(Family Features) Summer is typically a busy time for families, making those moments you spend together all the more precious. The hustle and bustle of the season doesn't have to mean sacrificing wholesome meals, however.

Take advantage of the warm weather and step outside the kitchen to focus on enjoying the outdoors with family around grilled favorites, such as burgers. You can even make meals on the grill your own by putting twists on a classic, such as Barbecue Macaroni and Cheese Burgers or Buffalo Macaroni and Cheese Burgers.

Another time-saving tip: Consider refrigerated side dish options like mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese from Bob Evans Farms, which are ready in just six minutes and provide homemade taste. In addition to topping burgers, these sides can be used as an ingredient in appetizers like Crunchy Jalapeno Potato Poppers and Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Sliders, which are perfect for snacking on while catching up on the events of the day.

Find more grilling recipes at Bobevansgrocery.com/recipe-ideas/

Watch video to see how to make recipe!

Buffalo Macaroni and Cheese Burger

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound Bob Evans Original Roll Sausage
• 1 package (20 ounces) Bob Evans Macaroni and Cheese
• 8 hamburger buns
• 1 package crumbled blue cheese (optional)
• 4 teaspoons Buffalo sauce

1. In large mixing bowl, blend ground beef and sausage; divide into eight patties.
2. On grill over medium heat, cook burgers on each side until no longer pink in center and internal temperature reaches 160° F, about 15 minutes.
3. Heat macaroni and cheese according to package instructions.
4. Place patties on buns and top each with 1/4 cup macaroni and cheese, 1/2 teaspoon Buffalo sauce and sprinkle with blue cheese, if desired.

Barbecue Macaroni and Cheese Burger

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound Bob Evans Original Roll Sausage
• 1 package (20 ounces) Bob Evans Macaroni and Cheese
• 8 hamburger buns
• 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup French fried onion straws

1. In large mixing bowl, blend ground beef and sausage; divide into eight patties.
2. On grill over medium heat, cook burgers on each side until no longer pink in center and internal temperature reaches 160° F, about 15 minutes.
3. Heat macaroni and cheese according to package instructions.
4. Place patties on buns and top each with 1/4 cup macaroni and cheese, 2 teaspoons barbecue sauce and fried onion straws.

Crunchy Jalapeno Potato Poppers

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 48

• 1 package (24 ounces) Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces diced jalapeno peppers, drained
• 8 ounces taco flavored tortilla chips
• 2 large eggs
• 6-8 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• sour cream (optional)

1. Stir together cold mashed potatoes with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses and diced jalapenos.
2. Scoop 48 tablespoonfuls of potato mixture and place on parchment- or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes.
3. In bowl of food processor, pulse tortilla chips to fine crumbs or place chips in large, zip-top bag and smash using rolling pin. Pour crumbs into shallow bowl.
4. Beat eggs and pour into separate shallow bowl. Set aside.
   In fryer or Dutch oven, heat oil to 350° F.
5. Remove mashed potato scoops from refrig­erator and roll into balls. Roll each mashed potato ball in flour, tapping off excess. Once potato balls are coated in flour, dip each into egg, allowing excess to drip off, then into tortilla chip crumbs, making sure to coat evenly. Set on clean baking sheet. Discard excess flour, egg and tortilla chip crumbs.
6. In hot oil, fry small batches of mashed potato poppers until golden brown, 30-40 seconds. Remove from fryer and place on paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat until all poppers are cooked. Serve hot with sour cream, if desired.

Note: To reheat poppers, bake 6-8 minutes at 350° F.

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Sliders

Recipe courtesy of Karly Campbell of Buns in My Oven
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12

• 1 pound pre-packaged, fully cooked pulled pork in sauce
• 12 slider rolls
• 1 package (20 ounces) Bob Evans Macaroni and Cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 6 slices cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon barbecue dry rub
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. In microwave, warm pulled pork according to package instructions.
3. Slice rolls in half. Place bottom halves of slider rolls in 9-by-13-inch baking dish and top each with pulled pork.
4. Microwave macaroni and cheese according to package directions and spoon evenly over pork on each sandwich roll.
5. Drizzle barbecue sauce over sandwiches.
6. Lay cheese in two rows of three over sliders.
7. Top with top halves of slider rolls.
8. Stir dry rub into butter. Spoon evenly over tops of sandwiches. Sprinkle with parsley.
9. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes.

Source: Bob Evans Grocery

(Family Features) A dazzling fireworks display may be the grand finale for your celebration, but you can make your mouthwatering menu a close second with these ideas to light up your Fourth of July. From bold burgers to crisp salads and sweet sides, give your guests plenty of reason to feel festive all day long. And don’t forget to add a little indulgence for all ages with a DIY dessert bar.

Find more recipes perfect for the Fourth of July at culinary.net.

