Fourth of July SweisKloss Staff Favorites

Image by Brian Goff, courtesy of Vecteeezy

Fourth of July SweisKloss Staff Favorites

by Sweiskloss
July 3, 2025

Fourth of July means fireworks, parades, picnics and barbecues (oh and independence and freedom and patriotism and sacrifice for all those things we hold dear). We thought we would share some of our staff’s favorite dishes and drinks to bring to your July 4th gathering. One of our staff members loves anything potato, and this spicy take on potato salad is her favorite. From the New York Times enjoy the recipe for Spicy Kimchi Potato Salad: Whisk together 2/3 c mayo, 3 T scallion whites, 2 T chopped kimchi, 1 ½ T ketchup, 2 t lime juice, 1 ½ t hot sauce and ¼ t salt. Boil 2 lbs small white or yellow potatoes until tender, drain and cut into 1 ½ inch chunks. Mix 2/3 of the dressing with the hot potatoes. Refrigerate. When ready to serve, toss with remaining dressing and garnish with the greens of the scallions. Another staff favorite is blackened chicken on the grill using your favorite blackened spice mixture. The trick is to cut the chicken breasts in half so that they are thinner and cook faster. Another staff member loves these loaded cheeseburgers. Mix ground beef with grilled onions, grilled peppers, and cooked bacon bits. Form a burger patty and grill. Add your favorite cheese while on the grill to melt, toast your buns and add condiments to taste. No cooking is required in this cool and refreshing staff favorite salad combining watermelon and feta with a jalapeno lime and cilantro dressing. With corn in season, Mexican Street Corn (Esquitas) is another staff go to. You can use fresh corn off the cob or frozen in a pinch, with mayo and sour cream with lime juice, Cotija cheese and Tajin. “No mayo taste” coleslaw is another staff favorite. The coleslaw is simply shredded red and green cabbage, grated carrot, and chopped chives. To make the dressing combine half a finely minced shallot, 2 ounces champagne vinegar, ½ tsp celery seed, 1 tablespoon mayo, 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt or sour cream, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Macerate the shallot in the vinegar in a jar for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and shake the jar until well emulsified. Pour over your veggies and enjoy! Easy-peasy strawberry shortcake makes for the prefect transportable dessert. Use storebought biscuit, mix sliced fresh strawberries with a little bit of strawberry jam, slather with Redi-Whip. Then assemble at the picnic. If spoilage is not a concern, you can make whipped cream from scratch and add a touch of balsamic vinegar to it. The cream turns a very light pink and is so good. Although a British libation, the Shandy is perfect for hot weather parties. It is just 2 parts beer (a light or an IPA works best) and 1 part lemonade. Frozen Shandy's are the bomb (or maybe The Firework would be more appropriate!) Happy 4th of July!