Fourth of July Recipes

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Not only do you get to party, have fun and eat great food but you also get a fireworks show at the end of the day. I love cooking for the Fourth of July and over the

 years, we've found and invented some great recipes! These are the best sides we have for the holidays. Enjoy these hits from my family to yours.

Mom's Uber Macaroni and Cheese

We can't have a holiday without this dish. We did only once and there was mutiny at the dinner table! It's a delicious dish and can be cooked along side almost anything.
You will need

1 bag of wide egg noodles
1 tub of cottage cheese (about 16 ounces)
1 tub of sour cream (about 8 ounces)
1 egg
4 cups of shredded cheese. We like Colby jack the best but cheddar also tastes great.
1/4 tsp Salt and 1/8 tsp pepper
a squirt of mustard (about 1 tsp) 2 cups of cheese to top it with. Keep this separate.
Boil the noodles according to the package directions. While they are boiling, mix the ingredients in a bowl. Drain the noodles when they are done. You may want to shake the drainer to get excess water out. Mix the noodles into the cheese mixture. Pour into a 9X13 pan (I use two pans. One 9X13 and an 8x8) and cover with aluminum foil with one corner torn off so you can check the food while it cooks. Bake on 350-400 until cheese mix is bubbly (this usually takes 20-30 minutes. Pull it out and take off the aluminum foil. Spread the 2 cups of cheese across the top and place it back in the oven until the cheese on top is melted. You can cook it just until the cheese starts to brown but I wouldn't go any further than that.
I love this for lunches and thought you might enjoy it also. I cook brown rice in a rice cooker but you can make instant rice or heat the rice in the precooked plastic bags. Pour a can of black beans into a bowl and

 fill it half way with picante sauce or salsa and heat. Place one cup of cooked rice in a bowl. Top with the bean mixture, onion and cheese. It is a very delicious dish and pretty easy to make too!

Mashed Potatoes with a kick!

Boil about 10 potatoes in a pot. Don't worry if this is too much for your family, this recipe freezes well. When they are done, drain the potatoes. Add 1/2 to 1 stick of butter or margarine, 1 small tub of sour cream, 1 TBSP of McCormick's Vegetable seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Blend or mash and serve. You can also add cheese or onions.
The leftovers freeze well since there is no milk to spoil in the freezing and thawing process. I freeze them in ziplock containers. When it's time to eat them up, take them from the freezer and microwave. It will look watery and scary at first. In fact, I was warned of this and worried that I messed it up. You haven't goofed, just keep microwaving. I microwave them for 5 minutes at first, the 2 minutes at a time. Stir after each time. When they look like mashed potatoes again, serve!
Ugly Dip
For something a little different, try this dip. It looks like someone vomited into the crockpot but if you can manage to stomach the thought and get it in your mouth, it is just divine!
Heat 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of hot sausage until it is brown all the way through, drain and put in the crockpot (or a pan on the stove. Crockpot is easiest but not a must). Add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 16 ounces of cubed velveeta and 16 ounces of medium or hot salsa.
Heat through until the velveeta has melted completely and the mix is creamy. Serve with corn chips like frito lay's scoops. You can alter this recipe by using mild sausage and salsa but we love it HOT!
Happy Fourth of July and Good eating!