Cooking for a Fourth of July doesn’t just involve deciding on burgers or dogs, but sorting out the full line up. Creating a menu involves knowing your guests, settling on dishes that will marry well on a buffet table, and getting real about your time and bandwidth. Below I’ve curated five fab Fourth of July menus that range from family-friendly to a little bit fancy. Feel free to mix and match depending on what grabs your eye. In advance of the holiday, here are a few tips to make it all go smoothly:

1.Lean on your staff

For me, that’s my family, who are very capable of helping me shop, chop, and clean up. Use that little red hen school of party planning.

2. Outsource, especially if you have little ones underfoot.

If you are having guests, ask them to bring a dish. You can share a link to a recipe for them to follow. That way, you’ll know what’s coming and will have a menu that works.

3. Get a jump on things

The supermarket and farmers’ markets will get busy as we roll into the weekend, so shop ahead and do whatever prep you can in advance. You’ll enjoy your Fourth that much more.

4. Don’t plan for perfect

Holidays should be about being with your beloveds more than getting everything right. Don’t sweat it if you over-salt the salad dressing or leave the tart in the oven too long.