This is pretty out of the box. It’s just something we’ve wanted to do for awhile and we’re using the 4th of July as an opportunity:

DIY nacho bar: everyone gets a cookie sheet, there’s a table with various chips, cheeses, and toppings, and you take turns under the broiler

DIY sundae bar: same thing, but ice cream (and no broiler!)

I make a layered potato salad which is almost a meal in and of itself. For those of us with potato-land heritage, this isn’t a side dish: It’s way of life.

Potatoes, Mayo, mustard, pickles, hard boiled eggs, dill, chopped red onion, and pickle juice on the bottom. A layer of sliced hard boiled eggs. A layer of crumpled bacon. Another layer, same as the bottom one. Top it with deviled eggs, thin red onion slices, dill, and sliced olives.

It should be heavy enough that the table groans before it even touches it.

Okay, so hear me out: diced apple in your potato salad. My preferred variety is Macoun, with one apple per six potatoes or so, diced roughly half the size of the potato chunks. It brings a nice brightness and a little crunch that’s distinct from recipes that use celery. Spices usually used include paprika, chili powder, finely ground black pepper, and light salt.

Shrimp boil

Shrimp, fingerling potatoes, corn, various sausage, whole garlic, OldBay

I won’t really be doing a ton of actual celebrating or anything because I’ll be spending the day helping someone move - but go-to “I need this for the 4th” food is Pretzel Jell-O Sallad.

Mind you, I skip the actual strawberries and just do extra Jell-O instead, but I am a huge fan of this and I make it probably more often than many people would like me to.