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Grilled Cheese Dogs for your July 4th

 If you are a fan of cheese and a fan of hot dogs, you will love these for the July 4th Celebration party.

INGREDIENTS

4 hot dog buns

2 tbsp. butter, softened

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

4 hot dogs, split lengthwise (be careful not to cut all the way through)

3 c. shredded cheddar

4 Green onions, sliced

Flatten your hot dog buns with a roller pin. In a shallow bowl, mix oil, garlic powder and onion powder. Spread the buns all over the outside.

In a large frying pan, sear hot dogs a few at a time, until charred, 2 minutes per side. Put them aside.

Put the bun buttered-side down in the skillet and cover with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese,  and a hot dog, and 1/4 of the green onion.

Cover and cook over medium heat till the cheese is melted, then use the spatula to close the bun. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make a total of 4 cheese dogs.

Mustard-Glazed Mushroom Burger for July 4th

Don't just serve any kind of burger, get creative. Try a nice mustard glazed mushroom burger. They are tasty, and your guests will really enjoy them.

Meat

2 lbs Ground beef, lean 85-percent

Produce

8 oz Baby bella or cremini mushrooms

2 cloves Garlic

Condiments

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

3 tbsp Soy sauce

Baking & Spices

1 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp Sugar

Oils & Vinegars

1 tbsp Olive oil

Bread & Baked Goods

6 Yeasty buns

Dairy

6 slices Swiss cheese

Other

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

Get ready to grill some yummy burgers.

Preheat the bbq gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat.

Shape the beef into 6 burgers; season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl , combine the mustard, the soy sauce and the sugar to make the glaze.

Grill your burgers until doneness is to your desire, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare, brushing the burgers with the glaze about midway through. Just a minute before removing the burgers from the grill, finish with the cheese.

n the meantime, heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Apply the thyme and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender, around 3 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toast the buns and deliver the burgers with the mushroom top.

The first of the 4th of July recipes

Why not make you 4th of July special this year with a American flag caprese salad. Its easy to make, and fun to have the kiddies join in. You can get 12 servings from this recipe.

Ingredients

18 small purple potatoes (about 1 pound)

Kosher salt

1 pound herbed cheese spread, at room temperature

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

26 cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 pounds)

24 1-inch mozzarella balls in brine, drained well and halved

Easy steps:

Cook the potatoes in appropriately salted boiling water until fork tender but not breaking apart , around 20 minutes. Drain well and then let them cool down completely. Cut half crosswise when cooled.

Fill a pastry bag with a tiny star tip and distribute the herbed cheese. Cut a piece of parchment wide enough to match a 12-by-17 1/2-inch wood cutting surface. Put a dab of cheese spread on the bottom part of each corner of the parchment to help it stick to the cutting board.

Pipe and spread a thin coating of cheese in a 6 1/2-inch rectangle in the upper left corner of the parchment. Organize the potatoes in line, sliced apart, on top of the cheese. Pipe the leftover cheese in between the potatoes to make the stars for your flag.

Drizzle the remaining empty part of the parchment with half of the oil, then dust with the basil. Starting from the tip, create a line of tomato halves, cut-up, accompanied by a line of mozzarella halves.   Repeat the leftover tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and dust with salt.