It’s hard to believe that the 4th of July is less than a week away! Are you planning a last minute 4th of July party and searching for delicious foods to prepare for your guests? If so, you’re in luck. Over the years I’ve had the honor of interviewing the best chefs and lifestyle experts across the country. There’s one thing they all agree on – when entertaining guests, you don’t want to be stuck behind the stove the entire time. You want to actually enjoy your company! Lucky for us, chef George Duran joined me for an interview this week to share amazing food ideas and fabulous drinks that are not only delicious but budget-friendly and easy to prepare!
Please be sure to watch the video below to see my interview with chef George Duran in its entirety. He shared 10 amazing main courses, snacks, desserts and drink ideas you will absolutely love. I made sure and transcribed the interview for you as well!
Happy 4th of July weekend. Hope you and your family have a great one. Stay safe!
Chef George Duran Shares 4th Of July Party Essentials
Candie Anderson: What’s the secret to throwing a fun and memorable 4th of July party?
Chef George Duran: “Well, it’s going to be a hot summer, so what I say is to stay cool and add some color to your 4th of July barbecue with Smirnoff Ice Red White & Berry flavored beverage. It’s perfect in a bottle or a can or in this festive punch that I’ve made. Use Smirnoff’s Red White & Berry limited edition spirit to make an America Mule with cherry blue raspberry and citrus flavored combinations. Both of these drinks are so refreshing!
How To Make A Green Tea Martini
Also, add Smirnoff 21 vodka to freshly brewed green tea to make my green tea martini! This is Capresso’s Iced Tea maker, and it makes up to 80 ounces of your favorite tea in as little as 10 minutes. It custom brews using this gorgeous glass pitcher. You can adjust from mild to strong with Capresso’s flavor enhancer. It works with tea bags, or use the removable permanent filter for a loose tea.”
Chef George Duran Makes 4th of July Party Main Courses!
We’ve got the main courses too, and today I’ve cooked up these herb chicken kabobs or even my mouthwatering pineapple salsa chicken. The key to both of these dishes is a fresh flavorful chicken. Just Bare chicken has natural and organic varieties with no antibiotics, no added hormones, no animal byproducts and no artificial additives either.
Chef Duran’s Secret To The Perfect Cheeseburger!
Now, let’s talk a little bit about cheese! I’m using today, Jarlsberg cheese with it’s mild, mellow and nutty flavors to make my exclusive burgers. This is the marvelous meltdown with ooey gooey Jarlsberg cheese fondue all over that burger!
How about my melted Maui madness? It uses grilled pineapple rings for buns for a sweet and low carb.
Every 4th Of July Party Needs Delicious Snacks!
If you’re looking to complement your summer recipes with great snacks, you’ve got to try PopChips. My favorite flavors are Zesty Jalapeño Cheddar, Sea Salt. They have a bigger crunch line of Ridges with Buffalo Ranch, Tangy Barbecue, and my son’s favorite Cheddar and Sour Cream. The best part is they’re never fried and have half the fat of regular chips, so you can pretty much eat well and feel good all summer long.
Fabulous Budget-Friendly Desserts
We’ve got to do the sweet stuff, we’ve got to talk about desserts. A lot of people say I’m grilling, how can I serve something easy, simple and sophisticated? Well, here it is! Hostess Bakery Petites Cake Delights and Crispy Thins – these Cake Delights are white fudge, vanilla cake balls. The chocolate brownie crisp thins is the first thin crispy cookie to hit the baked goods aisle. Hostess Bakery Petites have no artificial flavors, colors or high fructose corn syrup and of course, they’re baked in the USA.
This is my nice 4th of July layout! For recipes or more information about them, you’ve just got to check out DailyLounge.com.”
Chef George Duran: Chef Duran is the author of Take This Dish and Twist It, known for his Food Network show Ham on the Street and most recently host of TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off. He’s appeared as guests on GMA, The Wendy Williams Show, FOX & friends, and many others.
