The best 4th of July beach barebecue: all the essentials

Have a delicious 4th of July. Photo courtesy of teamsugar.com

July 4th and all the fixings
July 4th Candy Centerpiece
Summer Grocery Contests
Steamers
Asian Grilled Steak

There is something about a beach barbecue that really gets everyone revved up for good times and good eating. With the 4th of July just around the corner today is a good day to start planning.

First things first. A grill. Don't have a small one handy? Plan on purchasing an inexpensive, portable grill at the grocery store for about $5. Have you heard of Flamedisk? It's a totally containable heating unit that is no mess and no fuss.

The next order of business is the food. Don't over think this or make it too difficult. Snacks, drinks, main dishes, side salads and desserts. Make it easy on yourself, and take advantage of what your grocery store has to offer.

Be safe, have fun and laugh a lot. Give thanks for our ability to live free, say what we want and eat many delicious foods!

Happy 4th to you, your family and friends.

Snacks

Chips and salsa is a good option since the hot sun will not spoil like other creamy dips. Make it a bit healthier with Tostito's Multigrain Tortilla Chips. They are super crunchy and full of flavor. Of course you could certainly make your own salsa, but we like Goya's Pica de Gallo. Find it in your Goya section of your market. It's chunky, packed with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and authentic spices. We love the hot variety.
Of course, don't for get the Guacamole! Wholly Guacamole is pre-made and delicious. Find it in your produce refrigerated section.
Pre-prepared green and yellow string beans. How many can you eat? If you are anything like the Long Island Grocery Headquarters, you can eat a whole bag and not have a single ounce of guilt! Find them in your favorite produce section's refrigerator case.
Hummus is another beach party food. We love Tribe brand or Trader Joe's spicy variety. Get the biggest size you can find. It goes fast!

Drinks

Beer. Nothing beats a mini draughtkeg from Heineken for real draught beer. For around $20 you get 5.1 litres of delicious, thirst quenching brew. Don't forget the Solo Square Red Cups.
Ice Tea for the kids. Our favorite.... 4C Green Tea. Don't forget a pitcher and a big spoon to stir it all up. For $6 or under (they are often on sale) you will have a full day's worth of drinking.
Mike's Hard Margarita's. Yum.

Grilled Main Dishes

Hot Dogs. Oscar Mayer's new Angus are mild tasting and made from all natural ingredients.
Chili. All you need is a pot, a can of Bush's new Texas Ranchero Beans and a burger or two (beef, turkey, chicken or veggie works here). Brown your burger in your pan, pouring off any excess fat. Open up a can of Bush's Texas Ranchero and pour it on top. These beans have all the flavors needed to make a zesty,mild and delicious chili. Cumin, peppers, and onions are already melded together. Given a thumbs up by New York's own Adam Perry Lang, Owner of Daisy May it is definitely a new flavor profile in beans worth your time to check out. Heat with meat for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese. Sargento Reduced Sodium is packed with cheddar flavor. You won't miss the salt either it's that good! Feeding a crowd? Double or triple the recipe.
Burgers. Beef, turkey, chicken, lamb or veggie. One or all. Lately we have been loving Amy's for their All American and other varieties of Veggie burgers. They are full of really healthy vegetables and spiced just right. Firm, hearty, and perfect for grilling or barbecuing. Made from fresh organic grains, vegetables and protein rich soy. Just the thing to satisfy the most avid burger fan.
Pizza. Arnold Sandwich Thins, a jar of of your favorite red sauce (we like Prego Marinara for this) and some pre-shredded Mozzarella or Italian Cheese Blend (we love Kraft's 5 Cheese Italian blend. Natural shredded cheese, low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, provolone, romano, asiago, and parmesan cheeses) Plus....Don't forget the fixings. Pepperoni slices, granulated garlic, hot pepper flakes and dry oregano to make it authentic. Who doesn't like fixings?

Grilled Sides

Corn on the cobb. Grill the corn in their husks after carefully removing the silks.
Zucchini. Slice zucchini in 1/2. Grill 5 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper.

Desserts

Keep it simple with jazzed up cookies and fruit.

Walker's all butter shortbread cookies are super rich and sinfully delicious. Break out an individual pack of peanut butter and chocolate such as Justin's nut butter with chocolate and hazelnut (find these on Long Island at Wild by Nature, Fairway and Whole Foods) Spread on flat size of cookie, top with marshmallow and warm on the cool side of the grill for 30 seconds. Trust us, this is better than a regular old S'more!
Watermelon, pre-cut fresh pineapple (find them in your produce section of your market) peaches and other stone fruits also get an extra special treatment when grilled. Have a little butter on hand? What about a pack of sugar? Sprinkle on your fruit right before you grill them and you have just transformed a regular peach into a spectacular and succulent dessert.

Other Must Have's

Burger Buns. Try Rudi's Bakery Organic Whole Wheat hamburger buns for a little better for you option. They are soft and have a nutty flavor. Made with stuff you can pronounce and ingredients you recognize like Organic whole wheat flour, water,organic wheat bran, organic vital wheat gluten, organic brown sugar, cultured whole wheat flour, organic high oleic sunflower and/or safflower oil, sea salt, organic oat flour, yeast, organic molasses, organic barley malt, vinegar and natural enzymes.
Hot Dog Rolls. We really love Arnold Select New England split top buns for soft, white rolls that hold together well when adding all your hot dog fixings!
Paper towels double as napkins and are good for clean up.
Paper plates. Solo Bare for eco-friendly tableware.
Tongs and a metal spatula.
Pam for the Grill.
Condiments such as Ketchup (Heinz organic is our new favorite), mustard, can of sauerkraut, and extra baked beans (we love Bush's Bourbon Brown Sugar). Don't forget the salt and pepper, or better yet, McCormick's blends have it all. We especially love McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning which contain salt, pepper, garlic and paprika.
Citronella candles. Ouch! The black flies really get you on the ankles!
Invest in a cooler. Don't have one? Pick up a re-usable foam one for under $5 at the grocery store. Make sure to pack it with plenty of ice to keep your food and drinks cool.

Be Safe. Have fun!

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