4th of July - Patriotic Red, White and Blue Foods!

A 4th of July holiday party calls for patriotic red, white and blue foods. But beyond the common July 4th dessert of shortcake topped with blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream, what else can the patriotic chef create?

Here's a list all the red, white, and blue foods I can think of. And I'll put them together in various combinations to come up with patriotic 4th of July breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Can I do it? Keep reading.

Red foods are easy to think of:

• raspberries
• strawberries
• cherries
• red plums
• red apples
• watermelon
• pomegranate
• cranberries
• red peppers
• tomatoes
• rhubarb
• radishes
• beets
• rainbow Swiss chard (the stalks come in red, yellow, and white)
• red onion (although detractors may argue this is purple, but if it were purple, we wouldn't call it red)
• ham
• Canadian bacon
• red meat - like rare hamburgers, steak, tenderloin, and roast beef
• salsa
• spaghetti sauce
• strawberry ice cream
• cherry ice cream
• strawberry and raspberry jams and jellies
• strawberry, raspberry, and cherry syrups
• strawberry, raspberry, and cherry sodas
• grenadine (pomegranate juice)
• red popsicles

White foods are abundant also:

• whitefish
• chicken
• white bread
• white tortillas
• white potatoes
• white rice
• white milk
• eggs
• popcorn
• white cheeses like fresh Mozzarella, brick, feta, white cheddar, or goat cheese
• white onions
• pearl onions
• jicama
• almonds
• bananas (if they're not ripe they're pretty white, but they don't taste too good)
• coconut
• coconut ice cream
• vanilla ice cream
• white cake and angel food cake
• white biscuits
• whipped cream
• Alfredo sauce
• Bechamel sauce
• tartar sauce
• ranch dressing
• ranch dip

It's the blue foods which are the challenge:

• blueberries
• blue corn
• blue corn chips
• blue moon ice cream (a Wisconsin favorite!)
• blue Jello
• blue jelly beans
• blue M & M's
• blue popsicles
• blueberry syrup
• blue? plums

So what patriotic meals I can make by combining these red, white and blue foods?

For a July 4th breakfast, how about serving strawberry, banana, and blueberry pancakes topped with either strawberry or blueberry syrup and whipped cream?

For a healthier breakfast, serve a fruit salad made of strawberries, raspberries, bananas and blueberries. Put a pitcher of cream on table. Serve with a plate of fluffy white biscuits and strawberry and blueberry jam. A slab of ham or Canadian bacon and some fresh, sunny-side up eggs will complete this delicious breakfast.

For a 4th of July picnic lunch, how about egg salad sandwiches on white bread or rolls? The kids usually want peanut butter and jelly on white bread. Watermelon for garnish or dessert tastes great. If there's fruit salad left over from breakfast, put that on the table too. 

For patriotic red, white, and blue snacks, try popcorn, white cheese (on crackers), and blue corn chips served with red salsa and ranch dip.

A July 4th dinner? How about grilled white fish with red peppers, blue corn, and white onions wrapped in flour tortillas? Serve it with sides of red salsa and blue corn chips. Or serve beef tenderloin with white baked potato and steamed or roasted super-fresh kale (it looks sort of blue...from a distance). A garnish of blueberries will make the dinner heed the red, white, and blue food rule.

Of course dessert is the easiest course to make red, white and blue. Serve a mixed-berry dessert; a blueberry and strawberry pie; bowls of vanilla, strawberry and blue moon ice cream. Or simply pass out the red, white, and blue jelly beans, and the red and blue popsicles. Make whatever white cake you want and frost it with white icing and decorate it. Wilton food colorings can turn your frosting whatever colors you desire. Kids love 'em.

If you can think of red, white and blue foods I forgot, please add to my list. Let's see how long we can make it.

Comments

[Amanda and Linda]

Thanks so much for reading. Yes, breakfast is my most important meal. I can't think if I'm hungry; I can think the best in the morning...so I love eating great breakfasts! Glad you liked seeing the sweet treats. Thanks.

[fathers day gifts]

What's for breakfast? It should be food stuffed with so much energy-enough to last you for a day of hard work. You showcase superb and yummy food here. The pics alone makes you hungry.