Patch Picks: All American Recipes for the Fourth of July

No Fourth of July celebration would be complete without plenty of traditional foods. Here are three tried and true recipes that can be prepared ahead of time to free up your holiday. All of these recipes are easy to prepare and will compliment whatever the grill master at your house is planning for the main course.

Aunt Judy’s Coleslaw

1 head cabbage, cored and either sliced or chopped as to your preference

2 carrots, finely grated

1 lg. mild onion, chopped

1- 3/4 c. sugar, or to taste

Toss, refrigerate.

Dressing:

Place the following ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Pour over cabbage mix and toss:

 1 c. vinegar

½ c. oil

1 T sugar

2 t. salt

1 t. celery seed

Refrigerate until cool and serve.

This recipe is courtesy of Judy Schulman.

Traditional Idaho Potato Salad

Cook and dice two pounds of Idaho potatoes and cool.

When cool, add and stir in:

½ c. mayonnaise

2 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

2 T. cider vinegar

1 c. diced celery

3 chopped hard-boiled eggs

½ c. chopped mild onion

The variations and extras are all up to you, but be sure to sprinkle the top with some fresh paprika for eye appeal.

Refrigerate to cool thoroughly before serving.

This recipe was liberally adapted over the years from the original Idaho Potato Commission recipe.

Lemonade Sheet Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (plain, no pudding)

1 package instant lemon pudding mix

¾ c. water

4 eggs

1/3 cup fresh or bottled lemon juice

2 cups powdered sugar

Zest of one lemon

Grease or spray a 9 x 13 inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 350. Blend cake mix and dry pudding mix together in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, water and eggs. Mix until smooth. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-45 minutes using a clean toothpick insertion to test for doneness. While cake is baking, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Use a fork, to poke many small holes in the cake. Pour sugar/ lemon juice mixture over the hot cake. Sprinkle the top with the lemon zest, cool and serve. 

Recipe courtesy of Collette Birkicht.