It's America's 250th birthday and I'm so excited to celebrate this weekend! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 It's all about the BBQ meats, Summer side dishes, and fun desserts and I can't wait to share my favorites.

To the Recipes...

Outdoor Cooking (Main Courses)

These Baby Back Ribs are on the menu at my house on Saturday and they are actually pretty easy to make!

The smoker does the work, but they do take 7-8 hours, so plan accordingly.

More MAIN Course Favorites:

​Smash burgers are one of my favorite Summer recipes and I make these on repeat. If it's not smashed, I don't want it 😂 I make these on the Blackstone, but any kind of griddle or even a pan works.

​Boneless Smoked Chicken Thighs: Great for on a budget and taste amazing. Always a popular one on the blog.

If you want Chicken marinade ideas, check out this list of 5 different Chicken Marinade Recipes.

If you're feeding a crowd, try this Smoked Pork Butt Recipe. It's fantastic and you can make a ton of sandwiches with it!

Sides Dishes

My Family Potato Salad Recipe: I've never fed it to anyone who didn't get seconds.

​Mexican Street Corn Salad: This is AMAZING as a side dish or as an appetizer served with tortilla chips.

​Hawaiian Macaroni Salad: On my menu this weekend to pair with the ribs.

​Cowboy Baked Beans: Baked beans, but "Cowboy Style" with ground beef and lots of spices 🤠

Summer Desserts

I'm hosting two days, and for dessert on day 1 it's my Peach Crumble Cake with vanilla ice cream. It's soooo good and super easy to make using boxed cake mix with fresh peaches and a crumble topping.

Day 2 Dessert is Strawberry Shortcake, but I'm making my Blueberry Pound Cake for the base, instead of angel food, and topping it with strawberries and whipped cream. I think it's going to be a big hit.

I hope everyone has an amazing holiday and let's talk more Summer recipes next week.

Thanks for reading and Happy Cooking!

xoxo~Tara with Simply Made Eats