Firecracker Appetizers for 4th of July

Make your appetizers pop this 4th of July, and at every holiday gathering! Try these five festive appetizers and colorful serving suggestions for your holiday! Add easy-to-make “faux” rocket firecrackers for 4th of July from red construction paper, per these instructions.

Roll paper into a cylinder and tape closed in back for the rocket base. Add a cone-shaped top by cutting a circle, then cut halfway in (up to center), folding one side under the other to form a cone and tape onto cylindrical rocket base. Make several firecracker rockets to add to your appetizer trays.

Independence Day Veggie-Tray

Dip-Filled Red Peppers

1 Ranch Dip seasoning packet mix
1 16-oz. sour cream
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut in half length-wise and cleaned out

Mix Ranch Dip seasoning packet into sour cream and scoop into both
Red Pepper halves (makes 2).

Veggies

Cauliflower Florets (white)
Red Cherry Tomatoes (red)
Extra Large Pitted Black Olives (black/blue)
Purple Cabbage (purple/blue)

Cover a flat plate or tray entirely with blue-colored purple cabbage leafs. Over the cabbage bed arrange both Red Pepper Ranch Dip bowls and the deviled eggs (next recipe).

Around the dip-filled Red Peppers add the white Cauliflower Florets and around the white Deviled Eggs add the Red Cherry Tomatoes. Place one of the rocket firecracker centerpieces onto the tray.

Deviled Eggs

Hard-boil 6 to 12 large eggs
Cool, crack, peel and rinse all eggs

Cut in half length-wise scooping out yolks into a mixing bowl, refrigerating the whites in a container with lid or covered with plastic wrap, while mixing the filling.

Yolk Filling

2 to 4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 to 3 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish
2 to 4 teaspoons Mustard
Optional: Paprika, Chili Powder or (hot) Cayenne Pepper

Mash the hard-boiled egg yolks in a mixing bowl with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Add mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish and mustard (a little at a time) to taste.

Scoop yolk filling by the spoonful into the empty egg hole, creating a mound on each egg, then refrigerate all. Prior to serving add just a half-dash of Paprika, Chili Powder or (hot) Cayenne Pepper on top of each egg.

Flag Fruit Tray

Blueberries
White Cranberries
Sliced Black Plums (red inside)
Whole Strawberries, trimmed and cut in half
Bag of Shredded Coconut

On an oblong (rectangular) serving tray create a U.S. flag background with a bed of shredded coconut. Arrange blueberries to completely cover the top left corner, adding several white cranberries for stars. Make the horizontal red stripes by alternating strawberries and black plums slices, then salute!

Celebration Cucumber Sandwiches

1 Cucumber, sliced ¼” thin (no need to peel first)
1 Star-shaped cookie cutter
1 4-oz. Salmon Cream Cheese
Optional: Red Chili Powder

Make Cucumber stars by cookie-cutting Cucumber slices and set aside. Make star sandwiches by spreading Salmon Cream Cheese onto one star and top with another star. Optional: sprinkle with red chili powder.

Firecracker Appetizer Tray

Using toothpicks with colorful, fiesta confetti loops will add sparkle and pop to your hors d’oeuvres (stick into all bite-sized pieces before serving).

Saltine crackers (white)
Little Smokey links (bite-sized, red)
Pepper-Jack cheese (white, hot & flavorful), cubed
Grapes, clumps of seedless Red, Green (white) and Black (dark blue/purple) left on the vine-stem, rinsed and dried off

On a serving tray arrange clusters of grapes all around the outer rim. Fan out the Saltine crackers on opposite sides of the tray, filling in the remaining area with Little Smokey links and Pepper-Jack cheese cubes pierced with fiesta toothpicks! Add one of your “faux” rocket firecrackers as a centerpiece on the tray (directions above). Enjoy the fireworks!