4th of July Picnic Ideas

Even the most seafood-wary kids will usually make an exception for shrimp, especially shrimp coated with sweet and crispy coconut. Serve the dipping sauce in individual bowls for germ-free dunking fun.

Amp up the allure of veggies by marinating them in sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious and party-perfect served warm on skewers, they're also great as leftovers added to pasta sauces and salads.

These rice balls with melted cheese centers are delicious. Serve with a ready-made tomato sauce or make your own.

These make delightfully unusual and wholesome potluck sides or perfectly cheerful summer appetizers. Feel free to swap in other beloved ingredients such as bell-pepper chunks or pepperoncini.

A really good bowl of soup is less of a recipe than a formula. And the formula is this: a beany something + a starchy something + a tomato something + loads of random veggies + broth.

A great way to use leftover chicken for a lunch treat for mom, dad and the kids.

An Italian twist on the classic mac 'n' cheese, this hearty casserole features creamy tomato sauce and five varieties of cheese. With an easy, five-minute prep, you'll have dinner on the table in less than an hour.

My kids don't agree on much when it comes to what they like for dinner, but one exception is fried shrimp. This recipe mimics their crispy exterior, but because they are baked instead of fried, they're a much healthier option.

Creamy mashed potatoes infused with cheddar cheese top savory beans, sausage and veggies in this easy version of a French cassoulet. Your kids will gobble up all the cheesy goodness -- the French, after all, do know how to get kids to eat their vegetables

If you've got salmon and crackers in your pantry, whip up a batch of these zesty, crunchy-crusted salmon cakes. The lemon and dill work to counteract the "fishy taste" that kids sometime complain about, so the cakes end up flavorful but kid-pleasingly mil

Smoky-sweet vegetables transform simple, cheesy tortillas — comfortingly familiar to children — into something sublime. Adjust the spice level to suit your family's palate and substitute whatever vegetables are in season.

A take-off of popular Pasta Puttanesca, this recipe uses easy-to-find canned tuna and green olives in place of the traditional anchovies and capers to yield a kid-friendly dish. Throw it together with your favorite jarred pasta sauce and dinner is done.