On TODAY All Day's "Saucy," Anthony Contrino puts his own Italian-style spin on classic Fourth of July dishes. Tired of plain hot dogs with mustard or boring burgers with ketchup? Anthony wraps his dogs in sharp provolone and tops them with an easy giardiniera relish, then he upgrades juicy burgers with classic caprese salad ingredients. Then for dessert, it's a stunning red, white and blue trifle.
The combination of sharp cheese, salty beef and sweet yet tangy Italian relish creates the perfect balance of flavors best enjoyed on a warm day. The giardiniera, which loosely translates to "gardener" in Italian, needs to sit at least two hours (ideally overnight) before serving, making this the perfect make-ahead barbecue condiment.
These burgers are truly divine! Think juicy beef topped with melt-in-your-mouth burrata, summery tomato, flecks of fresh basil and sweet balsamic glaze. Honestly, how can you not love anything with burrata?
There are so many combinations one can play with in a decadent trifle, but one of my favorite preparations is to make the whole thing taste like a cannoli. To add a Fourth of July spin, I use macerated (red and blue) berries. There's just something so fun about eating your way through the layers of flavor.