Food Network Star Brooke Peterson’s Quick & Dirty Fourth of July BBQ Recipes

Apologies to the people who pay our salaries, but we quit working at least a day ago and are already mentally enjoying the upcoming three-day holiday weekend. We figure you're likely doing the same, so we enlisted Brooke Peterson of Food Network fame to help in planning the nosh-and- booze portion of this weekend's festivities. With these fun, fast recipes, you'll have more time to focus on the important stuff.  Like drinking.  And tanning. Also, drinking.    

Brookie P’s Bada$$ BBQ

I don’t know why, but this holiday always makes me want to embrace white trash roots, throw on some denim cutoffs, and make out with a guy named Randy who has a mullet and is proud to be an Ameri-CAN. I think you will find this reflected in my recipes.  The only thing you need to know about BBQ, really, is that with enough sauce (both BBQ sauce and what I like to call 'special sauce', a.k.a. booze), you can’t go wrong.  

Here are my 3 favorite recipes for a kick-a$$, broke-a$$, Fourth of July BBQ! 

What Nice Melons You Have…Spritzer

Ingredients:
1 big watermelon cut into triangles (the smaller the better)
1 handle of cheap vodka
3 bottles of cheap Prosecco or 2 bottles of soda water

Directions:
1. Throw the vodka and watermelon into a four-gallon drink dispenser (you can get one at Target) or, if you are going trailer-park style, into a cooler with a spout.
2. Let sit in a cool place overnight.
3. 15 minutes before guests arrive, add the chilled Prosecco or the soda water.
4. Watch people make incredibly poor decisions after drinking.
5. Convince those same people that eating some of the vodka-soaked watermelon is in their best interest. 
6. Repeat step 4. 

Rite BBQ Ribs

BBQ ribs are as essential to the 4th of July as wearing a costume a size too small and 3 inches too short is to Halloween (you know who you are). 

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork ribs
2 liters of cola -- don’t waste your pennies on that fancy Coca Cola. Rite, or whatever the super market has on sale, will do the trick
2 cups of BBQ sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Toss your ribs into a pot with the cola and bring to a boil (add water to the pot if the cola does not cover the ribs).
2. Once at a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until the ribs pull away from the bone.
3. Take the ribs out of the pot and pat dry.
4. Place on the grill over medium high heat and brush with BBQ sauce, turning often, and slather with sauce.
5. Realize that you don’t need a man.  

Double-wide Potatoes

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
1 pound new potatoes          
1 bag of bacon bits
3 tablespoons chives
1 garlic clove crushed
A few dashes of Tabasco

Directions:
1. Nuke the potatoes in the microwave for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
2. Add in all of the remaining ingredients and mash with a fork.
3. Buy new pants.

Photo by Amanda Gottesman.