our house, but if you have extra, pop one loaf in the freezer for another day, or share it with a friend! They (and you) will love this chocolate zucchini bread. Quick note: I recently re-tested and updated…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Tom Collins Cocktail

This Tom Collins recipe is easy to make with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda. Served over ice, this classic cocktail is bright and refreshing.

It’s probably not surprising that I love a Tom Collins cocktail. This sparkling gin drink is only one step removed from homemade lemonade, after all. Made with gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda, it’s bright, fizzy, and super refreshing. Plus, because it’s a long drink, meaning that the alcohol is mixed with a good amount of soda water, it’s not as strong as some other cocktails. This makes it perfect for sipping on a hot summer day. If you’re new to making cocktails at home, I think this Tom Collins recipe is a great place to start. You…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

10 Easy Father’s Day Grilling Recipes

These easy grilling recipes would be perfect for a Father's Day cookout! They include fun appetizers, mouthwatering mains, and more.

Father’s Day is coming up this weekend! To celebrate, my family is getting together for a backyard cookout (complete with my favorite Father’s Day side dish—see yesterday’s post!). In case that’s how you’re celebrating too, I’ve rounded up 10 easy grilling recipes below. They include fun appetizers, simple sides, mouthwatering mains, and even a dessert—all of which you can cook on the grill. They minimize cleanup and maximize the time you get to spend outside, which I consider a huge win on any summer holiday. I hope you find some you love…and to all the dads reading, happy Father’s Day!…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.