It's wonderful having guests for the July 4th holiday... but it also means having some easy 4th of July recipes that don't take forever to put together.

Not to mention that a lot of times a 4th of July party is a BIG gathering, since many folk like to have family reunions and office picnics on this weekend. Which means the less time you spend making food, the more time you get to spend having fun with your guests. And that's why you invited them over in the first place, right?

Special but Easy July 4th Recipes

There are certainly some very traditional summer foods to make for the Fourth. Almost any party is sure to have hamburgers, hotdogs, sausages, or corn on the grill. And these sorts of easy 4th of July recipes are great! But what if you want to do something a little different?

Just because a recipe is easy to make doesn't mean it has to be boring or light on flavor. You can take tried-n-true favorites and change them up!

The 4th of July easy recipes here are fun, simple to put together, and taste great. But I've got lots more simple summer recipes to make for a 4th of July party elsewhere on Divine Dinner Party, including:

Recipes:

• Homemade Potato Chips
• Fun Pretzel "Sparklers"
• Feta and Hummus Mediterranean 7-Layer Dip
• Simple Summer Gazpacho
• Spicy-Creamy-Crispy Jalapeno Popper Dip
• "Loaded" Cheddar-Bacon Potato Salad
• Easy and Elegant Marinated Goat Cheese

Recipe Pages:

• A Bunch of Great July 4th Appetizers
• Lots of BBQ Recipes
• Tasty Authentic Mexican Recipes
• Easy 4th of July Snacks
• Picnic Recipes
• American Flag Cake Recipes and Fun Photos
• Picnic Sandwiches

Pasta salad is a favorite easy 4th of July recipe, and one you'll see on a lot of 4th of July menus. But pasta salad can be a bore! This easy pasta salad recipe, based on one I loved by Emeril, comes together quickly and is simple to make... but the flavors are anything but simple!

This recipe is best served at room temperature (which makes it perfect for a July 4th picnic or outdoor meal, as it doesn't need to chill), and when it's not made too far in advance. But you can make this in the morning, chill, and bring along to an afternoon event.

Serves 6.

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Ingredients: 1 lb. tri-color rotini pasta, cooked in salted water until al dente, drained
5 slices thin-sliced Prosciutto, chopped and sauteed until crisp
1 large vine-ripened tomato, chopped
1/2 C. feta cheese crumbles (or soft goat cheese)
1/4 C. slice, oil-cured Italian olives
2 tbsp. capers, drained
1/4 C. chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil

Dressing:
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 C. good quality extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions: 1. To make the dressing for this easy 4th of July recipe, whisk together the shallot, garlic, vinegar, and mustard at the bottom of a large bowl. In a slow stream, whisk in the oil with a brisk whipping motion. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste.

2. Stir remaining ingredients into dressing. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Allow to cool, and serve this easy 4th of July recipe at room temperature.

I love, love, love this easy 4th of July recipe. It's fun, simple, full of flavor... and the perfect thing to make for a casual party. These little balls can be made up completely ahead of time, and just fried up right before serving-- which is ust what you want in your July 4th easy recipes, right?

These are great on their own, but they're also wonderful dipped in ranch dressing or hot sauce... or a combination of both!

Note: I always make these with a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to make my life a little easier. Plus, it's already flavorful, so it tastes great in this recipe.

Serves about 6.

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Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, diced
6-8 slices bacon, chopped, cooked, and drained
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley (or 1 tsp. dried parsley)
1 C. shredded parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C. breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions: 1. Combine chicken and bacon, and season with salt and pepper to taste (very little salt is needed if you use seasoned rotisserie chicken).

2. Stir in parsley, parmesan, mayo, and flour. Mix well.

3. Use mixture to create about 18-20 1" balls.

4. Roll balls generously in bread crumbs.

5. Refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

6. Fry in preheated 375 degree oil until golden, about 10 minutes. Serve this easy 4th of July recipe plain, or with your favorite dipping sauce.

Deviled eggs are always a wonderfully easy 4th of July recipe idea! And these deviled eggs are perfect for the Fourth because they're just like Americans: they're all different! You can choose the flavor additions YOU like, and make a variety of different eggs for your party.

Below is the simple, classic deviled egg recipe. Following it are a bunch of flavor combinations that you can mix and match however you like. Have fun with it!

Serves about 12.

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Ingredients:
12 eggs
6 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. stone ground mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
Smoked paprika (garnish)

Instructions: 1. Hard boil the eggs: Put the eggs in a pan covered completely with water. Bring them to a full rolling boil for three minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit, pan covered, in the water for five more minutes. Replace the hot water with cold. Cool completely.

2. Carefully shell the eggs, and slice them in half-length wise. Remove the yolk from the center and put it in a small mixing bowl. Lay out the empty egg white with the "nest" portion up.

2. Mash the yolks with the remaining ingredients (except the paprika). Once well-incorporated spoon or pipe the mixture evenly into the eggs. Put them into the refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving.

Flavor Variations for Deviled Eggs

Below, you'll find a few ideas for making your own easy 4th of July recipes out of a basic deviled egg.

Tex-Mex Deviled Eggs: Add chipotle powder to the eggs (1 tsp. is enough for some serious fireworks!). You can also consider adding green onions, a bit of white vinegar, olives or relish.

Buffalo Eggs: For Buffalo style eggs, mix the yolk with mayo, crisped bacon bits, blue cheese crumbles and hot sauce.

Glorious Greek Eggs: To the yolk add finely chopped cooked spinach, minced tomato, oregano, feta cheese, a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

"Loaded" Deviled Eggs: Add 2 tbsp. each chives, shredded cheddar, and bacon bits.

Curried Deviled Eggs: Add a 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of curry powder, some chopped green onion or cilantro, and top with a sprinkling of garam masala instead of paprika.

Wasabi Deviled Eggs: Replace mustard with rice wine vinegar, omit Worcestershire, and add 1 1/2 tsp. wasabi paste and a minced green onion to filling mixture.

Healthy Hummus Deviled Eggs: Don't use the yolks or any mayo. Instead, fill the centers with your favorite hummus recipe.

Pesto Deviled Eggs: Omit the Worcestershire, add 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, and stir in 2 tbsp pesto and 1 tbsp. grated parmesan.

Another one of my favorite easy 4th of July recipes is a festive drink, inspired by one by Martha Stewart (the photo here was my inspiration-- it belongs to her!).

This fun July 4th drink begins with two favorite fruits at this time of year - watermelon and strawberries. Instead of having them in a fruit salad, however, this time you're going to be making a tasty beverage that you can adapt to your guests tastes.

To make the garnish --which is perfect for the Fourth!-- simply press a cookie cutter though a thin piece of watermelon rind. So pretty and fun!

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Ingredients:
1 pt. fresh, ripe strawberries
3 cups seedless watermelon, diced
1 lime, juiced
2 liters. ginger ale

Instructions: 1. After cleaning your strawberries and watermelon, put them into the blender on high to make a puree.

2. Mix them with the ginger ale. You can serve this beverage as it stands with ice, or change it by doing any of the following:

• Freeze the berries and melon for a "smoothie" (this is a huge hit on a hot day!)
• Using one ltr. ginger ale and one liter champagne
• Adding berry vodka to the mix for the adults
• Add blueberries to float in the drink (red, white, blue)

As you can see from these easy 4th of July recipes, you don't have to slave for hours to make great foods that everyone will enjoy... and that you can enjoy along with them!