This hot weather has everyone craving some Fourth of July, fulfilling recipes.  We could not miss out on these delicious recipes that Southern Living recently provided. This slideshow of 50 Fourth of July Recipes for An All-American Cookout will for sure make your mouth water. So we picked our favorite punch recipe and Macaroni and cheese recipe to share!

Fourth of July Punch

The secret to this punch is that the longer it chills, the better it will get.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups of seedless watermelon, cubed
• 1 cup of pineapple juice, chilled
• 1 can of club soda (12oz), chilled
• ½ cup of fresh lime juice
• ¾ cup of granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

Take half of the cubed watermelon and blend the cubed pieces until it becomes smooth. This will take about 45 seconds. Once it is smooth, pour the watermelon juice through a strainer. Allowing the juice to drain through into a pitcher. Throw away the solid parts that stay in the strainer. Repeat the process until all of the watermelon cubes are blended.

In a small bowl, add the ginger, sugar, and lime juice; you want to whisk this mixture until the sugar dissolves. Pour this mixture into the watermelon juice that is in the pitcher. Mix it together, then add the chilled pineapple juice. The punch should be chilled for at least 2 hours, or let it chill for up to 2 days.

When serving, fill the glass with ice and pour the punch in. Top it off with the club soda and serve. The perfect drink for a hot day.

Fourth of July Macaroni Pie

Who doesn’t like a warm, full bowl of Macaroni and cheese? Now imagine it in a buttery, flaky crust.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces of elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1 ½ cups of whole milk
• 2 ounces of fontina cheese, shredded
• 2 ounces of extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces of Gruyere cheese, shredded
• ½ package of refrigerated pie crust
• ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 3 thyme sprigs

UTENSILS

• 9-inch pie plate
• Small bowl
• Blender
• Medium saucepan

DIRECTIONS

The oven needs to be preheated to 350 degrees. Take the 9-inch pie plate and press the crust into it. Make sure to crimp the edges. Place the plate into the freezer for about 15 minutes, it needs to be firm. Place aluminum foil on top of the crust and place dried beans or pie weights on top. Bake the pie crust for about 20 minutes or until it is a golden brown color.

Remove the pie from the oven and also remove the weights and the foil holding it down. Place the pie back in the oven and bake until the bottom dries up. This should take about 5 minutes. The pie will need to cool for about 10 minutes.

While the pie crust is in the oven, cook the macaroni. Once it is cooked drain the pasta, rise it, and place it on the side.

The thyme sprigs and butter needs to be cooked in a medium saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add the flower. This needs to be stirred constantly until it starts to get thick and produce a light golden color. Slowly add the milk while whisking, once the mixture is fully combined remove the thyme sprigs.

Add the salt, pepper and mustard while continuing to whisk. The next step is to start adding the cheeses. Making sure it melts before adding more. Continue to whisk until the mixture is fully melted. Then gentle add the pasta into the mixture. Place the pasta into the pie crust by using a spoon. Bake the pie at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, take the pie out and let it cool before serving.

Wether you try one or both, your Fourth of July is sure to be more enjoyable with these additions to your backyard cookout.

For more delicious recipes, click here.