4th of July is a favorite holiday for many and often involves many people firing up their grills for some of their favorite picnic and summer fare. While we often think of things like hamburgers and hot dogs, there are also many delicious grilled appetizers that can be made before the main course is served or included in a buffet style smorgasboard of foods. Below we'll share some of our favorite grilled appetizer recipes.

While I'm sure you want to get straight to the recipes and ideas, it is important to remember some very basic food and grilling safety tips. You would not want anyone to get sick from food poisoning and you certainly would not want to have the fire department need to show up for your backyard barbecue!

Here are some basic reminders:

1. Wash Hands Before Handling All Food and When Handling Different Foods

2. Keep cold foods refrigerated or on ice so they hold a temperature between 34-38 degrees.

3. Use a Meat Thermometer for meats to ensure they are cooked to the proper temperature

4. Never grill indoors and grill away from plants, buildings, kids and pets.

5. Never leave the grill unattended!

Grilled shrimp kabobs are very easy to make and are a great grilled appetizer. You can find many recipes for grilled shrimp kabobs online or you can simply experiment with combining your favorite foods with the shrimp and grill for about 5-7 minutes on a hot grill. Popular choices include peppers, pineapples, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and others. They are very easy to make but your guests will feel like they are eating a gourmet grilling recipe!

Bacon is one of those wonderfully universal foods that goes well with just about anything. You can wrap bacon around pieces of steaks, minature hot dogs, asparagus, mushrooms, or other favorites. Having a grill basket can be very helpful in making these types of appetizer snacks to ensure they don't drop through the grate, or you can also make them on skewers as well.

There are also many things you can make that go along with the theme of red, white, and blue. For example, in the video above is a recipe for grilled eggplant, which can be served with tomato slices and feta cheese.

A little creativity and following a few of these simple recipes will be sure to impress your guests as you enjoy your 4th of July Holiday!