Happy 4th of July! This week's meal plan includes lots of grilled meals like my favorite creole shrimp as well as some easy, old fashioned summer favorites like the classic tomato sandwich!
As always there are sides and desserts and plenty of time saving (and money saving) tips.
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📅 Food Holidays
We celebrate a couple of fun food holidays this week. They're silly little holidays but it gives us an opportunity to make some memories and have some fun!
- 4th of July of course! You'll find tons of recipe in the 4th of July category.
- July 5 National Apple Turnover Day. It's a good time to try these easy apple fried pies!
- July 7 National Macaroni Day. Celebrate with pasta!
🫑 What's in Season?
A better question might be, "what isn't in season?"
Everything is ripening and coming into the Farmers' Markets now. It's fresh, in season, and at it's best. Make the most of these fresh flavors.
- Apricots
- Beets
- Bell pepper
- Berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries)
- Chiles
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Figs
- Green beans & Wax beans
- Mangoes
- Melon
- Nectarines
- Okra
- Peaches
- Pineapples
- Plums
- Radishes
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini and yellow squash
🍹This week's cocktail
Gin & Tonic
This slushy, red, white, & blue gin and tonic cocktail is a little tricky to make but even if the layers blend a little it's STILL delicious!
💭 Tips for success
- If you've got leftover gumbo it freezes well for 3 or 4 months.
- Any leftover chicken this week? Add it to the southwestern pasta salad for a light lunch or dinner!
- Use leftover cornbread as the crumb topping on the tavern style mac and cheese.
- Make a big batch of homemade ice cream to use in various desserts this week.
- Save some of the cookies to make ice cream sandwiches with.
July 2
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
Chicken and sausage gumbo is packed with authentic Louisiana flavor but SO easy in a slow cooker!
Cornbread
You'll definitely want a square or two of this buttermilk cornbread to sop up every bit of gumbo from the dish!
Texas Flood Pie
Think of Mississippi Mud Pie only thicker, richer, and with more layers! Texas flood pie is a flood of two kinds of chocolate and peanut butter mousse.
July 3
Tavern Mac & Cheese
Make this creamy mac and cheese in an iron skillet so the edges and bottom form a delicate crust! Save some to use for mac & cheeseburgers later in the week.
Southern Green Beans
Sweet and tangy, smoky and delicious! Southern green beans are quick and easy with my method.
Butterscotch Cookies
Chewy and crispy butterscotch buckaroon cookies are a favorite of kids of all ages. Save some for ice cream sandwiches later in the week.
July 4
Grilled Chicken
When you wrap chicken breast in bacon before grilling you end up with the most delicious, juiciest grilled chicken ever.
Potato Salad
My mom's potato salad is a classic! It's creamy with tender chunks of potato, crispy celery, and delicious dressing in each bite.
Ice Cream Bowls
These edible white chocolate ice cream bowls are fun to make! Fill with homemade ice cream covered in red velvet hot fudge sauce!
July 5
Tomato Sandwiches
I love tomato sandwiches in the summer! I know you probably don't need a recipe but I figured you might need a reminder!
Texas Macaroni Salad
This Tex-Mex pasta salad is made with Texas shaped macaroni, a creamy southwestern dressing and plenty of roasted corn.
Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
Use the leftover butterscotch cookies and homemade vanilla ice cream (or your favorite) to make ice cream sandwiches
July 6
Grilled Shrimp
This is my update on the classic shrimp creole. Seasoned grilled shrimp & roasted tomatoes make for a very summery meal!
Fruit Salad
I can't get enough of this light easy summer fruit salad with lime dressing in the summer! If you use honeydew in it save some of the honeydew for later in the week.
Grilled Dessert Nachos
Salty, sweet, gooey perfection! Grilled dessert nachos are easy to make and everyone loves them!
July 7
Macaroni & Cheeseburgers
Use leftover mac& cheese to make these glorious macaroni & cheeseburgers. Crowd friendly and family pleasing!
Green Bean Salad
Fresh summer produce gives this easy, marinated green bean salad plenty of flavor.
Nutter Butter Banana Pudding
Classic banana pudding gets an update with peanut butter cookies in this Nutter Butter Banana Pudding. It's a family favorite!
July 8
Monterey Chicken
Monterey chicken is quick and easy to make without a ton of ingredients. It's SO good.
Honeydew Salsa
This light, fresh honeydew salsa is so good you'll be looking for things to put it on. I suggest chips to make this an easy dinner!
Easy Tiramisu
This easy tiramisu is full of tropical flavor. It's one of my favorites for summer!
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📚Easy Weeknight Dinners!
Who doesn't need more easy, weeknight dinner recipes? Check out these 30 family friendly, budget friendly family dinners that are freezable, make-ahead, and can be on the table in minutes.
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