An All-American Brunch: Four Recipes For Fourth of July

Fourth of July fireworks get loads of attention; but, for many Indiana families, Independence Day begins long before the first spark lights up the night sky.

Maybe you’re rising early to catch the glass-like calm of one of Indiana’s many lakes before the busyness of boats arrive. Perhaps you are staking out lawn chairs along a parade route in Carmel or Lawrence. Or maybe you’re in the early years of parenting, when a 10 p.m. fireworks show isn’t realistic for your season of life, but you still want the holiday to feel festive.

The answer? Brunch.

It’s celebratory and leisurely. Fun enough to gather friends and family together and perfectly timed (and an opportunity to be well fed) before an afternoon at the pool, on the lake, at the neighborhood barbecue or community festival, or just in time for an afternoon nap. 

For this brunch we are keeping it summertime simple, with easy touches of whimsy. Much of this spread can easily be packed up in a basket for a parade picnic or sunrise boat ride, or you can style it up for a party at home and kick off the Fourth with a little extra sparkle.

Bacon, Tomato and Cheese Quiche

Quiche is simple, but a classic and a great way to feed a crowd because it is easy to prep well before the party. Serve alongside a lightly dressed bed of arugula like you might find at Patachou and it will make home feel like a cafe.

1 9-inch pie crust (store bought or homemade)

6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar is fine, but to lean into patriotic colors Swiss or Gruyere are great.)

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

5 large eggs

1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat your oven to 375°F. If using a store bought pie shell, place it on a baking sheet. Prick the bottom on the unbaked crust gently with a fork and bake for 10 minutes. This quick bake helps prevent a soggy bottom to the pie crust.

Spread crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes, and shredded cheese evenly on the bottom of the pre-baked pie shell.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture over the fillings in the pie shell.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. The quiche is done when the center is set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow the quiche to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

If you were to make it ahead, remove the quiche from the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before covering with aluminum foil to prevent browning, and put it in a 325 degree oven. Heat for about 20-30 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Red, White, and Blue Muffins

It doesn’t get more patriotic than these muffins dotted with red strawberries, blueberries, and white chocolate chips. The browned butter is an extra, but worth it. Pop these in a picnic basket and take them to your favorite parade spot.

½ cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup strawberries, diced

1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a muffin tin well or fill with paper liners.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, cooking until browned and fragrant, about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, including the browned bits, and let cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cooled browned butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and eggs until combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined,

Gently fold in the blueberries, strawberries, and white chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly between muffin cups, filling about ¾ full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 20 muffins.

American Flag Mini Pancake Board

By now, Ina Garten’s iconic American flag cake has become a Fourth of July tradition for many, but this breakfast-inspired take swaps cake for fluffy mini pancakes. Together with fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries they create a festive stars-and-stripes design. The bite-sized pancakes are especially fun for little hands!

Pancakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup milk, room temperature

4 Tbsp butter, melted

2 large egg

4 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking oil or spray

For the Flag: 

Fresh Blueberries

Fresh Strawberries, sliced

Fresh Raspberries

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. 

In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together milk, egg, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter should be thick yet pourable. If it isn’t pourable, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk until batter reaches desired consistency. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, spray or add cooking oil to coat the surface. Spoon small 1-2 inch discs of batter to griddle.

Cook until bubbles form on the surface, begin to pop, the edges dry, and bottom is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until golden brown for about 30 seconds. Remove from the griddle.

Repeat with remaining batter adding more cooking oil or spray to the skillet or griddle in-between batches.

Build your flag board by placing blueberries in the top left. Line the top with a line of pancake discs serving as the white stripes. The next line can be strawberries or raspberries serving as the red stripes. Create a pattern for the stripes until a flag is complete. Serve with additional desired toppings like syrup or whipped cream.

No Bake Yogurt Parfait Pie

Skip the fuss of putting together a bunch of individual parfaits. This pie pulls all the components together into one fun dish that will catch everyone’s eye. It has a semi-homemade hack; but, looks impressive—almost like patriotic bunting.

Cooking Spray

2 1/2 cups honey and oat granola

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 Tbsp honey

1/4 tsp salt

Filling and Toppings

2 cups full-fat Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh blackberries

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

Grease a 9″ loose-bottomed tart pan or pie pan with cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse granola, oil, honey, and salt until combined and mixture holds together when squeezed (do not over-blitz).

Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or back of a spoon, press mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and 1/2″ up the sides of the pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Make Ahead: Crust can be made 2 days ahead. If refrigerating overnight, wait until the crust is firm, then tightly wrap the pan with plastic wrap.

Filling and Toppings

In a large bowl, whisk yogurt and honey. Spread into the chilled crust with a spatula and smooth top. Decorate with fruit and serve immediately.

Even the simplest brunch staples can feel festive with just a little imagination. Fill a fruit bowl with watermelon stars cut using a cookie cutter, or set up a coffee station stocked with festive red, white, and blue sprinkles, whipped cream, and flavored syrups. Calling the house coffee drink a “Red, White, and Cold Brew” is entirely optional—but highly encouraged for an extra dose of Fourth of July cheer!