Serve Up a Sundae Bar
The only thing better than a dish of cold ice cream on a hot summer day is the chance to make it all your own. Let guests create their own dishes of deliciousness with a DIY sundae bar. Start with a healthy supply of cups, spoons and towels to mop up inevitable drips then fill the bar with irresistible options like these:

• A sampling of ice creams, like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry
• Fresh sliced fruit
• Crushed candies and cookies
• Sauces (chocolate, caramel and something fruity, too)
• Assorted nuts
• Crunchy favorites like crumbled cones or salty pretzels
• Coconut (raw and toasted)
• Whipped cream
• Sprinkles

A Bold Take on an American Classic
When it comes to feeding family and friends on the Fourth of July, nothing pleases guests more than fan-favorite American bites fresh off the grill. Cheeseburgers are a tried-and-true classic for summer grilling season. Give your burger recipe a bold, sweet kick this Fourth of July with honey barbecue sauce and the finishing touch of delicious, smooth-melting Borden Cheese. Find more summer recipes to transform mealtime into memorable family time at bordencheese.com.

Bold Honey Barbecue Burger

Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3-4 tablespoons steak seasoning
• 4 hamburger buns
• 1/2 stick melted butter
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 slices Borden Cheese American Singles
• 8 slices thick bacon, cooked until crispy
• 8 frozen onion rings
• 4 slices tomato
• fresh lettuce

1. Combine ground beef, green onions, garlic powder and cayenne pepper; form into four patties. Sprinkle both sides of each patty with steak seasoning. Cover and chill. (Patties can be made several hours in advance.)
2. Brush buns with melted butter; set aside. In small bowl, mix barbecue sauce with honey; set aside.
3. Heat grill to medium-high heat.
4. Grill burgers to internal temperature of 160° F, about 4-6 minutes per side. Two minutes before burgers are finished, grill buns, butter-side down, until golden brown. Place cheese slices on burgers to melt.
5. Serve each burger on buttered bun topped with two slices bacon, two onion rings, honey barbecue sauce, lettuce and tomato.

A Tropical Summer Twist
If you find yourself hosting a last-minute barbecue without time to plan an extensive menu, don’t panic. Simply add a twist to traditional summer staples, like mixing one bag of cabbage with one jar of coleslaw dressing for a classic coleslaw side dish or incorporating coleslaw into your main course. This spin on a classic barbecue meal, Grilled Hawaiian Chicken and Tropical Coleslaw, can take your entertaining to the next level. For more recipes, visit litehousefoods.com.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken and Tropical Coleslaw

Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Serves: 6

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing grill
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons Litehouse Instantly Fresh Garlic
• 1 tablespoon Litehouse Instantly Fresh Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional, to taste
• salt, to taste
• 1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 large red onion, diced into 1 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 large green peppers, diced into 1 1/4-inch pieces
• 3 cups fresh cubed pineapple

Coleslaw:

• 1 package (14 ounces) coleslaw mix
• 1 cup diced red pepper
• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup Litehouse Coleslaw dressing

1. In mixing bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Stir in pepper and season with salt, if desired.
2. Place chicken in gallon-sized re-sealable bag. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade in refrigerator then pour remaining marinade over chicken. Seal bag and refrigerate 1-2 hours. Soak 10 wooden skewer sticks in water 1 hour.
3. While chicken marinates, prepare coleslaw. In medium bowl, toss together coleslaw mix, red pepper, pineapple, almonds and coleslaw dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Heat grill to 400° F.
5. Drizzle remaining olive oil over red onion, bell pepper and pineapple; toss. Season red onion and bell pepper with salt and pepper then thread red onion, bell pepper, pineapple and chicken onto skewers until all chicken is used.
6. Brush grill grates with olive oil then place skewers on grill. Grill 5 minutes then brush along tops with 1/4 cup marinade. Rotate to opposite side and brush remaining marinade on opposite side; grill about 4 minutes, or until chicken registers 165° F in center on instant read thermometer.
   Serve skewers warm with coleslaw.

A Honey of a Side
No summer picnic or grilling spread is complete without an array of mouthwatering sides. When planning your menu, go for variety with dishes ranging from rich and savory to light and refreshing. If you want to mix things up a bit, look for ways to dress up timeless favorites, like this take on baked beans that gets its sweetness from honey instead of sugar. Find more ways to sweeten up your celebration at honey.com.

Honey Baked Beans

Recipe courtesy of the National Honey Board
Servings: 4-6

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 1/2 cups cooked navy beans (or 3 cans, 15 ounces each)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. Saute bacon and onion until onion is tender; combine with remaining ingredients in shallow 2-quart, oven-safe baking dish. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 45 minutes longer.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (berry sundaes)
Photo courtesy of Getty Images (baked beans)

Source: Family Features