What could be more patriotic than having a barbecue to celebrate July 4^th this year?  We’ve compiled 6 tasty and delicious recipes to help you with your festivities this year.   Having a barbecue is not only yummy, it’s also a really healthy way to cook food! We hope you enjoy these as much as we do!!

BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

2 chickens (or 4 whole bone-in chicken breasts) halved lengthwise

1 1/2 cups Italian dressing, recipe follows

1/4 cup Barbecue Seasoning, recipe follows

1 cup Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Rinse chicken halves in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a large bowl or baking dish, coat with Italian dressing and evenly season with seasoning. For best results, allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Thirty minutes before you're ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat the grill to a medium temperature, about 275 degrees F preferably over hickory and charcoal.

Place the chicken halves on grill, meat side down. Cover grill and cook for about 50 minutes. Flip chicken over and let it brown until the chicken becomes golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. The wing and the drumstick should become very tender and will easily pull away at the joints. Brush the chicken with Barbecue sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Italian Dressing:

2 tablespoons ground mustard

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons Barbecue Seasoning

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, except the oil and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

BBQ Seasoning:

1 1/2 cups paprika

3/4 cup sugar

3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

5 tablespoons light brown sugar

5 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon ground mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Barbecued Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Neely's BBQ seasoning, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 cup Neely's BBQ sauce, recipe follows
• 3/4 cup chopped pork or beef brisket

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Saute the red pepper, onion and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the baked beans and remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Cover the beans and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes.

BBQ Seasoning:

1 1/2 cups paprika

3/4 cup sugar

3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

 BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

5 tablespoons light brown sugar

5 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon ground mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Barbecued Grilled Corn

Ingredients

4 ears corn on cob

2 limes, juiced

A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon grill seasoning, a palm full

1/2 cup ketchup or tomato sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions

Heat grill over medium-high heat.

Husk corn and douse with lime juice, drizzle with oil and season with salt. Grill corn to char all over, 10 to 12 minutes.

Combine vinegar and brown sugar over medium-low heat, stir in Worcestershire, grill seasoning, ketchup or tomato sauce, and hot sauce. Simmer a couple of minutes.

Baste corn liberally with sauce and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from grill, cover corn with chopped green onion and serve.

BBQ Sweet Mustard Coleslaw

Ingredients

1 cup mustard

1 cup vegenaise

1 cup vinegar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon salt

5 pounds finely chopped cabbage

1/2 cup diced sweet red bell pepper

2 tablespoons celery seed

Directions

Using a large mixing bowl, mix mustard, vegenaise, vinegar, sugar and salt together until smooth. Next place the 5 pounds of finely chopped cabbage into a large mixing bowl. Then pour the liquid solution over the cabbage. Then add 1/2 cup diced sweet red bell pepper and 2 tablespoons of celery seed. Mix until all ingredients are evenly blended.

Grilled Tilapia with BBQ Peach Sauce

Ingredients

Peach BBQ sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Pinch garlic salt
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
2 cups fresh or canned peaches
4 (7-ounce) tilapia fillets
House seasoning
1 lime, juiced

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan, excluding the peaches and simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, puree 2 cups of canned or fresh peaches. Once the sauce is cooked, add the pureed peaches to the sauce and stir together.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Season the tilapia with house seasoning. Cook the fish on each side for 3 to 4 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, brush the fish with some barbecue sauce.

Once cooked and plated, ladle a nice spoonful of the Peach barbecue sauce on top of the fillets.

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients

3 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

2 cups low-fat plain yogurt

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips, preferably mini

Directions

Place raspberries, yogurt, sugar and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker (or see "No Ice Cream Maker?" below). Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions, or until desired consistency. Add chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of freezing. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve. No Ice Cream Maker? Pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch pan and place in the freezer. Stir every few hours, until the mixture is firm along the edges and semi-firm in the center, 2 to 6 hours (using frozen berries will shorten the freezing time). Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container, stir in chocolate chips, cover and freeze until ready to serve.