It’s officially summer and that means sunshine, pool days, and cookouts! We all know the Fourth of July is one of the biggest cookout days of the year (given that the weather cooperates!) If you are stumped looking for an awesome dish to bring to your holiday BBQ, look no further. From drinks to dessert, we’ve collected a few mouth-watering, recipes that are sure to please even your pickiest guests this Independence Day (or even throughout the summer).

Even if the weather doesn’t work out this year and you’re still looking to grill out, don’t worry! Our Sharp Smart Combi Oven features a Grill function that delivers a desirable grilled taste to your dishes without even having to go outside. This cooking mode creates delicious grilled and sautéed items such as fish, vegetables, onions, and steak. Like the broil function in a traditional oven, food cooks for shorter lengths of time at high temperatures.

Do you have a favorite Independence Day tradition, whether it be another recipe or fun activity? We’d love to hear from you on social using #SharpHome on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

BBQ Ribs Recipe

Ribs can seem intimidating to make, but it’s really a simple process!

The first thing to know about cooking pork ribs is it’s a 2 step process. The meat of the ribs needs to soften, so they either need to be steamed or boiled first. After the meat is nice and tender, the ribs are grilled or broiled to give the meat a delicious crust.

The second thing to know is how to make the perfect BBQ sauce. For these ribs, we make a light and tangy mustard and vinegar style BBQ sauce, similar to a North Carolina BBQ sauce. If you haven’t tried this style of sauce, it’s a must-try! It adds just the right amount of flavor and tangy flavor without overpowering the flavor of the meat.

We use the Sharp Smart Combi Built-In Steam Oven to steam the ribs. This oven is ideal for steaming, baking, and grilling. It can even be used to simply steam vegetables quickly (no messy water and steamer basket!), but also to make simple favorites like baguettes, soft pretzels, and pizza. The combination of steam and convection means bread comes out perfectly baked, like a professional bakery, every time.

It’s also perfect for desserts that require a water bath and for quickly making one-pan meals.

Steaming the ribs in this oven is effortless and definitely the least messy option!

How to Make Oven-Baked Pork Ribs

Step 1: Place ribs on a baking tray, and season them generously with salt and pepper. Skip this step if you don’t have a steam oven to cook the ribs.

Step 2: Steam the ribs in the Sharp Smart Combi Built-In Steam Oven for 1 1/2 hours.

How to Boil Ribs: If you do not have a steam oven, add the ribs to a large pot of boiling water, and simmer them for 30 minutes. Take the ribs out and pat them dry. Season them generously with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Whisk together all the ingredients for the vinegar-based BBQ sauce in a sauce pot, and then simmer them for 30 minutes to reduce by half. Stir the sauce occasionally.

Step 4: Brush the steam (or boiled) ribs with the BBQ sauce, giving them a generous coating. Change the settings of the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven to Grill, and grill them for an additional 10 minutes to give the ribs a nice crust.

If you do not have a steam oven, turn your oven on to broil, or your outdoor grill onto high, and broil or grill your ribs for about 10 minutes.

Step 5: Once the ribs are cooked, give them another brush with the remaining BBQ sauce, and then cut along the ribs to serve

 

Ricotta Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe

Blueberry season is in full swing, and if you’re looking for new ways to enjoy this yummy fruit you’ve come to the right place. With a lusciously tender texture due to a steamed bake using a revolutionary Sharp Smart Combi Built-In Steam Oven, this ricotta cheesecake is made luminous and bright with lemon zest and juice mixed into the batter and topped with fresh blueberries. A berry delicious dessert guaranteed to make your mouth water!

 Ingredients

• 24 gingersnap cookies (168 grams)
• 1 cup (121 grams) roasted salted shelled pistachios
• ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
• ¼  cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 16 ounces (454 grams) of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (24 grams) of cornstarch
• 12 ounces (340 grams) of ricotta cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (3 grams) lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) fresh lemon juice
• 1½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs (200 grams), room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk (19 grams), room temperature
• 2 cups (292 grams) of fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon (20 grams) apple jelly, melted

Instructions

 

1. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour; line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
2. In the work bowl of a food processor, place gingersnaps, pistachios, and salt; process until finely ground. Add melted butter, pulsing until combined—press mixture into bottom and halfway up sides of prepared
3. pan.
4. Set Sharp Smart Combi Built-In Steam Oven to Convection Bake/325°F/Preheat/1 Tray/8 minutes/Start. (See Note)
5. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium-low speed until very creamy and smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and cornstarch. Add sugar mixture and ricotta to cream cheese, beating until smooth. Beat in cream, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition and stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Pour filling into prepared crust. Cover the top of the prepared pan tightly with plastic wrap and then foil, pressing to seal.
8. Set SHARP Superheated Steam Oven to Steam Bake/Water Bath/275°F/1 hour and 15 minutes.
9. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off, and leave cheesecake in the oven with the door closed until completely cool, 2 hours. (Leave cheesecake wrapped in plastic wrap and foil.) Remove from oven, and refrigerate overnight.
10. In a medium bowl, toss together blueberries and melted jelly to coat. Pat the surface of the cheesecake with a paper towel before serving, and arrange the blueberry mixture on the cheesecake.

Note: To bake in a traditional oven: Omit the use of plastic wrap and foil. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake crust until set, about8 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (170°C). Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake until set around edges but slightly jiggly in the center, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and leave cheesecake in the oven with the door closed until completely cool, 3 to 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

 

Loaded Blue Corn Chip Southern Nachos

Our team whipped up a batch of these nachos one afternoon and has been loving the recipe since. We recently tested them in our Sharp Smart Combi Built-In Steam Oven and modified the recipe to work perfectly. One of the highlights of this recipe is that it can all be done by using just the included broiling pan. This budget-friendly recipe combines southern flavors, such as cumin and chili powder, with tasty tortilla chips of your choice, and is layered with loads of cheese and chicken. Once baked, we recommend topping the nachos off with flavorful onions, jalapenos, avocados, and tomatoes. You can easily personalize this recipe to suit the tastes of your family and friends, making the perfect appetizer to kick off your 4th of July BBQ!

Ingredients

• (2) chicken breasts
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cup mixed shredded cheese
• 1 large red onion
• blue corn tortilla chips
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes
• 1 ripe avocado

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, marinate 2 thick-cut chicken breasts with your favorite barbecue sauce for a least 2 hours. Once marinated, place the chicken onto the broiling pan.  Set your Sharp Smart Combi Built-In Steam Oven to Bake/Reheat at 485 °F for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of each chicken breast reaches 165 °F. Allow 5-10 minutes to cool before dicing each chicken breast into small cubes.
2. Wash the broiling pan thoroughly. If desired, layer with aluminum foil for simple cleanup.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked diced chicken breasts with 1/3 cup of mixed shredded cheese, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and ground pepper. Mix well.
4. On a small cutting board, dice red onion into small bite-size pieces, then combine with the mixture.
5. Spread tortilla chips onto a broiling pan and evenly spread combined ingredients over chips. Top off your tray with 2/3 cup mixed shredded cheese and bake on Bake/Reheat setting at 485 °F for 11 minutes.
6. Allow 5 minutes for the nachos to cool before serving.