Well folks, it’s that time of year again. Independence Day is fast approaching and I imagine most of us will be spending the day around the grill as has become the tradition.

However, with the oppressive heat that has decided to stick around, standing around the grill seems more of a chore than a luxury.

Sweating over the food is, for one, unsanitary at best, but also it is uncomfortable for the cook.

So, I would suggest finding a cool(er) spot to grill, or perhaps cutting back on the time spent there.

But you might be asking, “What will we do for food?”

To that I offer a simple alternative, finger foods.

Finger foods allow for snacking throughout the entire event, and they also require less effort to prepare.

A healthy layout of finger foods can elevate a cook out by allowing for more face-to-face time with friends and family. It also allows for less time spent preparing food, thus making the event more enjoyable for the cook.

Now when it comes to finger foods, there are of course the tried and true options such as finger sandwiches and cocktail smokies.

However, those options, while effective, don’t necessarily elevate the party.

Try thinking outside of the box and putting a spin on the traditional options.

Take these barbeque sausages.

They are similar to cocktail smokies, but you can make them go further due to the full sized sausages. The dish is also customizable because you can choose what flavor of barbeque sauce you use.

The next recipe is a personal favorite of my grandpa’s. Tabasco onions are exactly what they sound like, fried onions dipped in hot sauce.

My mom has been making these for probably five years or so, and as I mentioned, my grandpa loves them.

These spicy little morsels are rich in flavor and offer a nice crunchy texture, almost like chips.

They don’t take long at all to make either, making them perfect for gatherings.

As with the sausages, you can choose the sauce. The Tobasco in the title is just more or less for name recognition.

You can use pretty much any hot sauce.

The last dish is jalapeno slices. These are pretty self explanatory as well.

You slice the pepper and batter and fry them. The spices in the batter help accentuate the spice of the peppers as well.

So, if you are looking to step up your cookout game this Fourth of July, consider trying one or more of these recipes and see the results.

BAKED BARBEQUE SAUSAGES

2-3 pounds sausage (Polish, smoked, beef, turkey or Italian)
2 cups barbeque sauce
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
¼ cup light brown sugar

■ Slice the sausage into ½-inch rounds.
■ Combine the barbeque sauce and liquid smoke in a large bowl. Add the sausage slices and toss to combine.
■ Transfer the barbecue sausage to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.
■ Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until bubbling and sticky and the sauce is caramelized.

TABASCO ONIONS

An onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (optional)
1 cup plain flour
Oil for deep frying
Hot sauce of choice

■ Put the sliced onions in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, separating into feathers. Add desired hot sauce and let soak for a couple of hours.
■ In another bowl, mix the flour and spices together.
■ Heat the oil to 400 degrees.
■ Toss the onions in the flour mixture until well coated.
■ Fry the onions until dark brown and crispy.
■ Drain on paper towels.

JALAPENO SLICES

3 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings
½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large eggs
4 ounces light beer
2-3 cups peanut or vegetable oil

■ Heat the oil in a large pan over medium.
■ In a large mixing bowl, add flour, garlic, paprika and salt and pepper. Mix well.
■ Stir in the beer.
■ In batches, coat the sliced jalapenos in the batter.
■ Fry the battered pepper slices about 5-6 minutes each, turning if needed, until golden brown.
■ Drain on paper towels.

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